She hung her jacket by the door and breathed a heavy sigh. “I fell in the parking lot when we were leaving the restaurant.”
A steady warning thumped in his head. “You fell? Lauren, this is more than a fall.” The bandages were five inches wide, and there were developing bruises peeking out past both ends.
“I tripped on these stupid heels in the restaurant parking lot, and I hit the bumper of a truck. There was a sharp edge on it that cut my arm.”
Zach pointed at the door. “Is he out there?”
“Who?”
“The guy who did this to you! I’m going to rip his arms off and shove them down his throat.”
Lauren grabbed his arm as he threw the door open. “No, no, no, no, no. This isn’t Chris’s fault. Ididfall. I’ve got a nasty bruise and a cut. That’s all. They stitched it up at the hospital. I also got a tetanus booster, in case you were worried about that.”
Zach whipped back toward her. “You went to the hospital? And you didn’t call me?”
Lauren’s brows pinched together. “Well, I didn’t think you needed to know. I was fine.”
Zach closed the door and locked it,resolved that the guy who let Lauren get hurt would probably live long enough to make it home, but not long after that.
“He didn’t even make sure you got inside okay. What kind of guy is this?”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “He didn’t drive me home.”
“Then who did?”
“I got a ride,” she explained.
“From a stranger?” Zach’s voice was loud even to his own ears, but he couldn’t help the outburst. What kind of loser didn’t make sure she made it home after getting injured on his watch?
Lauren rested her good hand on his shoulder. “Ride share is pretty common these days, even out here in the middle of nowhere. Calm down.”
“I can’t. I’m going to kill him! You’re hurt!”
“It was an accident! Why are we yelling?” Lauren asked.
Zach rubbed his hand over his head and paced a few feet away before making his way back to her.
She stepped into his path and lifted her chin. “You have to stop thinking violence is the answer. Chris didn’t do anything wrong. It was getting late. His daughter was ready to go to bed, and he needed to relieve the babysitter. I got a ride to the hospital, got stitched up, then came home. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Zach countered. Maybehewasn’t fine. His hands were sweaty, and all he could think about was crashing into her and replaying the kiss that lived rent-free in his head all the time.
“I am! Why are you so worked up?”
Zach pressed a finger to his chest. “Because I protect what’s mine!”
Lauren jerked back as if he’d slapped her. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Silence ticked around them as she stared at him with wide eyes.
Shoot. What had he said? Red still tinged the edges of his vision, but he couldn’t understand why Lauren was upset.
“What?” he asked when she continued to stare at him.
“I’m yours?” she whispered.
That’s what he’d said. He would protect her because she was the only good thing in his life, and he couldn’t live in a world where she wasn’t okay.
The realization hit him. He’d bonded with her so strongly that she’d become a part of him. At least, that’s how it felt. When she hurt, he hurt. It was messed up, but just seeing the bandage on her arm made him physically sick.
The fire drained out of him. The realization was too big of a blow. Why did he have to experience this epiphany when he was standing right in front of her? Why had he poured his heart out before he filtered the words?
