I turned my head to the side to look at him, and his brows were furrowed. He was worried. Reaching out, I traced a touch over the left one. They were thick and gorgeous. “You’re really good-looking,” I said. Oh crap, where did that come from?
He chuckled softly. “Thank you, honey. But I’m being serious. What happened back there looked a bit like a seizure. Have you ever had one before?”
I felt a cold sensation washing over me. Panic. “Nuh-uh,” I told him. “I don’t know what happened, but isn’t a seizure a lot of, you know, seizing?”
He snorted and shook his head. “Not always. I’ve seen ’em a couple of ways. I want you to promise me you’ll get checked out, okay? For my peace of mind, if not yours.”
I’d only known this man a short time, but it was already impossible for me to tell him no. I let out a sigh and shrugged. “You’re worse than Creek.”
“Where do you think he learned it all?”
That wasn’t true, of course.Creek had always been insufferable when he was worried.But I couldn’t help a tiny grin anyway as he finally put the car in reverse and backed out of his spot. “He’s been like that since I was a kid. You two are two peas in a pod. I’m surprised you weren’t his bi-awakening.” Oh my god, did I seriously just say that aloud?
Nash chuckled again as he pulled out onto the main road, stopping immediately because afternoon traffic was always hell. “Oh, honey, he’s not my type at all. I love him to death, but he’s better off with Heath than an old man like me.”
“Mm, not old. Not even close,” I said. The fatigue of all this was weighing even harder on me now, and it was starting to feel a little too easy to sink into it. Sleep was clawing at me, and I wanted to give in. “Mind if I doze off?”
He glanced at me, then reached out and brushed a few strands of hair off my forehead. “Close them pretty peepers. I’ll wake you when we get home.”
“Peepers,” I said with a laugh. “Never mind, you are old.”
He winked. “Told you.” Nash’s smile faded a bit as he stared at me, then he brushed a touch down my jaw. “Seriously. We’ll talk about all this later. You just get some rest right now. I’m right here if you need me.”
“Thanks,” I said.
IthinkI said. It was hard to tell. Sleep was an impossible force, and it was taking me out like the high tide took the sand.
CHAPTER THREE
NASH
Just stress my ass.
Something was wrong with Forest, and it sure as fuck wasn’t stress. Stress didn’t cause blackouts and seizures. Not like that, anyway. And the way I’d seen him stumble and trip over his own feet… No, something was off, and I was determined to find out what, even if he didn’t seem to take it that seriously.
I sighed as I counted the bandages in the rig, checking them off the standard list we used to ensure we had everything we needed. We’d just returned from an MVC, where we’d treated several patients on scene before sending them off to the hospital in other rigs, and we’d gone through a lot of supplies.
As things seemed to have calmed down a bit—I wasn’t going to say quiet. No one, including me, was stupid enough to use the q-word because that was inevitably the signal for the universe to send the worst shit possible your way—I’d taken the opportunity to check supplies and restock. Not my favorite job, as it gave me way too much time to think. I preferred to stay busy, which was why I loved being an EMT so much.
I counted the IV bags, then added two more and checked them off.
I’d always been a man of action, and it had taken me a while to reorient myself after leaving the Army. At first, I’d been too busy taking care of Creek, Bean, and Tameron. Creek’s case had been relatively straightforward. Hard as it was for him to lose a limb, that had been the extent of his injuries.
Tameron’s issues hadn’t seemed as obvious at first. It had taken a while for the doctors to realize his hearing loss was not only permanent, but progressive. It still hadn’t stabilized, and he was expected to lose more hearing in his left ear, which sucked for him.
Bean had caused the most worries. Brain injuries were the worst since there was still so much that doctors didn’t know or understand about them. His memory had been impacted heavily, and we’d all learned to repeat stories, remind him of appointments, and embrace the fact that he’d forget almost everything we told him instantly. The migraines had been icing on the proverbial cake for him.
But he had made it through that period, just like the others. And now they had all found love and had moved out…and I’d been left behind.
Jesus fuck, somebody slap me out of this endless loop of self-pity. How could I resent their happiness when they’d been the ones who’d gotten hurt…and onmywatch?
I hadn’t been anywhere near the explosion when it happened, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t to blame. Creek had warned me about the soldier who’d caused the accident. Said he’d reprimanded him several times, but the kid didn’t seem to listen. And then everything had gone to hell, and it had been too late. If only I had…
“You almost done?”
I startled. Kaelan leaned against the open door of the rig, hands shoved into his pockets. The kid looked like a goddamn model with his carefully mussed hair, full pouty lips, and a pairof gorgeous brown eyes, but he was good at the job. Surprisingly so.
“Yeah, just restocking the cooling packs and we’re good to go.”
