Erica must have hit the lottery with this one.
We had gone to the store after the animal shelter, buying dog food, a dog crate, and a half dozen toys. I’d insisted on paying, even when Erica tried to say no. I didn’t dare ask how much money she made teaching yoga at the fitness center, but it couldn’t be much, and I didn’t like the idea of her struggling.
The sound of a toddler throwing a tantrum came through the wall from the other half of the duplex.
“Yeah, the walls here are thin,” Erica said with an annoyed frown.
“You hear that a lot?”
“Not always the same thing. Sometimes it’s the parents fighting. The most annoying thing is when they’re loud late at night. I’ve heard music playing after midnight before.”
“What does the landlord have to say about it?”
“I haven’t told him.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t want to make trouble. I don’t need the attention.”
I studied her, trying to figure out what that meant, but she avoided my eyes. It was always a dead end with her.
“I’m going to clean up,” she said, gathering our take out containers and taking them into the kitchen. I decided to follow her with Dominic’s discarded food container, wanting to help out as well as steal a minute alone with her in the other room.
When I walked in, her back was to me as she filled up a glass with water at the sink. I paused, taking in the retro-styled kitchen and marveling that someone purposefully designed this space with so much wood paneling. Walking to the trash can in the corner, I threw out the empty cardboard container. I was approaching Erica when she turned around. She must not have heard me enter the kitchen because the sight of me startled her so much that she jumped, and the glass in her hand slipped out onto the floor where it shattered at her feet. She was only wearing socks.
“Don’t move,” I barked, hurrying forward to get her away from the glass before she hurt herself.
To my horror, she flinched and backed up. There was stark terror on her face that made me freeze, despite the urge to lift her off her feet for her safety. I raised my hands up in front of me, palms up, in an effort to show her that I meant no harm.
Erica blinked. Once. Twice. Her expression cleared, but I could see her visibly shaking.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking. She started to take a step forward, but stopped, letting out a whimper of pain. I looked down and saw that there was blood on the floor under her right foot.
“Damn it,” I grumbled. Careful not to move too quickly since she still looked a little jumpy, I closed the space between us. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I know that,” she responded immediately, sounding like she meant it. “I don’t… it’s not you.”
That was good to know, but I was going to need the whole story sooner rather than later. The pieces were starting to come together, and I didn’t like what I was seeing.
My boots crunching the glass pieces into powder as I wrapped my arms around Erica’s waist and lifted her into the air. I perched her on the edge of the countertop and stepped back.
“Give me your foot.”
Erica looked fragile and embarrassed as she lifted her foot straight out for me. I took a hold of her ankle and bent down to see the damage. It was hard to tell with her sock on and all the blood, but it looked like she had a piece of glass stuck in her heel.
“Is it bad?” she asked.
“I can’t tell for sure yet, but I don’t think so. It’s just a good thing I’m not squeamish.”
I glanced up at her face, and she offered a weak smile.
“I think I’m going to have to cut your sock off to see it better.”
Erica reached over and grabbed a pair of scissors off the knife block next to her. I got to work cutting along the sides of her sock, making sure to avoid her skin.
It was funny, I’d stitched up myself and other Outlaw Souls in the past after knife wounds, but I’d never felt this nervous about it. Erica was delicate, and she needed a gentle touch. Too bad, she was stuck with mine instead.
But I was going to do my best to help her.
