“Do you have asthma?” he inquired.
“You said you threatened him!”
“Did I?”
“Put your eyebrow away and tell me what happened. What did you do to him?”
“Why do you assume I did something to him?” he asked.
“Because you’re you,” I said, scrambling forward.
Kieran stopped me with a hand to my shoulder. “Calm down, baby doll. Your friend is fine.”
“I don’t know if I’d call him my friend.”
“Then why are you insulting my eyebrow and accusing me of doing nefarious things to him?”
Nefarious.“Did you eat a thesaurus?” I wondered. “Probably why I’ve never actually seen you eat anything.”
He barked a laugh.
“I’m worried about him, Kieran. If you don’t tell me how he was, at least move out of my way.”
Kieran’s face softened. “He called you his friend.”
“What?”
Nodding, he went on. “He said you are his only friend, but he wasn’t sure if you considered him yours.”
“I do!” I exclaimed, heart beating a little harder. All this time, I had a friend just across the hall and didn’t even know it. Rett was really nice, but he kept to himself a lot, so I wasn’t sure if he wanted me coming around. My old counselor probably would remind me of my fear of rejection. You know, because not even my own mother wanted me.
But I guess looking at it from the other side, I could see how Rett might have thought the same thing about me. I groaned, thinking of all the times I could have gone across the hall and knocked, asked him to hang out when I was lonely.
“I really need to go,” I said, getting my squirrel on and slipping around him easy-peasy.
“Hazard,” he growled from behind as I raced toward the bedroom door. I didn’t make it very far before colliding with a warm body and stumbling back.
“Hold on there, half-pint. You don’t have much to spill,” Ghost said, grabbing me by the arms and hauling me up.
The IV line in my arm tugged, causing shooting pain.
“Watch yourself,” he cautioned, lifting me off my feet and walking farther into the room so there was less tension on the tube.
Kieran’s large, looming presence appeared and silently pulled me out of Ghost’s grip to lift me into a bridal-style hold.
“Where are you running off to in such a rush?” Ghost asked.
“To see my friend. Kieran threatened him, and I need to make sure he’s okay.”
Ghost glanced at Kieran and widened his eyes. “Now this I gotta hear.”
“I didn’t threaten anyone,” Kieran announced.
Ghost cackled. “Yeah, and I came here on a unicorn.”
“I knew it!” I exclaimed. Poking Kieran in the chest, I said, “What happened?”
“I knocked on his door and asked him if he knew where you were.”
