Wildflower Hearts

9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

E lias turned up the car heater and shot her a look as his truck rolled down the street. “What’s wrong?”

She shifted in her seat to make sure the seatbelt was secure. “Nothing. It was a long shift, that’s all.”

“Did you get more patients or something?”

“No, it was more like certain people were riding my ass all day kind of thing,” she grumbled.

“Who?” His eyes narrowed. He glanced between her and the road. “Was it people that work with you? They got names?”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “Of course, they have names.” She crossed her arms and relaxed in her seat. “Melissa and some other nurses have been asking me things about you.” She swung her head toward him. “Damn it, Elias. I told you not to do that stuff at work!”

“Whoa, Babe,” he chuckled and threw up his free hand as if in surrender. “Not that I don’t think you’re smoking hot when you’re angry, but hold up a minute. I didn’t see a problem with giving you a hug in front of them. They’re family to you. It’s not like they cared.”

“They’re taking bets on how long until we sleep together, and….”

“Wait, what’d you tell them?”

“What’d I tell them? I told them the truth!”

“You tell them how long my-”

“Elias!”

With a grin, he moved his hand to grip the back of her neck, massaging her skin with his fingers in slow circles. “I’m teasing you. So what if they’re curious? They tease you like I do my brothers.”

She relaxed against the warmth of his hand. “I don’t see where it’s any of their business. I doubt they’ll ask now that I told them you have an erection problem.”

He slammed the brakes right in front of his house. “My what?”

She gazed at him with wide eyes. “It’s okay; they understand, they’re nurses. It happens a lot, especially with men your age.”

“Lyla, I’m about to turn this car around. I’ll prove that I don’t have an… a problem to all of ‘em. I swear!”

She couldn’t hold it any longer, peals of laughter escaping. She fanned her face and laughed every time she looked at his insulted expression.

He watched her for several minutes before realization dawned on him. “Very funny, Tinkerbell.”

“Turnabout is fair play, and don’t call me that.”

“Why?” He grinned and cut off the engine. “You look like the cute little pixie from Peter Pan.”

They climbed out of the car, and he came to her side, throwing his arm around her neck to pull her close and press his lips against her temple.

“Watch yourself,” she grumbled with a smile.

He chuckled, and they climbed the steps, a shower of voices greeting them as he shut the front door. He shrugged off his jacket. He took hers to hang up, and she smiled at Debra, the woman fussing at Elias for tracking snow in the house. He began to argue with her playfully.

Shaking her head, Lyla stepped into the living room. Her gaze fell on the back of Noah’s head as she approached from behind him, the television playing a music video. She moved around the couch to take a seat beside him. “I like Smells Like Teen Spirit, but that wasn’t their best song.”

He kept his eyes on the TV screen. “I didn’t peg you as a Nirvana fan.”

“I had a roommate who loved them back in college. Are you a huge fan?” He changed the channel. He stopped on another music video by some band she didn’t recognize. She shifted beside him, clearing her throat as silence crawled between them. Her fingers tapped on the sides of her thighs. “Did you eat already? Need any medication or-”

“I’m fine.”

“Well, if you want, I can-”

“We’re not at the hospital anymore. There’s no need to hover over me.”

“Noah, I-”

“Forget it, okay? Leave me alone for a little bit.” He shoved off the couch, moving too fast, and hissed between his teeth. His right hand clutched at his shoulder.

She sprung to her feet and wrapped an arm around his waist. She steadied him with her free hand on his chest, spreading her feet for balance, most of his weight leaning against her. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”

The muscle in his cheek jumped as he clenched his jaw, but he nodded, his hand resting over hers.

“Noah, you okay?” Elias was suddenly at their side, a concerned look on his face, with Mark and Debra close behind him.

Stepping away from Lyla, he nodded. “Yeah, I got up too fast, that’s all.”

“Good thing my girl is here to look after your ass,” Elias teased, ruffling Noah’s hair with a grin. He threw an arm around Lyla to bring her close. “We might have to start paying you extra for taking care of Noah here.”

“No extra pay needed,” she whispered. Noah’s gaze found hers. “I’m concerned because I care, not because it’s my job.”

“You’re one of a kind.” Elias pressed a kiss against her temple before he stepped away, clapping his hands together. “I say we all sit down together tonight and have a family dinner. What’d you guys think?”

“That sounds good to me,” Mark nodded. “I’m hungry.”

“Man, you’re always hungry.”

“Growing men got to eat.”

“Yeah, but you’re growing out, not up.”

“You be quiet about my man, Elias,” Debra pointed at him. “You don’t have to be rude to him all the time just because he’s better-looking than you.”

“You’re jealous that your husband’s prettier than you.”

