Circle of Arms (The Shades of Northwood 2)
Page 22
What’s happening?
Katie knew they had spoken like this before. Knew it. So why did it feel so different today? Why did it feel as though they were doing something they shouldn’t? Why didn’t she want to stop? And then it all became clear.
I love everything about you, Lady Katie. I love how strong you are. I love how you keep fighting when anyone else would give up. It’s amazing. You’re amazing. And I love the fact you don’t believe it.
You think I would have done any of those things if I’d had a choice.
You did have a choice.
I chose to run away before. And my problems just chased me here. Clarity was suddenly beginning to sound very over-rated. A thought was forming in her brain and she grabbed for it, but it slipped away. The man who killed you… did you know him? Katie pushed her question against a thinning mental wall, much like the one she had used to lock her bad memories behind. There was something amid all those thoughts that Jack was not ready to think about just yet. It was something Katie herself was trying to put off as long as possible. He didn’t kill you in the heat of anger. Or he wouldn’t have kept coming back for you. He hated us both.
“Don’t talk like that,” said Jack, snapping back into his regular voice. “Just enjoy right now.”
“Why was it so hard to get into your head? It felt wrong. It shouldn’t feel like that because… you and me, we’re right. We make sense when nothing else does.”
“You’re wound up so tight, just waiting for somebody to jump out at you.” Katie shrugged her jacket over her arm and let her boyfriend fasten it over her sling. “You never told me how that really happened.”
She let her eyes drift over Jack and touched her free hand to his face. There were old shadows, lost secrets. And something new; a fresh tear ripped deep into his soul. “What aren’t you telling me?” His ocean eyes were begging her to talk to him but she wasn’t ready yet. She might take his advice and stop worrying, be a teenager for the rest of the day. Jack circled behind her, his arms around her waist. One hand traced around to her back and his fingertips walked up her spine, sending aches spinning away where-ever they touched with that curious/glorious coolness. Then he eased her long locks out of her knotted sling until it was cascading down her back in a poker straight but slightly messy waterfall. She wasn’t picture perfect but she was Jack perfect.
She turned around to thank him.
He was gone.
“I’m ba-ack!”
Dina was allowed home a few days later, even though the hospital had advised against leaving so soon. There were forms to sign and prescriptions to collect – pain pills and ointment for her scars. She moved straight back into the big room with Jaye despite Katie offering to swap in case she wanted her own space. But the offer was declined – Dina said she never wanted to spend so much as a night alone again. Katie wondered how much she remembered of her time in Room 4. She didn’t like to ask though.
“You missed tryouts the other day,” Adam reminded Katie the following Monday morning. “Decided to give them a miss this year?”
“Just putting them off for a while. Work’s keeping me busy.” She put her hands together in a praying pose and fluttered her eyes at Leo. He rolled his eyes at her – not one for light-hearted mockery when it came to his religion, but he was starting to learn that the girls only did to get a reaction – and stalked over to cut and put ketchup on her bacon sandwich. Even the most basic things were impossible when you were one hand down. “I wanted to ask… am I still on for a free self-defence class? You know, when I’m all healed up.”
“What happened to the one on one tuition thing?”
She shrugged and tried not to blush as Lainy bounded into the kitchen obviously exciting after getting off the phone. “Still hoping but, you know, team player and all that.”
“Well, if you’re up for personal training, I could teach you a few things, cast or not.”
“Oh, I can’t keep it in any more!” squeaked Lainy, the words coming out like one long word. “You’re all here now and I can’t wait for the house meeting tonight.”
“Lainy,” Katie said. “Breathe. In, out, in, out-“
“Shake it all about. Shake it, baby, shake it. But be careful not to wake it.”
“Not helping, Jaye. Also, doesn’t make sense. Now, why the hell are you excited at this time in the morning? It’s disturbing.”
“Well, that was Dr de Rossa on the phone. We were talking and… how would you guys feel if I went back to nursing? It’s only a few shifts a week so I can still be here a lot. But I seem to be patching one of you lot up all the time so I figured… why not get paid for it? I was quite good back in the day and then it was… I had to stop, but I miss it every single day.”
“I think it’s a great idea. You should definitely go for it!”
After a long pause, which Lainy was too hyper to notice Adam muttered “I think we should talk,” then started to clear up.