Page 89 of Guarding Over You
She lifted her eyebrow at that answer.
“This is your second ER visit in six months,” Blaze said. “We can call the police in.”
“Please don’t. I’ll tell them it was an accident. They can’t do anything if I don’t press charges and I’m not going to.”
Arden let out a breath. Their hands were tied. She’d seen it way too many times.
Hell. She’d been there.
Not the physical. But she sure the hell didn’t feel safe and when that popped into her mind, she knew what she had to do.
“Why don’t I do an exam now?” Blaze said. “Then we’ll send you down for X-rays. Arden, can you give us a minute?”
“Yes.” She moved out with her laptop and went to stand at the nurse’s station where she could see into the room when Blaze was done.
“She’s not going to do anything, is she?” Maddy asked.
“No. It doesn’t seem that way.”
“It’s frustrating and we see it too often.”
“We do. All we can do is ask and offer. You can’t force someone to do something they aren’t ready for or think isn’t a problem.”
She waited at the desk, Shelly moving over and shaking her head, then Steven rushing back and forth, several other nurses she didn’t know the names of. Aides along with it, even maintenance people.
Her eyes were on everything and everyone without reason.
She asked if Miranda felt safe and here she was looking for anything or anyone without cause in a place where she’d felt safe.
Now she didn’t.
“Are you okay?”
She turned her head. “Yes. Why?”
“You seemed to be looking out into space,” Erika said. “I know those days. This job just gets to you.”
She smiled at the younger woman.
No way she was letting anyone know what was going on in her life.
“I’m used to it. It’s sad when you can’t help as much as you want. Even if you give it everything, the results don’t necessarily change.”
“No,” Erika said, shaking her head. “My boyfriend, sometimes he just doesn’t get it when I come home worked up or drained.” Erika leaned in and put the side of her hand to her mouth. “Maybe even losing my patience with him. His job is nothing like mine.”
“What does he do?”
“Toby is a gym teacher at an elementary school.”
“Oh,” she said, smiling. “My daughter’s favorite subject. I can see where that’s not a very stressful job.”
“No,” Erika said, rolling her eyes as if it’d been a topic she’d discussed with her boyfriend. “He doesn’t know what it’s like to be serious about something like we do. I mean, he’s good about it, but just doesn’t get it. You know, men don’t always.”
She turned her head to see Blaze coming out, her eyes latched onto his. “Some men get it more than others.”
“Did you get anywhere?” Shelly asked, moving over.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t.” Blaze came closer. “Did you?”
