“Leave.” Without another word, he stands to leave, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I’ll be right outside.”
The second the door closes behind him, I heave a sigh of relief. The nurse moves to my side.
“I’m going to give you some pain meds now. They’ll make you a little groggy.”
“Probably for the best.”
“Yes.” There’s pity in her gaze. I can’t even imagine what I must look like.
“How bad is it?”
“You’ll likely have some scarring, but you’re lucky it wasn’t third-degree burns. It could have been a lot worse. I hear you were the hero of the day. You saved your boyfriend’s life.”
“I’m no hero.”
“Your friends say otherwise.”
“Is Jude here?”
“Your best friend?”
“Yes.”
“She went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She should be back any minute. Would you like to have her in here with you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Are you sure you don’t want your boyfriend to come in? It’s important to lean on your support network as you recover.”
“I don’t want him seeing the burns.”
“He seems…”
“Perfect in every way. Yeah, he is.” There’s a sadness sitting heavy on my chest.
“He really loves you. I can tell.”
“That was before this.” I nod toward my bandaged arm.
“And he’ll love you after. He doesn’t strike me as a shallow person. Besides, you are absolutely gorgeous. A few scars won’t change that.”
“Maybe.” The effects of the painkillers are starting to kick in, and I let my eyes close.
A few minutes pass by before Jude comes into the room.
“Hey, bestie. Why is Ry outside?”
“Because I don’t want him here.”
“Why? Did he upset you? Do I need to hurt him?” She stands at my side, taking my hand in hers.
“He’ll see the burns.”
“And? He doesn’t give a shit about that. That man has been beside himself since the second you got out of the restaurant.”
I can’t explain my worries to Jude. She knows nothing about the lifestyle, that Ryder likes to watch, or that I have been working up to letting him fuck me on the voyeur floor of Venom. He’s not going to want that stuff with me now that I’m scarred.
