CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT #2
I released her and turned back to Nova. There was zero jealousy on her face, only curiosity.
“Nova, this is my friend, Ever, a.k.a. doctor extraordinaire. Ever, this is Nova.” I didn’t know how to introduce her. As my friend? My girlfriend? Neither seemed appropriate. And introducing her as my everything felt more than a little over the top.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Nova,” Ever said with an easy smile. “Can I take a look at your injuries?”
She struck the perfect balance, I realized. Gentle but not placating. Down-to-business but not harsh in any way.
“Sure,” Nova said, that rasp still clinging to her voice. “Kol cleaned them. The scrapes.”
Ever arched a brow in my direction. “If I remember correctly, when I was eight and you were twelve, you told me to rub dirt on my skinned knee because it helped.”
I winced. “Sorry about that. But you’ll be happy to know my medical skills have improved since then.”
“Glad to hear it.” Ever crouched, pawing through my first-aid supplies. “Impressive kit, too.”
She grabbed a pair of gloves and then looked around the room. Snagging a stool from the corner that was mainly used as a clothes catcher, she carried it over and sat. As she pulled on the gloves, she started asking questions.
“Did you fall?”
Nova shook her head, her cheeks pinking slightly. “I don’t … I don’t think so. I just got turned around and confused and panicked.”
“Happens to the best of us,” Ever said easily. “Follow my finger with your eyes.” Ever moved her gloved pointer up and down, then from side to side in an H motion. “Does anything hurt more than the sting of these scratches?”
“No. I just feel a little tired,” Nova admitted.
“I bet,” Ever replied. “Mav never knows when to call it quits on his adventures.”
“I think I might’ve been a bit of a buzzkill for him today,” Nova mumbled.
I glared at the floor at that.
“Mav could use a little calming, buzzkill force in his life.” Ever glanced up at me. “Got a penlight? I just want to double-check something.”
I jerked my head in a nod, moving to a box atop my dresser that held all sorts of random things. A Swiss Army knife. Assorted change and pens. Chapstick. A couple of pretty rocks Skylar had found and given to me. A mini flashlight.
I handed the last item to Ever just as she instructed Nova to turn her head from side to side.
“Thanks.” She took the light and flashed it over each of Nova’s eyes. Nova instantly winced. “Does that hurt?”
“A little. I, um …”
“She’s got a sensitivity to light,” I explained.
Ever looked up at me, confused.
“You probably know already. I was kidnapped. He, um, kept me in the dark most of the time,” Nova said quietly. “For a year.”
Fury like I’d never seen on Ever’s face before erupted, but she quickly covered it—swallowed it down and snuffed it out.
“That makes sense, then. I’m not seeing any signs of a concussion, but if you get dizzy or get a bad headache, can’t remember simple information, feel nauseous or throw up, I want you to go to the emergency room. ”
Nova tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Are you already experiencing any of that?” Ever asked.
“When I get anxious, I can get dizzy. Happens off and on,” Nova explained.
Ever nodded and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “It can be a symptom of a panic attack. Less common than shortness of breath, but more common than people know. Do you experience anything else?”
Nova’s gaze flicked to me and then back to Ever. “Sometimes, I have shortness of breath. But more often, I feel like … like I’m crawling out of my skin.”
My gut twisted. Just one more scar Travis had left her with.
“Another symptom for sure. But the good news is, there are lots of things out there that help. You just have to find the thing that’s right for you,” Ever encouraged.
Nova’s eyes took on a bit more fire. “I hate therapy.”
Ever barked out a laugh. “I mean, I sometimes hate it, too. My therapist can be a real bitch when she’s right.”
Nova’s mouth curved. “You go to therapy?”
“Honestly, I think we’d all be better, happier humans if we did. But you’ve got to find the right match. It’s kind of like dating in that way.”
Nova let out a breath. “I’ll think about it.”
But I knew it would be hard, facing the things she’d gone through … It might be more than she could take right now. But if she didn’t find someone to talk to, I worried what might happen.
“Tree Man, do me a favor and make Nova a snack while I bandage these scrapes. She needs some water and maybe some juice, too,” Ever called over her shoulder.
I scowled at her. “I hate that nickname.”
“Do you or do you not love trees?” Ever pressed.
“He does,” Nova answered for me.
“You’re both horrible,” I grumbled.
Ever snapped her fingers twice. “Snacks, Tree Man.”
Nova pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.
“You okay up here?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’m good. I’m gonna get all the dirt on you from Ever.”
Ever let out that raspy laugh that she’d had since she was a kid. “We’ll start with the time he let me dress him up and marry him off to one of my dolls.”
“I’m leaving,” I called, heading for the door.
“Good, we don’t need you,” Ever shot back.
I slipped through the door, then waited, just in case Nova couldn’t handle being alone with someone she didn’t know. But instead of any sounds of distress, her laughter cut through the door. It swirled through the air and coated my skin.
I wanted that laughter to be enough. I wanted to believe it fixed everything. But I worried it couldn’t. Not even close.