Get at Me #10
Faith waited until I was settled before she sat back down a move that was too natural to have been practiced. She settled back in putting her bag back in her purse. “She must be something special if she’s able to get you to fall in line with no question. I like her.”
I ignored the like part but I had to agree Asha was someone that Faith would like. “You would. She’ll be here soon. Not the best way to meet one another but it has to happen.”
“Does she know…” Her face gave away the nerves she had about meeting Asha. Her eyes were wide, worried and she’d gotten back to fidgeting with her purse straps.
“No. Not a lot. Not enough. I wouldn’t taint her view of you just because of our situation.”
I thought my words would make her happy but she didn’t look any less stressed out. “She’s going to need to know. I can’t build a relationship with her based on a lie.”
“It’s not a lie. Things are complex. Between her and me and between the two of us. Fresh starts aren’t anything bad but I know there’s still stuff to work through. I don’t want to mess up what might be something amicable between y’all when it’s unnecessary.”
She blinked slowly probably wondering if this was the concussion speaking. My honesty something that seemed to move her. It was my way of telling her that things with us could improve, which was more than I’d given her in decades. “That’s… thank you.”
“She’s mean as hell though so you should be wary.”
“Pappy is on his way up but we brought—”
Asha bustled into the room ignorant of the fact that I wasn’t alone. She paused when she glanced at me then back at Faith who’d immediately stood up to help her with the items in her hands.
I hated this. Hated that they were meeting for the first time in these circumstances and I couldn’t even get out of bed to help them out.
I could get through the pain and the nauseated feeling that standing provided me but Asha had threatened to end my life if I even thought about going against the doctor’s order to stay in bed.
“Hello. You must Asha. I’m Faith.” Faith stood up and sat her purse in the chair behind her.
She was wearing a dress that almost touched the floor and flat sandals.
Asha’s hair was in a curly ball on the top of her head and she had on casual pants and a t-shirt.
She was devoid of all jewelry except the ring I’d given her.
“Ori’s mother.”
“Umm.. yes. Yes, I am.”
Asha took in that information while Faith just stood there. After a second, she seemed to snatch out of whatever thought she had and extended her hand out for Faith to shake. The relief was now on Faith’s face as they made contact.
“I apologize for not being here to greet you. I needed to run around—”
“Thank you for having the foresight to bring him something to eat. I was too worried about getting here that it didn’t cross my mind.” My mother gave that compliment as she sat back down. Asha washed her hands and then began pulling things out of the bags, playing hostess even in a hospital room.
I really need to give her those gifts.
“I brought plenty, as you can see and Pappy is bringing even more up. I’m sure you know just by the looks of him that he has an endless appetite.”
My dick shouldn’t have woken up hearing her say that but it had. Asha’s voice had a natural sexiness to it. A smoky depth that made me think of darkened rooms, moonlight skirting over the chestnut brown of her skin as pants and moans raised the humidity between us.
You might need to stop being so damn honorable and put you both out of your misery.
“I’ve been driving for several hours and I need to check into my hotel. I only wanted to lay eyes on you and ensure that you’re okay.”
Asha stopped abruptly watching the way Faith was alluding to being on her way.
“I’ve only just arrived, I was hoping we could chat. He keeps dozing off despite his ability to recall everything I’ve been babbling about. Having someone who’s actually lucid and engaged in conversation would be a good change of pace.”
She was teasing. The charm that I so rarely saw was now on full display as she smiled genially at my mother silently imploring her to stay. Whatever Faith had on her docket wouldn’t allow her to be taken off course.
“If it’s alright with you we can exchange numbers and perhaps meet when you’ve got a free moment. You’re a doctor, correct?”
It was clear Pappy, or Matty had shared that information with her. “Yes, but Ph.D. not MD.”
“And no less impressive.” Faith was smooth with soothing Asha’s ego by having to leave while also complimenting her. I knew she meant every word but still the way she’d done it was admirable.
“I’d like that if it’s okay with you.” Asha directed the last part of her statement to me, which was surprising. I guess because of the distance between the two of us she was unsure if I would want them to be friendly to one another but I had no issue with it.
