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“I know.” She brought her focus back to me as her smile fell. “I came to see you.”
Was already shaking my head as I squeezed her hand between both of mine. “When?”
A cold chill slithered down my spine.
“Earlier.” Kelly chewed on her bottom lip, her hazy eyes falling shut. “I came to your office. I saw Jen leaving with Vinny.”
That chill wound around me like a serpent. Something niggled my brain like a snake’s tongue flicking my ear.
Was it seeing Jen and Vinny that had pushed her into having suicidal thoughts?
Or was it something else?
“Who is she?” When I drew my drifting gaze back to Kelly, I found her aqua eyes intently focused on me. Like she hadn’t just woken from a deep slumber. Like she didn’t have pain medicine running through her veins.
My stomach dropped.
That snake hissed its wicked voice in my ear. It’s all your fault.
Who is she?
“You mean…?”
Kelly’s fingers tightened around mine. Her bottom lip trembled as she nodded her head.
Carina.
She saw Carina, and it made her want to kill herself.
“She’s nobody.” If I could have fit in her hospital bed with her, I would have climbed in. Instead, I leaned over her, like the press of my body against her could keep her right there. “An old friend.” Each word was a plea for her to understand.
“An old girlfriend?”
My stomach twisted in on itself. “Yes.” If I tightened my grip any more, I was sure to hurt her. “Haven’t been with her since before I met you.”
At that, Kelly turned her gaze away and new tears trickled down her cheek.
“Ran into her earlier this year,” I told her, dipping my head to try to catch her attention. “On your birthday.”
Her attention snapped back to me. Her brow furrowed and her head tilted to one side.
Cupping her cheek, I smoothed my thumb over the slick of tears. “I was looking for you. The last bar I went to was where she worked. She stopped me from pummeling the fuckin’ bartender. Told me she’d keep an eye out for you, ask her friends. Had her working with Van, keeping him in the loop. She’s the one who found you. She’s the reason I came to the club, because she and Van found you there.”
“I thought you were with her.” Her voice cracked. “I know it’s stupid, but I saw her and it scared me. I saw her watching me at the club, talking to Leni like they were planning something. And then she was there, in your office, and I just…”
“Kelly—”
“No, Lee,” she cried. “You don’t— I know you love me, but my brain saw a threat and I couldn’t convince it otherwise. I ran back to your place and I couldn’t get it to stop, and then this.” She tried to lift her injured hand but I was already scooping her into my arms.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”
“It’s not.”
“But it is.” I pressed kisses to her head, smoothed my hand over her matted hair. “You called for help. You did what you could to pull yourself out. If you hadn’t—”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not gonna. Not ever gonna lose me, Kell. I’m yours, and I don’t ever want you to give me back.”
