Medicine

RAINEY

“She’s so pale,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “I can’t get used to seeing her like this.”

Ansel, standing next to me, lets out a heavy sigh. His eyes are glued to Riley, who’s unconscious. “She’ll wake up soon. I’m sure of it.”

I hope he’s right. If Riley doesn’t wake up, I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself.

Alex sighs and moves closer to her, placing a stuffed bear on the nightstand. I’d been wondering why he’d taken it from the store. Turns out, he wanted to give it to Riley.

“At least she won’t be alone now,” he says, running a hand through his hair.

I manage a small smile at him. He seems to really care about her. The worry etched on his face and his restless pacing are proof enough.

“Rainey!” Valerie bursts into the room, and I jump up from my chair, my eyebrows knitting together in concern.

“What’s wrong, Aunt Val?”

She grabs my hand. “The police. They’re here.”

“Did you call them?”

“No, the doctors did. They want to ask me some questions about what happened to Riley.

“You should go, sweetie. If they see you here, they’ll think you’re involved. And we both know that won’t end well.”

The truth is, I am involved. I know this is all my fault.

I nod. “Okay. Is there a motel nearby? I don’t want to go back to Crossview until she wakes up.”

Valerie gives me a sad smile. “Yes, dear. There’s one right next to the hospital. But it’s pricey. Do you have enough money? Let me check my purse.”

She starts to move away, but I stop her, gently holding her arm.

“It’s okay, Aunt Val. I have a credit card. We’ll manage.”

She nods, her gaze drifting to Alex and Ansel. They give her a small smile, and she returns it.

“Here, give this to them. It might help.”

I hand her a flash drive with the video of Riley’s kidnapping and a printed picture of the kidnappers. She flips the paper over, staring at it in surprise.

“What’s this, dear?”

“Those men are the ones who took Riley.”

Her eyes fill with tears as she clutches the paper. “Oh, God. How did you get this, sweetie?”

“We went to Vincent Street and checked the CCTV from a drug store near the warehouse.”

Her eyes shine with gratitude. “Thank you, dear.”

Honestly, I don’t deserve her thanks. This all happened because of me. I had to do this.

I pat her shoulder, feeling guilty. “We’ll figure this out, okay? We’ll be back in the morning.”

She nods as we turn to leave the room.

***

I’m standing on the motel room balcony. The night is cold and windy, and I wrap an arm around myself as I look down at the city lights.

I paid for a room with two beds and a couch. It’s pretty basic, with a TV, a bathroom, and a balcony that offers a stunning view of the city below.

Footsteps approach from behind, and I turn to see Ansel. He’s now wearing a white T-shirt, which he had on under his dress shirt.

He gives me a half-smile as he joins me at the railing. “Are you okay?”

I shrug. “I’d be lying if I said I was.”

He grips the railing, the wind ruffling his dark hair as he sighs. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

I look at him, and he tries to smile, but I can tell he’s just as worried as I am.

The motel door slams shut, making us both turn. Alex walks in, his cell phone in his hand.

“What did Alaric say, Alex?” Ansel asks as we go inside. He flops onto one of the beds while Alex sits on the couch, rubbing his face.

“He says he’ll keep an eye on Crossview and that he has some guys in the area who can watch us while we’re here.”

Ansel nods, resting his elbows on his knees as he thinks.

Alex looks around the room, then smiles. “This room isn’t bad. How did you afford it, Rain?”

I smile back. “Well, my dad sends me money pretty often.”

“Oh, I’ve never heard you talk about him,” Alex says, glancing at Ansel, who’s watching me closely.

“Uh, yeah. That’s because I…don’t really have much to say. He’s always busy, so he doesn’t have much time for me.” I purse my lips.

Alex’s expression softens, and I quickly shake my head. “But it’s okay. He takes care of me financially.”

A heavy silence falls over us, and I can tell they both feel sorry for me. I hate that more than anything.

“Uh, I’m gonna use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

I walk to the attached bathroom and close the door behind me. I stand in front of the mirror and look at my reflection.

I know my life is a mess, and because of my mess, people I care about are getting hurt.

I sigh and hang my head, pressing my hands against the sink.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots from the middle of my back to my shoulder, and I groan, remembering the hard fall I took earlier.

I try to straighten up, and the pain comes again. I wince, scrunching up my face as I bite my lip.

A knock echoes through the room, followed by Ansel’s voice. “Rain, are you okay?”

I swallow, trying to reach my back, but my arm falls short. “Uh, yeah. I mean…no. It just hurts.”

“What hurts? Do you need me to come in?”

I gulp, closing my eyes as I ponder his question. The pain flares up again, and I find myself nodding instinctively. “Yes, please.”

I lean forward and unlock the door. He pushes it open and steps inside, his eyebrows knitting together when he sees the pain etched on my face. “Where does it hurt?”

“My back,” I sigh, glancing at him through the large mirror in front of us. “I think I fell too hard earlier.”

He puffs out his cheeks and moves behind me. “Can I lift your shirt?”

“Yeah.” I furrow my brow, shutting my eyes.