“By all means.”
Asha gave me a smile so brilliant that I was worried my heart monitor was going to give away how I was feeling.
“Perfect. Then let’s eat until we lose him again to the Sandman.”
“She seems lovely.” Asha was moving about the room and I was watching her once again irritated by my inability to help.
“She does.” And that was the truth. Faith had been cordial, able to discuss a bunch of topics without it getting awkward.
I’d dozed on and off but knew they’d kept up a stream of conversation.
Pappy’s parting words were a warning for me not to mess up and Faith had squeezed my hand and thanked me for letting her stay.
“So what’s the issue then? She’s popped back at an odd time. I must say I was thrown off seeing her here. I was torn between wanting to pick her brain about you and wanting to pull it out of her through her nose the way the Egyptians did when they mummified a body.”
I was surprised. She was either an excellent actress or she was truly this passionate about protecting me. “All that?”
Asha glanced up from where she was packing up the rest of the food smiling. “We’ve already discussed the fact that you have a mother wound. She’s the mother. I have every reason to be wary of her and her intentions with you.”
“You sound almost protective.”
“Of course I am. Ink’s not dry yet and I would be very unhappy if I’ve given into the upheaval that you’ve caused in my life only for you to be double-crossed or some foolishness like that.
The idea of your survival is not all that abhorrent to me any longer.
” She was moving around and cleaning up the remnants of the food after Pappy and Faith left, looking mildly frustrated.
I was sure it was because of the battle of her emotions but I wanted clarity.
“Fancy way of saying that you’re okay with me still breathing air.”
She paused then smiled with narrowed eyes like she couldn’t believe I was forcing the issue. “That’s exactly what I said. What do you mean?”
“There’s a wound. I’m not sure of the details because I feel as though some have been hidden from me.”
“On purpose.”
“Yes.”
“Is she a potential threat?”
She asked like a soldier taking report from a commander and I had to question when my wife to be would trust me with the secrets of her past. It was easy for me to ignore them now because I had my own shit I didn’t want to discuss.
But the longer this thing with us lasted the more it became real.
And that realness would put us both into territory that we weren’t ready or potentially equipped to handle.
We seemed to get there so despite my desire to know I chose not to press the issue again.
It didn’t seem like anything that would come back to haunt us.
If it was something like she’d had an army of pay pigs like Wilbur it wouldn’t change our arrangement or her standing in my eyes.
“Physically, no.”
“Are you sure? I’m shocked at how little hesitation you had when you said that.”
Hell, I was too but I didn’t want to give her mind a chance to latch onto anything that would make this situation even more complicated than it already was.
“She’s good.”
Asha hesitated and I knew it was there because she thought I wasn’t giving my mother the credit to kill because she was a woman. But none of that was true. “Well, now, it seems we have two mysteries to solve.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Rawlings girl and who tried to kill you.” Her bringing up the case had me thinking back to the night in the room talking to Xerxes.
“I hope you’re not being serious.”
Her face scrunched up before it relaxed, and she laughed in an airy, sarcastic way. “Oh, I’m completely serious. Somebody tried to kill you—”
“You do realize that you were in the car too, right? That meant that you might also be a target.”
Her frown deepened at my words the realization that she too had been in just as much danger seeming to wash over her.
It had been on my mind for the last few hours she’d been gone.
Only the appearance of Faith had taken my mind from that direction.
Somebody being after me didn’t bother me.
But someone coming for her was an entirely different issue and I needed to figure out who the hell would make a move that would cost them their life.
“Well, fuck. I hadn’t thought of it since you took the worst of it all.”
“Thanks.”
She hit my foot playfully, a move that I knew she’d done without realizing the intimacy of her actions.
“That’s not how I meant it and you know it.
But despite how you feel about things you would’ve been pissed if you didn’t feel like you’d done your duty to protect me so at least you can be secure in that aspect. ”
“That sure you know me?” She was right, but I still wondered what made her so confident in her response.
She shifted, and I took in the way she looked for the first time.
Fresh face with her hair pulled back. She was wearing a linen pants set and the matching shirt was open with a tank top underneath.