I nodded. “Yeah,” I rasped, my heart thudding hard in my chest. Blaze had spoken up for me. Was trying to get me taken care of properly. And it was making me all giddy inside. “I’d like to be referred to a neurologist.”
Dr. McManus nodded. “You should receive a call by the end of the day from one of the referral specialists,” he said, handing me the white piece of paper to take to the check-out desk. “In the meantime, I’ll see you again in six months. I hope all goes well for you, Jaxon.”
With that, he walked out of the room, his shoulders stiff. I looked at Blaze. “Thank you,” I said quietly. I probably would have never had the balls to tell my doctor I wanted to see someone other than him.
He stood and clapped a hand to my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “That’s what I’m here for.” He brushed his thumb over my shoulder, and I shivered. Why couldn’t he touch me like that more often? “Let’s get out of here and get some food.”
Nodding, I got off the examination table and followed him out of the room, my heart in my throat and my feelings for the man in front of me damn near ready to burst right out of my chest and at his feet.
Chapter 10
Jaxon
I swung open the front door, frowning at Samuel. “Why are you here?” I asked. It was only five in the evening. Technically, the shop was still open until five-thirty, and Samuel usually worked a little later to finish up paperwork so he didn’t have to play catch-up the next morning. So, what he was doing in front of my apartment door was beyond me.
He held up a bag of food I’d missed. Wasn’t unusual considering my vision was on the bad side today. As it was, he was blurry in front of me, even with my glasses on. Screen time was a no-go. I’d managed to use dictation to send an email to my professors, letting them know I wouldn’t be in class and that my work may be turned in late. I had no idea what they’d responded because I couldn’t bear to look at my phone screen any longer.
“Hunter texted me that practice is running late, and then Blaze texted me asking if I could bring you food and check in on you. So, here I am, your personal food fairy.” He did some kind of weird jazz fingers with his free hand, a sarcastic smile tilting his lips. “Now let me in.”
I huffed when he pushed his way into the apartment. Shutting the door, I followed him to the kitchen, watching as he began pulling out Styrofoam containers, two plastic big cups of broth and meat, and noodles. “Get two bowls. I brought pho.”
“Blaze tell you to buy that?” I asked as I moved behind him to grab two bowls out the cabinet. Pho was one of our go-to foods when my day was just plain shitty. He’d called me between classes to ask me if my vision had gotten any better, but it’d remained the same, and though I tried to fake that I was okay, Blaze was always good at seeing—or, in this case, hearing—through my bullshit.
“Yeah.” I set the bowls in front of him, and he began pouring broth, noodles, and beef into the bowls. I grabbed cilantro and put it in my bowl, along with bean sprouts, jalapenos, and lime. We took seats at the bar, and I dug in, groaning in pleasure because pho always hit just fucking right.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on with you and Blaze?” Samuel asked out of the blue.
I spluttered and coughed, damn near choking on the noodles I’d just attempted to swallow. Samuel patted my back, and I finally managed to swallow without feeling like I was fucking dying. I pushed back from the table and grabbed a bottle of water from the pantry, guzzling some of it down.
“Where the fuck did that come from?” I demanded once my throat was no longer on fire, glaring at him as I rounded the bar to take my seat once more. And maybe manage to eat without Samuel asking me wild, out of the blue questions that damn near killed me.
“You two have gotten… cozy,” he finally settled on. “I mean, you’ve always been close, but since your injury, something has shifted. You’re so damn in love with him, it’s a little disgusting to us outsiders.”
I scowled. “Oh, fuck you, Samuel. I don’t have the energy for this bullshit today. Leave if you’re gonna be an asshole.”
Samuel scoffed. “I brought you food, so I’m not going anywhere. And you’re not either until we have this conversation. It’s just as uncomfortable for me as it is for you, but I’m tired of seeing you two pining after each other and not making a single move.”
I tightened my fingers around my fork, growing agitated. “Blaze doesn’t see me that way, Samuel. He’s straight as fuck. Mind your goddamn business.”
Samuel barked out a laugh, and I winced at the loud noise. “Blaze is not one hundred percent straight. Does he lean more toward women? Yeah. But Blaze has got a little bit of interest in dick.”
My patience was wearing fucking thin with him, his questions, his assumptions, and his fucking meddling.
“I’m about to send you on your way, and you can take my food with you. You’re being a dick and meddling in shit that’s not any of your business.” And my frustration with him was growing by the second. I didn’t want false hope on top of everything else I was dealing with. I wanted Samuel to go the fuck away and leave me to wallow in my feelings for Blaze miserably by myself.
“Yet you haven’t denied that you’re in love with him,” Samuel mused. I clenched my jaw because no… I hadn’t. Instead, I’d gotten angry with him for meddling and didn’t even try to deflect.
“Because I am,” I snarled, getting angry now. And a headache was beginning to form at my temples. I pushed back from the bar. “Now get the hell out, Samuel, and fuck all the way off. My head hurts, and I’m no longer hungry.”
He gripped my arm and yanked me back down onto the barstool. “You need to tell Blaze how you feel.” I opened my mouth to tell him to get the fuck out, but he held up a hand. “I’m not saying another word on it. I promise. Now eat. And think about what I said.”
“Don’t want to think,” I muttered, picking up my fork again. “I’m going to eat, then shower, then go to bed because I’m tired, my eyeballs fucking suck, my head hurts, and you are a right pain in my ass. I don’t know what the fuck Hunter sees in you.”
“I’m persistent,” Samuel retorted with a smirk and a shrug. “He finds it endearing. I mean, that is part of the reason me and him are now in a very happy relationship.”
I mimed gagging. “Fucking gross. Keep your lovey dovey bullshit to yourself.”
He grinned and nudged his knee with mine. “Yeah, yeah. Eat so you can take some meds. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I think you’ve eaten enough.”