“If you two are done complimenting each other,” Lyla interrupted with a smile, “Noah might want some help to his room.”

“I’m going to go buy a spiral ham.” Elias rubbed his stomach. “Mark, you and your bodyguard can help Noah up the stairs.”

“I’m not letting you pick the ham by yourself,” Mark shook his head. “The last one you picked looked like it had fought a boxing match with Mike Tyson. I’m coming with you,” he shot a look at his wife when she glared at him, “and so is Debra.”

“Then who will…”

“I’ll help him,” Lyla cleared her throat. “You guys do whatever it is that makes you feel macho. I’m sure Debra will make sure we get a good ham.”

“You know it. Come on, Boys.”

Seconds later, Elias’s truck pulled away from the curb, and she shut the door. She came back into the living room to find it empty. Frowning, she stepped back into the foyer. “Noah, where did you go?” She ducked into the hallway, eyes widening at spotting him on the stairs. “What in the world are you doing?” She rushed up the steps to his side. “I said I’d help you.”

“I don’t need the help.”

She could see he was already sweating from exertion, hands on the rails at either side of him. “The way your body is reacting, I’d say you do.”

“My body? What-” He tossed a glare at her from over his shoulder. “My body is fine. Don’t touch me.”

“I said I’d help you, and that’s what I’m going to do.” She squeezed under his left arm, coming up to rest under it, and threw an arm around his waist. “Lean on me, and keep your weight on your left leg.” She tightly gripped his shirt with her fingers. “It’ll be a piece of cake, I promise.” She looked up with a smile and froze at the sight of him looking directly at her.

His head was tilted down, brown gaze locked on her face, but she knew without hesitation that he wasn’t looking into her eyes. At first, she wasn’t even sure it was her he was seeing, the expression in his eyes indescribable. She felt his warm breath flow over her cheek and blinked out of her stupor. “Noah, are you ready?”

He curled his arm around her shoulders and nodded.

They began to ascend the steps at a slow, careful pace.

“Lyla?”

“Yes, Noah?” She watched their feet.

“Would you lie to Elias and tell him I did this on my own?”

“What happens if I do, and he won’t help you up the next time?”

“I’m sure I can make up something to make him feel manly for helping me.” He sighed in relief when his feet landed flat on the top step. “It really is good to be home.”

She slipped out from under his arm. “I’m glad to see you back here, too.” She lingered in the doorway as he limped into his room, mindful of the cast on his leg. He lowered himself onto his bed. “Look, I don’t mean to hover. I just worry about you.”

“I get it was your job, but we’re not at the hospital anymore. You don’t need to feel obligated.” He slid against the wall, and she stepped into his room. He silently watched her sit down cross-legged beside the bed, lifting his left foot into her lap as she untied his shoelaces.

She was aware he continued to watch her. Removing his shoes, she placed them beside his bed. She lifted her gaze to his. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“You can get out.”

Eyes widening, she jerked in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

Lyla shifted her weight on her knees, moving her hands to rest on her thighs. “Noah, I know that you’re hurting, but-”

“I said, get out.” He pointed at the door. “Get out of my room.”

Scrambling to her feet, she was halfway down the stairs when she heard him slam the door shut. She flew down the last step and threw her arm out to support herself against the wall.

Stepping into the bathroom, she didn’t come out until she heard the group return an hour later. She could hear loud music coming from Noah’s room, and she wiped her face with the towel before she stepped out to greet them.

Elias eyed her but thankfully said nothing. Frowning, Mark glanced at her and exchanged a look with Elias. Without a word, he started to help Debra get items out of the bags. A gasp escaped her when she spotted the massive ham amongst several grocery bags.

“What’d you guys do? Buy out the entire store?”

Elias slapped the ham proudly. “Best-looking ham in the whole damn place. I picked it myself.”

Debra snorted but didn’t turn away from the sink.

“I’m sure you did,” Lyla smiled. She glanced around. “What can I do to help?”

“You can sit back and relax.” He pulled her close and glanced over to check that Debra and Mark were busy. “Is everything okay?” he whispered. “You’ve been crying.”

“What? No, I haven’t.”

He took her hand and pulled her into the foyer. “Don’t lie to me, Sweetheart.” He cornered her, successfully trapping her against a wall with his arms. “I know you well enough by now to know when you’re not being honest with me. What happened? Did you fight with Noah? You know better than all of us how cranky he gets on that medication.”

“We didn’t fight. He’s tired, that’s all. Poor thing made it almost all the way up the stairs by himself. I wasn’t helping by hovering over him.”

