by C. L. Stone
“I don’t know you, Mr. Gunderson,” she answered, unwilling to be forced into accepting his apology.
“Nora!” Seok’s voice washed over her like a cool breeze.
She strode toward him, sudden tears choking her. He narrowed his eyes, gaze raking her from head to toe. Jogging toward her, he caught her up and wrapped her in his arms. Relief made her tremble, and she let out a deep, shaky breath.
“What happened, are you okay?”
She shook her head; she was most definitely not okay.
“What happened?” His voice deepened, his accent thickening, rounding out certain sounds.
“Hi.”
She didn’t care who spoke, she kept her face buried in Seok’s jacket.
“I’m Jessica Chase. I’m sorry. The knucklehead over there, the blonde one who looks like the bad guy in Die Hard? He decided to initiate Nora into our team by scaring the bejesus out of her.”
His hold tightened, and in response she embraced him even harder.
“Are you insane?” His voice rumbled through her. “She saw one of your other “team” members throw themselves out a window yesterday.”
“I apologized. I am sorry. I teased. Went too far.”
“Look—” Dr. Murray interjected.
“She doesn’t have to do this,” Seok growled, ignoring Dr. Murray completely. “She signed your paperwork yesterday. There is no reason she can’t tear it up.” He pushed at her shoulders, forcing her away to stare into her eyes. His voice was fierce. “You don’t have to deal with these assholes, Nora.”
“She has a required participation period of thirty-days,” Dr. Murray replied, embarrassed. “Remember?” he asked when she stared at him in confusion.
She shook her head.
“You’re nuts if you think I’m letting her work with you after this.” Red-faced, he clenched and unclenched his fists like he was a second from smashing them into someone’s face.
“I’ll be working with Nora in the beginning,” Jessica said quickly. “That’s okay, isn’t it, Nora?”
Her brain was mush; she didn’t know what she thought. “I guess,” she whispered.
“I am so so sorry, Nora,” she said kindly. “I promise to make Nils suffer.”
She was too overwhelmed to do more than nod.
“Let’s go.” Glowering at the men, Seok wrapped his arm around her, leading her down the street. She gave a little squeal when he brushed against one of the wounds on her side. The seatbelt had dug into her with such force her blood pulsed beneath the older injury. She’d have a hell of a bruise later.
“Are you okay?” he stopped, putting his hands on her shoulders, and bending his knees a little bit to see her face.
“My side,” she whispered. “The seatbelt dug into it.”
“Can I look?”
She glanced back over her shoulder where Dr. Murray’s team still stood, but nodded.
Slowly, he lifted her sweatshirt and t-shirt, hissing in a breath when he saw the clear contact abrasion of the seatbelt against her skin. The healing bullet graze looked okay, it wasn’t bleeding, but the abrasion went right across it.
“He did this?” he asked, voice shaking with anger.
“I didn’t realize.”
He lowered her shirt gently, and placing his hand on her cheek, leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. One moment he held her, then he took off like a shot. A blur of movement, he sprinted down the road and leapt at Nils.
The man let out a soft, “Omph,” when Seok tackled him. He managed to land one blow before Grant and Dr. Murray wrestled him off Nils.
“You fucking asshole,” he said, shaking out his fist.
Shock kept her in place, but now she rushed to him, holding his arm, putting her body between him and the team.
“She’s fucking injured. What is wrong with you?” He was genuinely confused. “Is this how you run your lab?” he asked Dr. Murray. “Because I’m sure the college is going to wonder about this. You want her to trust you? To work with you? Maybe you should try a little goddamned compassion.””
The doctor shook his head, while Nora kept her eye on Nils. A dark bruise formed on the man’s cheek, and she waited for him to retaliate. Seok packed a punch, but he didn’t seem bothered. It was weird.
“I’m sorry, Seok. Honestly.”
“I really am sorry as well, Seok,” Nils added. “Look, if punching me makes you feel better. Do it again. I was wrong. It wasn’t funny.”
“You’re goddamn right it’s not funny.” Turning his back on the others, he strode to her. Her body jerked when she tried to go to him. Jessica held her arm. Distracted by the fight, she hadn’t realized the woman’s hands were on her. When she tried to move again, Jessica let her go.
“I want to go home,” she told him. “Can we please go?”
Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he held her to his chest. “You okay?” His voice was calm, but she knew him well enough now to catch the fury.
“I’m pissed and my side hurts.”
He stepped away from her, tracing her face with his gaze. It dropped to her lips, and he leaned in, kissing her. He wrapped his arms around her before burying his face in her neck, and giving her a soft kiss. “Let’s go.” As they got out of earshot, he took her hand. “Will you tell me what happened?”
Leaning her head on his arm, and squeezing his hand tightly, she nodded. Seok, she could trust. She’d tell him anything he wanted to know.
5
Decisions
Seok was mad about Nils’ practical joke, but Ryan was ready to lose his mind. After she described what happened, they all wanted to look at her side. One look and Ryan paced around the living room. Nothing anyone said calmed him down.
“I need a copy of your contract,” he demanded on one of his rotations around the room. “What the hell is this thirty-day thing?”
