Page 80 of Vital Signs
“Lower your voice.”
His grin sharpened. “Oh, she’s here.”
I took a slow sip of coffee instead of answering. He wandered farther in, eyes scanning as if he expected to find lace panties draped over the lamps. “You absolute dog.”
He wandered into the kitchen like he owned the place. “You almost died,” he said slowly, “and somehow your pull improves.”
I followed slower. Every step still required thought. Placement. Balance. I knew he could probably see that, but Becker was gracious enough to keep his mouth shut.
He stopped in front of the fridge. The photo was crooked. Anya’s smile caught in real time, head tilted back in laughter. My hand at her waist, as if I had already known I washers.
Ezra stared at it. “That’s Anya.”
“Correct.”
“Night shift, Anya.”
“Yes.”
“The one who went from a field mouse to a powerhouse with just a shift change.”
“She was always a powerhouse.” My words came out a little harsher than I had intended, but Ezra didn’t balk.
He gave me a look, blinking slowly. “When?”
“After the gala.”
“The gala where she won the scholarship and vanished? That was the talk of the hospital the day after. Why did she—” Silence, then his eyes widened. “You absolute menace.”
Before I could reply, there was movement down the hallway. Soft footsteps. Neither of us turned right away. Anya appeared in one of my old academy T-shirts, barefoot. Her hair was absolute riot. Eyesstill half-closed. She looked at me first. “Why is there noise?” she mumbled.
Then she saw Ezra.
She froze.
Ezra froze.
There was a solid three seconds where no one breathed. She processed it quickly. Too quickly. “Oh,” she said calmly. “Good morning, Ezra.” But I didn’t miss the blush that spattered across her cheeks.
Anya walked fully into the kitchen as if she belonged there. Like she’d done it a hundred times. She reached for my coffee without asking and took a sip.
Ezra watched her move about the space. Watched the casual intimacy. Watched the way her free hand slid absently against my back as she passed me. Not to show off, not to claim, just totouchme.
His expression shifted. “You scared the hell out of me,” he said to me quietly. And all the humor drained out of the room.
Anya stilled. I didn’t look at him — I couldn’t. “I know.”
“When your name came over the radio,” he continued, “I’d never driven like that. I thought—” He cut himself off. Anya’s fingers tightened briefly against my shirt.
Ezra looked at her, then back at me. “You look steady,” he said.
I glanced down at the crutch. At the uneven way I was standing. “Working on it.”
He shook his head slightly. “No. Not physically.” His eyes flicked to Anya. “This.” She looked up at me then. Fully awake now. There was something fragile in that look. Like we hadn’t yet said out loud what this was.
I swallowed. “She makes it quieter,” I said.
Ezra nodded slowly. “Good,” he replied. “Because I never want to see you that small again.”
