“Absolutely,” I said. “I mean, obviously I took her hand to guide her, but she seemed fine with my touching her. Actually, it almost seemed to relax her a bit having a big tough guy around.”
“Hmm,” Gwen murmured. “You know, the more I think about it, you two could be good together. Maybe. If you are a good boy, perhaps I will allow you to phone her in six months, after she is totally healed.”
“That’s mighty gracious of you,” I grumbled. “Anyway, any advice for tomorrow?”
“Yes – it’s hard to tell since you don’t know her, but if she’s in pain, she should take the painkillers. Those ones are not addictive or anything. So if she says she doesn’t need them, but then acts like she’s in pain, or even just tense, ask again.”
“Got it.”
“She is supposed to be taking it absolutely easy, but you could mention that a few stretches, or walking a few laps around the apartment would be good. Keep her circulation going whenever she looks like she feels up to it.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Feed her. Water her. Entertain her. It’s all good. Call me if you need anything.”
“All right.”
“Liam – I really appreciate this. You’re not just saving my ass, you’re helping a very nice girl through a pretty terrifying time.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said softly. “It seems like she’s trying really hard to be brave though.”
“She is,” Gwen agreed. “But if she gets moody, or needs some alone time, or needs to cry or scream, it’s not personal. You’re going to have to roll with it.”
“I could see that. Thanks, Sis.”
Before I went to bed, I tried to think of everything I could possibly do tomorrow to help Kayla heal. I didn’t know much about these sorts of things, but after an hour of online searching, I felt like I had at least a tiny clue. I knew a bit about health and fitness from the years I’ve spent at various gyms, and due to my lifelong habit of reading so much.
I felt driven to help Kayla in every possible way. This was obviously a tricky point in her life, so if I could make things go more smoothly, I would.
There was a voice in the back of my head that I tried to silence. It pointed out that I was also trying to get her to truly like me, hoping that it would soften the blow when she eventually saw me.
There must be ways to care for her while keeping my hands off her. Even though she had clearly snuggled into me, that shouldn’t happen again. I could bench press weights that made everyone in the gym stare open-mouthed, but that didn’t mean I was strong enough to keep my distance from this precious, sweet girl.
CHAPTER FIVE
* Kayla *
Waiting for a man to come to my apartment was strange. This was not something I had ever done before.
Thinking about what kind of a man I would want for a partner someday was a rare occurrence, but it did happen. I needed someone sweet and sensitive, who would really listen and understand me. I needed someone who could pick up hints when I wasn’t being clear. Sometimes I was too shy to speak up for myself.
On the other hand, part of me craved that strong man vibe. Although I had problems with anyone taking care of me, I couldn’t help that it was a twisted fantasy to have someone be a bit overprotective. The thought of being cared for by a big guy was seductive.
The concept of someone else caring for me had always been repulsive. I didn’t know why it was completely different with Liam. Maybe he had some sort of deep nurturing energy that I was picking up. Having him take care of me felt natural.
The reaction I had when Liam put his arms around me was tricky to figure out. I knew that he was just trying to help, and make me feel comfortable. Having those thick, muscular arms around me, holding me so tightly against his chest… Just thinking about it still made my lower belly flutter.
If Gwen had been coming over, I wouldn’t have worried about what I looked like. It was very hard for me to do too much anyway. Knowing that it would be Liam changed everything.
I could tell from the texture of my long-sleeved t-shirts that the slightly thicker fabric was the dark purple one that looked nice on me. I had no idea if my socks matched, but I tried to brush my hair, tying it back in what was probably a rather messy ponytail. It was weird that I instinctively wanted to put on lip gloss, but knew I would make a mess of it.
It certainly didn’t make any difference what I looked like. He would never be interested in a quiet, odd girl like me. But I felt that making the attempt was somehow polite.
It was difficult not to ask my phone what time it was every few minutes. At a quarter to ten, I heard a soft knock at the door.
“Hi, Kayla? It’s Liam.”
Carefully walking across the living room, I called out, “Coming.” I unlocked the door, stepping back with what I hoped was a warm smile directed in my estimation of where his face might be.