was all he could think of because, right now, he felt pretty damn useless. “Are the doctors sorting him out?”
Emma nodded, holding her bottom lip between her teeth. It was a valiant attempt to staunch the flow of tears. One that didn’t completely work.
“Are you calm enough to start at the beginning? I’m kind of wading my way through the info at the minute, not really understanding any of it. I want to help, angel, I do but I need a point to go from, yeah?”
Nodding again, she took a few deep breaths. He searched for a reaction to his endearment. It hadn’t been intentional, and he was thankful she appeared to have missed the slip.
“A boy came into the shelter a few days ago. Bloody and bruised. He only trusted me but he went back.” She gulped, her tone becoming high pitched.
Asher felt useless, unable to do anything but rub her back in a lame offer of comfort. “Where did he go back to, Em?”
Her watery eyes met his. “I’m not sure but it has to be the same place he was hurt to begin with. He came back to me this time—hid in my office. There was blood everywhere. Things have been bad at the shelter before. This? This was like nothing else. He’s so small and skinny. Kind of reminds me of…”
She paused, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge the thought. He wouldn’t let her. “What? Tell me.”
When she started to shake her head again he took hold of her face in both of his hands. It was obviously important, otherwise why would she try to hide it from him? He met her gaze, watched as her bottom lip quivered and her brows drew tightly together.
His fingers itched to smooth away her frown—smooth away her troubles. The intense need frightened him. There had been only one person he’d ever cared enough about to want to do that, and he was no longer here.
“He sort of reminds me of you. When you were young. And maybe a little bit now.”
Asher winced, understanding where she was going with her point. He didn’t like it. Burying his past had been the only way he’d moved forward. He wouldn’t let her take him to that place.
“Have the doctors told you anything?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No. They rushed him through there.” She motioned toward the door leading to the Emergency Room. “The blood was everywhere. I tried to stay calm. I wanted to know what had happened. He wasn’t really conscious, so he babbled a lot.”
She stuttered the last few words, taking a deep breath and looking up to the ceiling. Her upset clawed at him, making him want to run. Frustration built because he also wanted to drag her closer and hug the living daylights out of her. There had to be a way to make Emma feel better.
“Do you need me to go and ask at the reception?”
Emma shook her head again, reaching out to grasp his hands between hers. “Can you just stay here with me? The doctors know I’m waiting. They know I’m all Gabe has right now. I don’t know anything about him. Whether he does have anyone I can contact to comfort him.”
Asher’s guts tightened knowing exactly how the boy felt. Many times he’d arrived at hospital bloody and alone. He’d never had anyone like Emma to look out for him.
Not until Ike.
Her thumb stroked his knuckles, and even locked in thought he was aware of the low electric charge that emanated from the connection. It was the same sensation he’d experienced years ago when she’d thrust the money in his hand, the same buzz he felt each time she touched him. It left him shaken and unnerved with no idea what he was doing or where this thing between them was going.
“Do you want some water? Food?” he asked inanely, cursing himself for having no clue how to deal with the situation. He had more naivety than a ten-year-old when it came to relationships. Especially ones with women.
“No. I’m okay. Just wait with me. Please?”
Agreeing, Asher fought for something to say. The bustle of the room around them filled the silence, doctors rushed
Emma nodded, holding her bottom lip between her teeth. It was a valiant attempt to staunch the flow of tears. One that didn’t completely work.
“Are you calm enough to start at the beginning? I’m kind of wading my way through the info at the minute, not really understanding any of it. I want to help, angel, I do but I need a point to go from, yeah?”
Nodding again, she took a few deep breaths. He searched for a reaction to his endearment. It hadn’t been intentional, and he was thankful she appeared to have missed the slip.
“A boy came into the shelter a few days ago. Bloody and bruised. He only trusted me but he went back.” She gulped, her tone becoming high pitched.
Asher felt useless, unable to do anything but rub her back in a lame offer of comfort. “Where did he go back to, Em?”
Her watery eyes met his. “I’m not sure but it has to be the same place he was hurt to begin with. He came back to me this time—hid in my office. There was blood everywhere. Things have been bad at the shelter before. This? This was like nothing else. He’s so small and skinny. Kind of reminds me of…”
She paused, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge the thought. He wouldn’t let her. “What? Tell me.”
When she started to shake her head again he took hold of her face in both of his hands. It was obviously important, otherwise why would she try to hide it from him? He met her gaze, watched as her bottom lip quivered and her brows drew tightly together.
His fingers itched to smooth away her frown—smooth away her troubles. The intense need frightened him. There had been only one person he’d ever cared enough about to want to do that, and he was no longer here.
“He sort of reminds me of you. When you were young. And maybe a little bit now.”
Asher winced, understanding where she was going with her point. He didn’t like it. Burying his past had been the only way he’d moved forward. He wouldn’t let her take him to that place.
“Have the doctors told you anything?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No. They rushed him through there.” She motioned toward the door leading to the Emergency Room. “The blood was everywhere. I tried to stay calm. I wanted to know what had happened. He wasn’t really conscious, so he babbled a lot.”
She stuttered the last few words, taking a deep breath and looking up to the ceiling. Her upset clawed at him, making him want to run. Frustration built because he also wanted to drag her closer and hug the living daylights out of her. There had to be a way to make Emma feel better.
“Do you need me to go and ask at the reception?”
Emma shook her head again, reaching out to grasp his hands between hers. “Can you just stay here with me? The doctors know I’m waiting. They know I’m all Gabe has right now. I don’t know anything about him. Whether he does have anyone I can contact to comfort him.”
Asher’s guts tightened knowing exactly how the boy felt. Many times he’d arrived at hospital bloody and alone. He’d never had anyone like Emma to look out for him.
Not until Ike.
Her thumb stroked his knuckles, and even locked in thought he was aware of the low electric charge that emanated from the connection. It was the same sensation he’d experienced years ago when she’d thrust the money in his hand, the same buzz he felt each time she touched him. It left him shaken and unnerved with no idea what he was doing or where this thing between them was going.
“Do you want some water? Food?” he asked inanely, cursing himself for having no clue how to deal with the situation. He had more naivety than a ten-year-old when it came to relationships. Especially ones with women.
“No. I’m okay. Just wait with me. Please?”
Agreeing, Asher fought for something to say. The bustle of the room around them filled the silence, doctors rushed
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