“He should appreciate you helping him.” Sighing, Elias pushed away from the wall to rub at the bridge of his nose. “You’ve done a lot for the kid, and he hasn’t been nice to you. Maybe it would be best if you guys had some one-on-one time, so you two can get to know each other better.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Elias. I mean-”

“You’re a part of this family now, and since I’m hoping you might be around more often, I think getting to know you would be the best thing for Noah. Have you ever told him that you know how to play the guitar?”

She shook her head. “No, I- Hold up, be around more? Why would you say that?”

His grinned and moved his hands to the wall again. “Because I like having you next to me when I wake up in the mornings.”

She glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t talk so loud.”

“Why?” He chuckled. “Cause of Mark and Debra? Please. I’ve already told them if they hear a loud thump that it’s us.”

“You did not!”

He nodded. “I just don’t tell them that it’s usually you kicking me off the bed in your sleep.”

Lyla rolled her eyes. “But I like my apartment. It’s the first thing I started paying for on my own.”

“Keep it if you want, Baby.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Say yes.” Her eyes closed as she felt his teeth pull at her lower lip. “Say yes, Lyla.”

She let out something between a sigh and a moan at the feeling of his fingers skimming down the side of her torso. His hand shifted down to grip her waist. He stepped forward to bring them closer as he bent the arm that rested against the wall. She opened her eyes at the feeling of his fingers slipping under her shirt.

“Elias?”

He looked over his arm, and she immediately untangled herself free to brush her shaking hands over her shirt. “Yeah, what is it?”

Noah glared down at them from the top of the stairs. “Would you mind bringing me some water? I need to take my meds.”

“Sure thing, little brother. Be right there.” Elias shot her an apologetic look. “Hold that thought, Tinkerbell.”

Noah shifted his gaze to her, squeezing the wood of the railing for a split second before he turned and disappeared back into his room. The door slammed loudly behind him.

Frowning, she followed Elias into the kitchen.

The house was quiet when she opened her eyes and rolled to look at the clock on the nightstand. The blaring red numbers proclaimed it was barely three in the morning. She rubbed at the sleep that had collected around the corner of her eyelids and glanced over her shoulder to see Elias sleeping beside her clad only in his boxer shorts. Smiling, Lyla remembered how he had argued for days about being allowed to wear whatever he wanted to bed. She forced him to vow to everyone that he had no dishonorable intentions of being almost naked next to her and that it wasn’t a smooth sexual move. Just watching him raise his hand and state it out loud to Mark and Billy had been enough for her to agree after she stopped laughing.

She was too scared to tell him the real reason was that she had only been with one man sexually. She had been on dates and done other things with men; she wasn’t a na?ve twenty-three-year old, but Elias was a different type of man altogether. He knew what he was doing, had been with women who knew exactly how to give him what he wanted, and the idea of disappointing him scared her. A large part of her hesitated because she wasn’t sure if sleeping with him would be the right decision. Fear gripped her each time she thought about it. What if he got what he desired and then no longer wanted her? The thought almost made her hate herself. Of course, Elias wasn’t like that, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about it.

Another part of her believed being in any type of relationship was an unwise decision. Nothing lasted forever. Why should she believe that this would? What if Elias found someone else? Did she love him? Was it too early to think that? She wasn’t sure she knew what love was or what it felt like other than what she had seen in movies or read in books.

Lyla slid from the bed, careful not to wake him, as she closed the door to his room. She ignored the goose bumps that crawled down at her arms. She descended the stairs in a black tank top and matching shorts. Not that she looked indecent, but it bothered her that she didn’t have anything to cover up with in case someone had the same idea. Quietly, she grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled it with milk. Her nanny used to give her a glass of milk when she couldn’t sleep. The warm memories brought a smile to her face, and Lyla sipped at the milk in the darkened kitchen, only beams of moonlight allowing her to see what she was doing. Finishing, she rinsed the cup and placed it in the sink. She was slow and careful as she made her way up the stairs.

Hand on the doorknob of Elias’s room, she paused at hearing a muffled sound coming from Noah’s room. Instantly concerned, she pressed her ear against his door, hands flat against the door. It was unmistakable, his low groan of pain, and as quietly as she could, she cracked open the door to stick her head inside. The room was dark except for the moonlight streaming from the window. She could see Noah on the bed, the outline of his face visible with half of it shadowed and tilted away from the window. He was sweating, and she watched him shudder, mumbling incoherently to himself. Another groan escaped him, and she ducked back out into the hallway.

She returned with a damp rag from the bathroom and shut his door behind her, inching closer to his bed. “Noah?” He didn’t answer, and she lowered herself to her knees. Steadying her hand, she leaned over to brush the hair from his forehead. She frowned at the heat that came off his skin. He was burning up with a fever. She brushed the rag against his face, and the cool sensation caused him to sigh, tilting his head toward her in his sleep. She wiped his forehead again. His body gradually ceased shaking. She placed the rag on the floor and rearranged his blankets to cover him. His chest rose and fell in a steady pattern. She tucked the sheets in around his torso, mindful of the bandages and his cast.

