“Doesn’t take much to burn.”
“You just laid on the ground and let King Kong beat the shit out of you without a whimper. You can handle some alcohol on a cut.” Luca moved lower, and a sharper sting raced over Nox’s cheek.
He hissed. “Damn.”
“I think you’re going to need stitches.”
“See if there are any butterfly stitches in the box.”
Luca took a couple of packets from the first aid box. “You’re going to have to be still. I’ve never done these before.”
“Works a lot like a Band-Aid. It’s not that hard to figure out.”
Luca huffed. “Be still anyhow.”
Isaiah stood beside the truck, watching Nox while Harvey and Max unloaded the food from the back and carried it to the pit.
The apology was clearly written on Isaiah’s face. Nox gave him a small nod in response.
“I said be still.” Luca pulled Nox’s face back up by his chin.
Cassie left two bottles of water and a bottle of aspirin. There was so much sorrow in her eyes, Nox wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but with Luca angry, he stayed quiet.
“There.” Luca crumpled up the packages and left them in the first aid box.
Nox unscrewed the cap on a water bottle and drank, then used some to wet one of the small towels and cleaned his hands and neck.
Luca opened the aspirin. “How many do you want?”
“Three.”
Luca shook them into his palm and gave them to Nox.
“Thanks.” He chased them down his throat with more water.
Luca watched Nox with worry.
“I’ll be fine.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you saw what your face looked like.”
With the way Nox’s heart beat through his bones, he had no doubt it was ugly.
Luca took the other bottle of water but didn’t open it. Every so often, he’d glance at the surrounding people before going back to staring at the cap. “I want to leave.” He didn’t look at Nox when he said it.
“Give the aspirin time to work and we’ll go back to the trailer.”
“No, I meanleave.”
Cold tightened around Nox’s chest. “You’re mad…”
“No.” Luca met Nox’s gaze. “I’m way past mad, angry, and pissed.”
“You’ll feel better tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to feel better tomorrow. I don’t want to be here tomorrow. I want to leave. Now. Tonight. Whenever you can walk.”
“That might not be until tomorrow.”