“Thanks, Liam,” she said as she closed and locked the door.
As I made my way home, I realized once again that I was in deep emotional shit. Gwen was definitely going to find out that I was falling hard for her patient. Kayla might find out my feelings for her.
Although she was comfortable being cozy with me, it still wasn’t clear what she was feeling. Damn, I wished I could see her eyes to try to see what she was thinking.
I could barely sleep, tossing and turning. Eventually, I got up ridiculously early to hit the gym hard, trying to exhaust myself so that I’d settle down.
As always, newcomers to the facility took one look and gave me a wide berth. Regulars gave me a nod and smile, but rarely chatted with me the way they did with the rest of the clientele.
Some people enjoyed having personal space. I usually felt isolated. Excluded. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. We lived in a world that was sometimes pretty terrif
ying, and it was logical to shun someone who looked violent.
My ritual was to smile warmly at everyone, and be extra polite when offering to spot someone, or holding a door open. Once people had seen me around a few times, they usually lightened up and stopped flashing little sideways glances in my direction as if they thought I was going to steal their purse.
I took a quick shower, then went to a deli that was on the way to Kayla’s. I picked up fresh bread and cheese, then went to the smoothie place again.
This time when I knocked on her door at quarter to ten, she unlocked it almost immediately. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning when I realized that she seemed excited to see me.
“Good morning, little one,” I said. “Smoothie time.”
“Thanks,” she smiled as I guided her to the couch and placed a cup in her hands.
“I also got stuff for grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and pasta salad for dinner.”
She cocked her head, and I was nearly positive that she’d be raising an eyebrow at me if I could see it.
I chuckled. “I’ll give you a big bowl and spoon, with a napkin under you. If any slippery bits fall, I’ll find them so you don’t step on something gross.”
Kayla sipped her green juice, grinning. “Awesome. Thank you.”
After we finished our liquid breakfast, I remembered it was time for another nurse’s duty.
“So, we might as get this out of the way,” I said gently. “Did Gwen help you in the shower or bath?” Kayla blushed so prettily I was glad she couldn’t see how hard it was not to reach out to touch her.
“I’m okay in the shower by myself,” she said in a small voice, obviously embarrassed. “Maybe if you could just check and make sure that nothing has fallen so I can’t trip.”
“I don’t like the thought of you in there alone, in case you slip. I read up on this a little. If you’ve lost your sight for a long time, your balance becomes more steady. It’s only been a few days for you, so you might be a bit off.”
Her lips quirked up in the cutest smile. “You looked into this?”
“Yes. I’m going to keep you safe, no matter what. How about I run you a bath, and you promise to get in very carefully? Sitting people can’t fall down. And don’t lock the door. If you slip or get dizzy again, I’ll be there in half a second, and modesty be damned.”
Her nose crinkled. “Okay.”
A few minutes later I was standing beside her at the edge of the tub. Taking her hand, I placed it on the edge. “Sit first, then slide in. No falling allowed. You remember where your soap and everything is?”
Kayla nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
I placed a big towel on the counter, setting her hand on it, and she nodded again. “Okay. Just holler if you need anything. I’m not a peeper, but if you need me, I’m coming in.”
Her head tilted as she smiled. “It’s funny, but I really do trust you.”
I gave her shoulder a pat, then shut the door behind me. I went to the kitchen to do the dishes so that she’d hear me puttering around, but I was listening carefully. It was torture imagining her slipping out of her robe and into the hot water. I’d give anything to wash her tender skin, to care for her completely. Just the thought of rinsing her hair for her nearly made me crazy.
Hearing light splashing sounds echoing in the bathroom, I relaxed a bit. I’d never been so protective of a woman before. This surge of raw emotion whenever I was near her was almost unnerving. It was tearing me apart.
She was obviously a nice girl who should be settling down with a proper guy she could bring home to her family someday. Not someone who looked like they’d been to prison. My tattoos could mostly be covered with long sleeves. So many people had ink on their hands and wrists these days that it could be overlooked. But my angry scar made me look like a criminal. Some sort of thug. There was no way a classy gal like this would want to be seen with me.