Noah remained asleep. She was content for a few minutes to watch him. He looked just like the first time she saw him: young, helpless… Cute. She scolded herself. No, she couldn’t think that way.

He mumbled again, and she froze at the sound of her name. Eyes wide, she noticed his fingers twitching, and unable to help herself, she inched her fingers toward his hand. She held her breath and slipped her hand into his, watching his long fingers curl and tighten around her own.

Her eyes lingered on their joined hands. Her gaze rose, the robust features of his face magnified by the moonlight.

“Lyla.” His fingers twitched, his breath catching, as a muscle spasmodically jerked in his jawline. “Not mine.”

She covered her mouth with her free hand. Trying to control her emotions, she looked away and rubbed the tears that had gathered around her eyes. She paused at the feeling of his grip tightening around her hand.

After a brief, torturous second, he relaxed but didn’t let go. She raised her free hand again to brush her fingertips across his forehead. “Noah, let go.” He mumbled something she couldn’t make out clearly. “Noah, you have to let go.” She was close to him now, almost leaning against the pillow supporting his head. “It’s time to let me go now.”

His grip went lax, and she rubbed her wrist. Smiling, she looked him and froze when their eyes met.

“What are you doing in my room?”

“You were in pain,” she stuttered. “I thought you might need my help.”

Noah grunted and shifted to lean against his pillow. He reached to snap on the lamp, and she blinked rapidly against the sudden brightness.

She was suddenly all too aware of her state of dress, and she cleared her throat nervously, not daring to move as he continued to stare at her. “Do you need anything? I brought you a wet washcloth. You have a fever.”

He took the rag from her without a word, hand squeezing it tightly. He didn’t move even as water seeped from the material and ran down his fingers onto the mattress.

“Do you want some water? I could get you some Tylenol. I have some that might help you sleep.”

“I want you to get out.”

“Not until I help you,” the firmness in her voice surprised her, “and don’t tell me you don’t need it because that’s bullshit. You do.”

His right eyebrow rose at her, but he said nothing.

“You need to take something if you’re in pain, and I’m here now. I’ll get it for you.”

“I’m not in pain.” He tossed the washcloth into the dirty clothes basket at the foot of the bed. “I was having a nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

He looked away. “Why do you care? Shouldn’t you be with Elias right now?”

“Elias doesn’t need me, Noah; you do.” She was hesitant but reached out nonetheless, resting her hand gently on his arm. “I want to help you, but you have to trust me, and let me do that. Don’t you see that I care about you?”

His gaze lifted to hers. “I don’t need anything from you.” He watched a look of hurt flash across her face again. “I don’t want medicine.” He cleared his throat. “I’d like my phone and ear pods on the shelf behind me.”

Nodding, she took a seat on the edge of his bed. He made room, shifting to the wall, and she ignored his gaze. She reached over his left shoulder and spotted the phone next to his Bluetooth earbuds. She felt his weight shift, and concerned, she looked down. “Are you sure you’re-” Her gaze locked on his as he studied her, their faces inches apart. He had inched up to sit taller against the pillow, and it caused her chest to press against him from the angle. She slipped from surprise. Flustered, she reached out to grab the top of the shelf, and the movement only brought her closer to him. She felt his hand slip between them to rest on the naked curve of her hip and inhaled sharply. “Noah…”

Before she could untangle herself, he captured her mouth with his. Shock made her fall even more against him. His tongue brushed against her own, his hand slipping under her tank top, and he pulled her against him. Her hand slipped from the shelf to slide up his shoulder, her fingers digging into the choppy hair at the base of his neck. Everything in her brain was screaming at that very moment, warning bells and alarms whistling, but they were drowned out by the sound of her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Someone moaned, she wasn’t sure whom, and she gasped into his mouth as his hand slipped around the front to cover one of her breasts. She heard him chuckle, smiling against her lips, and he changed the direction of his hand, skimming down her stomach.

Lyla tore her mouth from his, releasing him so quickly she swayed and had to grab his shoulder to steady herself. Noah hissed in pain, and she fell from the bed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m fine. Just go.”

“But-”

“Go.” He turned his head away. “Please.”

Heart thumping wildly against her chest, she scrambled to her feet and practically ran from the bedroom. She leaned against the closed door, and it took several minutes to collect her composure.

When she returned to Elias’s room, she slipped under the covers. She turned away from him, curling herself into a little ball. Her gaze wandered to the red lights of the clock, and she never found the sleep she so desperately craved again.