He slips his fingers under the hem of my shirt and pulls it up, along with my tank top. I watch his expression morph into one of concern as he pulls it back down.

“Am I okay?” I ask.

“There are bruises on your back.” He moves to the cabinet in the room and starts rummaging through it. “There has to be a first aid kit in here.”

“Is it bad?”

He puffs out his cheeks again. “Not really. I’ll apply some ointment, and if it still hurts tomorrow, we’ll get it checked out at the hospital, okay?”

I nod, then sigh in relief when he finds a first aid kit. He sets it on the counter as I lean against the sink.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “This is my fault.”

“It’s not.” I shake my head. “Please don’t say that.”

He sighs as he sifts through the white box. He then grabs a white tube and flips it over, reading the label on the back.

“It says here that it’s for pain and bruises. It should be applied to the bruised area with the flat of one’s hand. I’ll use this one, okay?”

I nod as he resumes his position behind me. He freezes for a moment though, clutching the ointment, and I lift my eyes to meet his in the mirror. “What?”

He purses his lips hesitantly. “You’ll need to take your shirt off, I guess.”

“Oh.” Heat floods my cheeks as I reach up to undo the buttons of my shirt. My eyes meet his in the mirror, and he looks away as he waits for me to remove the garment.

Goosebumps prickle my arms as they’re now exposed, and I look at him again, waiting for his next instruction.

“Everything,” he says. “You’ll need to take everything off.”

I blink, and he quickly clarifies.

“Uh, the bruises stretch from the center of your back to your right shoulder. Clothing will just get in the way of applying the ointment properly. I’m sorry. I know this is uncomfortable for you.”

He’s right. The ointment won’t work properly if there are barriers. I know that, but it doesn’t stop the unease I’m currently feeling.

I swallow the lump in my throat, shaking my head. “It’s okay. It’s not uncomfortable.”

He smiles faintly, and I slide my fingers under the hem of my tank top and pull it off.

Ansel’s eyes drop to the black bra I’m wearing, but he quickly looks away, a deep blush spreading across his face.

His jaw is tight, and he’s trying not to stare. That’s better for me. I’d probably die of embarrassment if he openly stared at me.

I reach around and unhook my bra, but I don’t pull the straps off. I hold the cups to my chest, so I’m not exposed.

“Is this okay now?”

He nods. “Uh, yeah. Perfect.”

~Perfect?~

“Do you have a hair tie?”

Holding the bra with one hand, I lift my other hand to him, and he takes the black band from my wrist. “Why do you need it?”

“I want to put your hair up,” he answers, smiling at me through the mirror.

“I can do it.”

“Your hands are busy. You don’t want me to accidentally see something I shouldn’t, do you?”

He smirks, and my face turns pink as he gently gathers my hair into a bunch. He pulls it together, then tries to wrap the band around it.

I smile at the look of struggle on his face. “Are you managing?”

“Yeah, I got it,” he chuckles as he twists the band and loops it one more time around the hair.

He manages to create an extremely messy bun, and I fight off a grin. A few strands hang around my face, but it could be worse.

I giggle a little. “Who taught you this? I mean, you grew up with a house full of boys.”

He smiles. “No one. I just gave it a shot. Not bad for a guy, right?”

I smile. “Not bad at all.”

He grins widely, and my heart skips a beat at how handsome he looks. He squeezes the ointment into his hand, then rubs his palms together, casually smiling at me while he does.

He starts to apply it to my back, and I shiver slightly at the feel of his hand on my skin.

“You okay?” he chuckles lightly as his eyes meet mine through the mirror.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because your body jerked under my hand.” He looks at me.

“Uh, yeah. The ointment is just really cold.”

I shift my gaze to the sink as he gently massages the medicine into my back.

His touch is gentle and soft, and I swallow hard as I struggle to keep my face from turning red. But it’s so hard to, when his hand is doing strange things to me.

“It must have hurt, huh?” he comments, and we lock eyes as confusion swirls in mine.

“What must have hurt?”

“This tattoo, the one of the eagle with its feet in chains.” He lets out a sigh. “It’s so large. It must have hurt a lot.”

I offer him a sad smile. “Yeah. But the pain of getting it doesn’t compare to the reason why I did.”

We lock eyes after my confession, and I can see a mix of curiosity and worry in Ansel’s gaze. The sudden knock at the door startles us, and Alex’s voice seeps in through the cracks.

“Why are you two holed up in the bathroom? I’m going out for a beer, so feel free to use the bed,” he teases, his laughter trailing off with his footsteps.

My cheeks heat up as Ansel bites his lip, looking just as embarrassed. He hands me my tank top. “This should help with the pain. If it’s still bothering you tomorrow, let me know, okay?”

I nod as he tucks the tube back into the kit. He then reaches around to fasten my bra for me, and I can’t help but smile at the gesture. I pull on my tank top and turn to face him.

His gaze is intense, and his eyes always have a way of pulling me in. “Are you ready to tell me why you had to leave?”

I nod again. “Yeah. I’m ready to tell you everything.”