There wasn’t much Nora could say. She dissected the entire event over and over, wondering if she overreacted. It was her fault the guys were so upset, and Seok had punched Nils and hurt his hand. This was one more piece of unnecessary drama she brought into their lives.
Objectively, she recognized how crazy the whole thing was. A team of Ph.Ds playing chicken all to scare or initiate a study participant?
“Put this on.” Matisse handed her an icepack and flung another one at Seok before sitting next to her on the couch. Reaching for her hand, he entwined his fingers with hers.
“Thanks.” She placed it over her side and leaned into him.
“How are you doing?” he whispered, watching Ryan stop his pacing and speak hurriedly with Cai.
“I don’t get it.” She shrugged. “Was it a mean prank? Do you really think they do it to everyone?”
“I don’t know.” Cai waved Matisse over to him and Ryan. “Hold on.”
“Did Seok punch him really hard?” Apollo asked, leaning forward in his chair, hand gripping his knees. “Tell me he laid the guy out.”
Despite the pit in her stomach, she smiled. When she reached for his hand, he gave it to her, and she tugged him toward her. He let her, moving out of the chair and snuggling next to her on the couch. Resting her head on his arm, she rubbed her cheek against his shirt. “You should have seen him, Apollo. I didn’t realize he could run so fast. He was a blur of blue hair.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah?”
“Mmhm. He flew through the air, and I don’t think he even touched the ground before he punched the guy.”
“And the guy didn’t try to punch him back?” he asked thoughtfully.
“No. He told Seok to hit him again. Said he deserved it.”
“Huh. He did? But if he’s offering, maybe I’ll punch him.”
“I would like to arrange that.” Matisse sat next to them again.
Searching for the other three, she found Cai, Ryan, and Seok deep in discussion.
“Cai called Tyler. Seems they did the same thing to him. Tyler thought it was hilarious, of course
, but said it was bad form considering your other injuries and what happened with the girl.” Matisse’s face flushed with color.
“I don’t get it,” she said again, wrapping her arm around Apollo’s and hugging it closer to her.
“Tyler said he can’t explain it, but there’s more to it than a prank.” Matisse sat back into the couch, looking exhausted. “Ryan’s calling Dr. Murray about the contract. He wants you out of it before the thirty days.”
“No,” she interrupted quickly.
“What? Why not?”
“Nora.” Apollo turned to face her. “You can’t be part of this. You can’t trust these people.”
“Let me hear why.” What Dr. Murray offered: a place to live, food, a degree; it was everything she needed to make something of herself.
Without a doubt, the guys would step in to help her. They would give her money, they’d clothe her, they’d feed her. Maybe she’d find another minimum wage job and she’d contribute a little, but it wouldn’t be enough. Each one of these guys would make an impact on the world. They were good people, and they would do good things. If she wanted them, wanted to be a part of their family, she needed to hold her own.
Dr. Murray was giving her the opportunity to make something of herself.
“If it’s them being assholes, I’m done. I’ll see out the thirty days and I’ll walk away. But if there was a purpose to it, and I can accept what it was, then I want to stay.”
Apollo’s face darkened as she spoke, and when she glanced at Matisse, he had the same look reflected on his face.
“There’s no reason good enough for me, Nora.” Apollo stood, raking his hand up and down the back of his head. Opening his mouth, he shook his head, and walked away, slamming a door on his way through the house.
Matisse met her gaze and shrugged. “You can’t expect us to be okay with this, chère. If the roles were reversed how would you feel?”
Unconsciously she rubbed her side, only becoming aware of it when Matisse raised an eyebrow. “Keep the ice on it, please.” He went to the other guys, whispering something before going upstairs.
Whatever it was had them glaring at her in disbelief.
She needed their support. It was fine if they disagreed with her, but she needed them to tell her it was okay. She wanted to hear them say they didn’t agree with her decision, but they understood.
Would they love her even if she did something they didn’t like?
If their positions were reversed, she'd be angry. No. She’d lose her mind, if someone took Matisse on a Fast and Furious ride through side streets. She’d never ever want Matisse to see them again, and every time he worked with them, she’d worry.
It was asking a lot of the guys. Her heart constricted and worry bloomed in her chest. Maybe she was asking too much.
“What happened?” Cai walked over to her.
Adjusting the icepack a little lower to rest on the sorest spot, Nora said, “I told them I wanted to hear Dr. Murray’s reasons.”
Cai’s flashed pale and then flushed red. “Damnit, Nora. Why?”
“Because I want to go to college,” she countered. “I couldn’t afford it on my own. I can’t get a loan, don’t you think I’ve tried?”
“Then get another job in the meantime. Live here, rent free, and save. Let us help you. You would do it for any one of us. If Seok needed us to cover his portion of the mortgage, would you do it? Wouldn’t you figure out a way to do it?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “Of course.”
“Then why is it so hard for you to let us do it for you?”
“I…” She rubbed her forehead. “I want to be on the same level you are,” she admitted.
“What do you mean, the same level?” Ryan asked from across the room. He stalked toward her. “You do you mean?”
