Korah?” he questioned.
“Not now. It doesn’t matter.”
“Dane,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, man. I wouldn’t have suggested we go out if I’d known.”
I glanced at him, my fists clenched in my lap. “Knew what?”
He gave me a weary glance from the side of his eye. “That you were in love with her.”
“No, it’s not that. We had a thing…I dunno. Stopping him from hurting her was the decent thing to do,” I argued. I wasn’t sure I believed myself. I wasn’t sure of anything at this moment except I wanted to be with Korah. My sanity depended on finding out if she was alright.
###
This was the second time I’d been to the hospital for Korah in less than a month. The realization sat heavy on my slowly opening heart. She was such a bright spot in my darkness, and seeing her harmed in any way, especially physically, was almost too much.
I paced the waiting room of the ER. The nurses refused to let me in until after the exam, something about patient confidentiality. I really wished Cale or I had Leela’s phone number at this point, because I was dying not knowing what was going on.
After I thoroughly wore a hole in the floor, I finally situated myself beside Cale, hanging my head between my knees and taking deep breaths, filling my lungs to calm myself. I didn’t know how long I sat like that, the image of Korah beaten and bleeding in my mind, the events of the night replaying over and over.
Cale elbowed me. “There she is,” he said, jumping from his seat.
I followed, rushing to Leela. “Is she ok? What did they say?”
She sighed, leaning into Cale’s open arm. Her face was red, blotchy, and streaked with tears. “She has vocal cord paresis.”
“What in the hell does that mean?” I questioned. I wasn’t angry at her, only the situation, but my patience was wearing thin.
Cale led her to sit, arm still locked around her. “Her vocal cords were traumatized when Christopher kept choking her. She can’t speak right now. She’s going to have trouble eating and drinking for a few weeks. The cut on her face was stitched up, it took ten, and they gave her some pain medication. The doctor wants to admit her for the night.”
Korah couldn’t speak because that jackass hurt her. The rage boiled over inside me, and I clenched my fists again.
“You need to calm down, Dane. She’s had enough violence for one night. I’m not letting you go in there until you’re collected. I don’t think you would hurt her, but she’s really shaken up and doesn’t need the stress of you being all macho, angry man,” Leela scolded. She was weary, tired. She’d known Korah much longer than I, so I couldn’t imagine how she was taking this.
This blonde chick was always right. I wondered if she got tired of it. I was allowing my anger to consume me. Korah deserved better. She needed me to be there for her, to comfort her, not upset her more. I sat beside Leela’s shaking body, laying a hand on top of hers. “Sorry. You always seem to put me in my place,” I chuckled.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m known for that.”
“Can I go see her if I promise to chill?” I pleaded. My eyes must see her to believe she was going to be ok.
She nodded again, “Yep. They’re moving her to a room, so we have to wait until the desk lets us know where to go.”
I folded my hands behind my head, leaning back against the wall. Waiting wasn’t my strongest area. Something about Korah made me crazy, anyway, but this was getting ridiculous. No matter what, she pulled me completely in, sucked me into this Dane I was terrified of being.
I would be him, though. For her.
She slowly thawed my frozen heart, melting every cold icicle I had surrounding it. I always ran from these things, resisting anything that made me feel something other than pleasure. The moment I saw her in the costume store, my life had changed.
Was I in love, as Cale claimed? I didn’t know. What I did know was as horrifying as the
“Not now. It doesn’t matter.”
“Dane,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, man. I wouldn’t have suggested we go out if I’d known.”
I glanced at him, my fists clenched in my lap. “Knew what?”
He gave me a weary glance from the side of his eye. “That you were in love with her.”
“No, it’s not that. We had a thing…I dunno. Stopping him from hurting her was the decent thing to do,” I argued. I wasn’t sure I believed myself. I wasn’t sure of anything at this moment except I wanted to be with Korah. My sanity depended on finding out if she was alright.
###
This was the second time I’d been to the hospital for Korah in less than a month. The realization sat heavy on my slowly opening heart. She was such a bright spot in my darkness, and seeing her harmed in any way, especially physically, was almost too much.
I paced the waiting room of the ER. The nurses refused to let me in until after the exam, something about patient confidentiality. I really wished Cale or I had Leela’s phone number at this point, because I was dying not knowing what was going on.
After I thoroughly wore a hole in the floor, I finally situated myself beside Cale, hanging my head between my knees and taking deep breaths, filling my lungs to calm myself. I didn’t know how long I sat like that, the image of Korah beaten and bleeding in my mind, the events of the night replaying over and over.
Cale elbowed me. “There she is,” he said, jumping from his seat.
I followed, rushing to Leela. “Is she ok? What did they say?”
She sighed, leaning into Cale’s open arm. Her face was red, blotchy, and streaked with tears. “She has vocal cord paresis.”
“What in the hell does that mean?” I questioned. I wasn’t angry at her, only the situation, but my patience was wearing thin.
Cale led her to sit, arm still locked around her. “Her vocal cords were traumatized when Christopher kept choking her. She can’t speak right now. She’s going to have trouble eating and drinking for a few weeks. The cut on her face was stitched up, it took ten, and they gave her some pain medication. The doctor wants to admit her for the night.”
Korah couldn’t speak because that jackass hurt her. The rage boiled over inside me, and I clenched my fists again.
“You need to calm down, Dane. She’s had enough violence for one night. I’m not letting you go in there until you’re collected. I don’t think you would hurt her, but she’s really shaken up and doesn’t need the stress of you being all macho, angry man,” Leela scolded. She was weary, tired. She’d known Korah much longer than I, so I couldn’t imagine how she was taking this.
This blonde chick was always right. I wondered if she got tired of it. I was allowing my anger to consume me. Korah deserved better. She needed me to be there for her, to comfort her, not upset her more. I sat beside Leela’s shaking body, laying a hand on top of hers. “Sorry. You always seem to put me in my place,” I chuckled.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m known for that.”
“Can I go see her if I promise to chill?” I pleaded. My eyes must see her to believe she was going to be ok.
She nodded again, “Yep. They’re moving her to a room, so we have to wait until the desk lets us know where to go.”
I folded my hands behind my head, leaning back against the wall. Waiting wasn’t my strongest area. Something about Korah made me crazy, anyway, but this was getting ridiculous. No matter what, she pulled me completely in, sucked me into this Dane I was terrified of being.
I would be him, though. For her.
She slowly thawed my frozen heart, melting every cold icicle I had surrounding it. I always ran from these things, resisting anything that made me feel something other than pleasure. The moment I saw her in the costume store, my life had changed.
Was I in love, as Cale claimed? I didn’t know. What I did know was as horrifying as the
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