“I might have had to go to the emergency room after I left you this morning for some stitches,” he informed me, his tone making it seem like it wasn’t important.
“What?” I exclaimed, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“But why did you need stitches?” I demanded. “Did you come here bleeding, and I didn’t even realize?”
“I busted my knuckles last night,” he hedged.
“On Murphy’s face?” Oh Lord, he was going to lose his job because of me. I dropped down on the edge of my bed, putting my face in my free hand.
“No, baby. I haven’t had the chance to deal with that… It’s nothing. Just a few stitches in three of my knuckles. It happened before I came over last night. Don’t worry about me. How are you feeling? Do the bruises hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I gritted out, knowing he wasn’t telling me what happened on purpose. If he wanted to be in a relationship with me, he needed to be honest. Even about the small things.
But this wasn’t small.
He’d gotten hurt somehow the night before and wasn’t telling me how.
“I have to go,” I told him, already back on my feet and walking into the bathroom to get the Windex to clean up the blood smears. If Dad or Mom came in and saw the blood, they would freak, and Mom would check my body from head to toe for life-threatening injuries.
“Lexa, don’t be mad,” he tried to soothe.
“I’m not mad,” I assured him, fighting tears for some reason. “Just disappointed that you aren’t being honest with me. Guess we aren’t together after all if you can’t even tell me what happened that would require you having to get stitches. But whatever.”
“I punched a damn wall last night, okay?” he growled. “I didn’t want you to know that I… Hell, I get these moments when I can’t control the rage that seems to live inside me, Lexa. Last night, I lost control and punched the wall and split my knuckles open.”
“Why didn’t you just say that?” I demanded.
“Because I didn’t want to scare you or make you think you have to worry about me ever losing control with you. I would never hurt you, baby. Never.”
The anger draining from me, I closed my eyes. “It would take a hell of a lot more than you punching a wall to scare me, Ben. I’ve seen some evil things in my lifetime. You’re not evil. Rage or no rage, I feel safe when I’m with you.”
“Good, because I would kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”
“I know that,” I told him softly.
“Lexa…” He broke off, and I heard a voice in the background. A female voice. “Hold on, baby,” he told me before his voice and the female’s became muffled. I knew then exactly who was talking to him.
Paige.
Fuck, I’d completely forgotten about her.
Ben could so easily make me forget everything but him and me, it was crazy. I didn’t understand how he could make me block out everything that didn’t revolve around the two of us being together, but he did, and I hated it.
With each passing second he made me wait, my jealousy only grew. I cleaned up his bloody fingerprints and then made sure there weren’t any other signs he’d been there the night before. I didn’t even remember him leaving. Of course, he’d put me in a postorgasmic coma, so it was all his fault I’d passed out and didn’t hear him.
While I waited, Theo texted me back.
Theo: Are you sure you don’t need me?
“Lexa?” Ben’s voice filled my ear once again. “Something just came up, baby. I want to see you later. Have dinner with me tonight.”
“No thanks,” I told him coolly.
“Lexa,” he growled.
“I already have plans for this evening, actually.” Not a lie. I did have plans. They just involved an accounts book for Hannigans’. “Have a great day, Sheriff. I’m sure it will be now that your ex is in your office.”