“You’re going to be a lawyer. “ Unable to look at him while she spoke, she stared at her lap. “Cai’s amazing at the youth center, helping all those kids. Seok can build houses. Apollo’s going to be a physical therapist, and Matisse, he designed some sort of system allowing you to hack into my sealed files. You’re all so smart and so talented. I want to be on par with you.” She met Ryan’s dark green eyes. “I want to be good enough for you.”
Cai let out a deep breath, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her gently. “Is this why you’re so determined to do this? Nora. We are all proud of you. Proud of the way you’ve survived. You saved those kids at the high school. You go out of your way for others. I don’t care if you have a college degree. It doesn’t have anything to do with why we care about you.”
“We need you to be safe,” Ryan agreed. “Please, Nora. Let us help you. Don’t do this.”
Desperation tinged his voice, and it broke her heart to think, after everything he’d done for her, she was hurting him. If she could give him what he wanted, why shouldn't she? “Okay.” She closed her eyes.
“Okay?” He didn’t believe her.
“Okay.” She opened her eyes, struck by the identical smiles of relief on Ryan and Cai’s faces. Searching for Seok, she found him, arms crossed, regarding her seriously. His face was unreadable and she shifted her gaze back to Ryan. “I’ll start looking for a job. If you can get me out of the contract, I’ll get out. Okay, Ryan?”
He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head, her cheeks, her mouth. “Yes.”
He leaned back, looking between her and Cai. “Find a job and save. You’ll get your degree. I’ll go with you to the admissions office. Maybe it won’t happen right now, but we’ll make it happen. I promise.”
She nodded, glad Ryan and Cai were happy. But she was also disappointed. She thought she’d figured it out, thought she was moving forward. She met Seok’s gaze and he smiled at her.
Perhaps, if I make them this happy, this is the right path after all.
6
Please Just Be Done
Seok wanted Nora to be done with Dr. Murray. When she’d gotten out of the car, her face was gray, and while he held her shaking body, he watched those doctors watch her, like they were gauging her reaction and taking notes. Unsurprising, it wasn’t a prank, but some part of a bigger test.
He could have walked away, been content to get her home and share her story, but when he realized she was injured, it pushed him over the edge from angry to incensed. No matter what their purpose had been, there was no excuse for physically injuring her.
He shook out his hand, his knuckles still aching from the punch, but he’d do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, he wished he could.
He also wished Nora looked happier. He didn’t like seeing her defeated. He was proud of her for standing up for herself, for challenging them when they asked her to quit the study. He understood why she’d agreed to participate initially, since it was his stupidity which made her think she had no other options.
Because he’d messed up. He’d been an asshole, and left her believing she had no choice but to leave. His decisions made her think he didn’t care about her.
“I should talk to Apollo and Matisse,” she said, glancing at the stairs. “Explain everything.” She pushed herself off the couch, catching the icepack before it hit the floor.
“Want us to come?”
She paused for a moment before shaking her head. “No. It’s okay.”
Moving slower than she had this morning, she climbed the steps. Now that her adrenaline had drained, she was probably feeling her aches and pains again.
“I feel like an asshole,” Cai said after she disappeared from sight. “Why do I feel like I’m making her give up her dream?”
“You’re not.” Ryan shook his head. “But we are asking her to rely on us. She’s worked so hard, on her own, for so long. The future she dreamed about and never thought she could have was dangled in front of her.”
“And the doctor made it sound as if she could do it herself.” He flipped his hair out of his face. The fringe of his bangs fell in front of his eyes and he pu
shed it back again. “She doesn’t want to make our lives harder.”
“She doesn’t!” Ryan argued. “Okay, so we’re working some things out. This isn’t the relationship I saw myself having, but now, I can’t imagine anything else.”
“I don’t want to,” he answered under his breath.
Cai was silent. He leaned back into the sofa, the muscle working in his jaw. He rubbed his hand along his scruff and sighed. “You love her?”
“Yes,” Ryan answered quickly. “I do.”
Was this feeling in his chest, this worry and need to protect her, this wild happiness and constant state of arousal, was this love?
Cai raised his eyebrows, wordlessly asking him the same question.
“Yes.” His voice was decisive. “I don’t know what else to call this. It has to be love.”
Cai rubbed his jaw again.“You’re calling the doctor?”
Startled at the abrupt topic change, Ryan nodded. “I am.”
“Let me know what he says, all right? I’m going to call the director of the center, see if I can get Nora hired there.”
Glad to have a plan, Seok smiled. She was good there. The kids related to her, liked her. Even better, Cai would be around to keep an eye on her, make sure she was all right, happy. He sighed, finally releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he held.
7
Making It Up To Apollo
When a tentative knock sounded on Apollo’s door, he knew it was Nora checking on him because he’d thrown a hissy fit.
“Come in.” He rubbed his hands over his face and put his glasses on.
“Hey,” she greeting nervously, poking her head around the side of the door.
“Hey, baby,” he answered, blushing. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry I was being thick.”
He smiled at her choice of words. In another life, his mother had used a similar phrase when he would dig his heels in unreasonably.