The low light in the woods and car had done a lot to camouflage how bad off she was.
Her arm was covered in blood. It stained her tank and her shorts as well. Her ankle had ballooned to twice its size. Her feet were filthy and bloodied.
And her face was splotchy, her eyelids swollen, her eyes red.
How long had she been crying without me noticing?
I knew I couldn’t have done anything about it, not when we were running for our lives. But I hated that she’d been suffering in silence without so much as a hand squeeze to silently tell her everything was going to be okay, that I would make sure of it.
“First room,” Ama called, still pulling up her hair, then pausing to sanitize her hands before she followed us in. “So, you’re Noa. I wish I could say this is the first time I’ve met a new club girl this way. But, well…”
Noa didn’t correct her.
I didn’t either.
But I had no idea if she just didn’t know what to say, or if she was thinking along the same lines as I was. That this wasn’tjust a fun safe house fling. That there was something between us. New, yes, but different. Important.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t the time to talk about it.
“I’m Ama. And I am going to get you all cleaned and fixed up.”
“Hey, Ama. I get the feeling that he isn’t going to say anything, so I’m going to: Caymen’s feet probably look exactly like mine. If not worse.”
“They’re fine.”
“I’m sure they’re not,” Ama said, tone dry. “But I’ll get to him after I’ve fixed you up. A couple questions: any allergies, when was your last tetanus, and are you going to faint on me when I bring out a needle?”
“No allergies. About three years ago. And no, I’m fine with needles, stitches, blood, no issues.”
“Good. That makes this easier.”
“Caymen,” Huck called from the doorway.
“Go ahead,” Noa said. “You can’t do anything here.”
Sure I could.
I could sit with her, hold her hand, rub her back.
But I had to talk to the club.
“I’ll be right back.”
“She’s in good hands,” Ama assured me.
“I know she is. Don’t be a hero. Take whatever drugs she wants to toss at you.”
With that, I made my way out of the room.
“What’s up with your feet?” Huck said.
“Barefoot running. It’s fine. I want Noa taken care of first.”
“Sit, at least, then,” he said, grabbing the rolling stool from the nurse’s station and pushing it over to me.
I wasn’t going to fight him on that.
I dropped my ass down, feeling the way my soles immediately started to pulse.
