Chapter 11 #2
I held the phone out to Mia, showing the sent message. She scoffed at me. “What the fuck is that? You couldn’t think of something better to say?”
I pulled the blue roll away from the side of my head; the bleeding had started to stop. I glared at her. "You try to think of something clever to say when your head is fucking bleeding.”
She smirked. “Fair enough.”
My phone vibrated and, fuck me, my body fluttered. My fingers moved nearly of their own accord, flicking open the message.
Dr. Carter: Alex? What's wrong?
Fuck, I had almost hoped she wouldn’t reply. I took a deep breath, not in the mood to play games.
Alex: Are you able to pick me up early?
Alex: Please?
She answered within seconds.
Dr. Carter: I’ll be there in twenty minutes.
I sighed and showed Mia the phone. She nodded, looking at me sadly. "Fuck, you really don't feel good, do you?”
I shrugged. “No, I fucking don’t.” I put my phone away, the screen light making me feel sick. The headache had started to take over, making my head feel heavy. My eyes burned, but thankfully were not blurred anymore. Fuck, this sucked.
Holly came bustling back in with a tied towel packed with ice.
She tentatively passed it over, and I swapped the blue roll for it, the bite of the cold bringing instant relief.
Thank fuck for that. I sighed, letting my shoulders drop as Holly settled next to me.
She hesitantly rested her head against my shoulder, arms wrapping tightly around my waist.
“I’m sorry you keep having to save me,” she whispered.
She was so fucking sweet, completely oblivious to how gorgeous she was. A woman who looked too precious for this world was always going to attract the pricks in places like that. I shifted slightly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
“Are your friends still inside, sweetheart?”
She gave a small nod. “Yeah, but I want to stay here with you.”
“I need to head home,” I murmured, catching Mia’s eye. “Mia will keep watch over you, okay?”
Mia offered a resolute nod that practically screamed, Obviously, I’m not letting her out of my fucking sight.
Holly sat upright, her gaze searching mine. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Of course I am.” I flashed her my best cocky grin.
She beamed, pressing a soft kiss to my clean cheek. I chuckled. “Careful, sweetheart, you’ll start giving me ideas.”
She smirked, giggling as her lips brushed my cheek a second time. “You wish.”
I laughed, playfully nudging her back. Mia pushed off the couch, glancing down at her watch. “Right, come on, time to move. Slowly!” she instructed, taking my arm to haul me off the cushions.
I took her advice, unsteady as a wave of dizziness hit the second I hit my feet.
Thank fuck I hadn't been drinking that night. I squeezed Holly in a quick goodbye hug by the club exit before letting Mia steer me up the stairwell. Fuck me, the music was deafening, the lights throbbing behind my eyelids. I could have cried; it felt like absolute hell. Steve held the door at the top, but I was so fucking pissed off at him I couldn't bring myself to make eye contact. I hoped he’d broken that guy’s legs that time.
Stepping out onto the street, I caught sight of Dr. Carter leaning against her car.
She looked far more rigid than usual, drawing up taller the moment she spotted me.
Her arms uncrossed from her chest, her fingers twitching at her sides.
Mia pressed a kiss to the top of my head and guided me across the pavement. I kept the icy towel pinned to my face.
When I stopped in front of her, she immediately reached out to steady my arms, scanning me with a sharp, assessing gaze. She shot a look past me, and Mia backed off, whispering, “Remember what I said, Lex.” I simply nodded.
I felt like a total idiot. Here was my drop-dead sexy lecturer—the same woman who’d sucked my neck the night before—rescuing me from work because some dickhead slammed me into a wall.
Softening completely, her hand cupped mine, gently peeling the makeshift ice pack away from my temple.
Her eyes were pitch black, the pupils completely blown out.
“Darling,” she asked, her tone eerily serene. “What happened?”
I swallowed and cleared my throat, the sharp jolt of pain making me wince. Her grip over mine tightened. I let out a heavy breath. “That guy who tried to take Holly home came back. I stepped in, and he shoved me against the wall.” I cringed. “And, well... you can see how that went.”
A tic worked in her jaw before she spoke with terrifying composure. “The same man that hit you in the face?”
I bit my lip. “The very one.” I tried to laugh it off, but the attempt landed flat and pathetic.
She gave a single nod, her expression strained with forced control.
She steered me around to the passenger side, ensuring I was buckled in securely with the ice repositioned over the lump on my head.
Shutting the door with quiet restraint, she spared me from the slam—knowing full well how violently my head was throbbing.
And it fucking was.
I watched her walk back around the car, but instead of shedding her trench coat and climbing in, she stormed right back toward the bar.
What the fuck was she doing?
I sat up a little too fast, and god, my head spun instantly.
Squinting through the dizziness, I tracked her path—and found her practically nose-to-nose with Steve.
Oh shit, I’d never seen him look so small.
Sure, he towered over her—even with her height and those heels—but he was genuinely cowering. It was surreal to witness.
Then she spun on her heel, striding back toward the vehicle.
She fluidly slipped out of her trench coat, revealing what she’d changed into since uni: a form-fitting black dress that managed to stay professional while remaining utterly breathtaking.
She eased into the driver's seat, pulling the door shut with quiet precision.
She didn't spare me a glance as the engine turned over. After watching the way she’d just cornered Steve, I couldn't even muster a quippy remark. Embarrassment over the entire scene settled heavy over me, leaving my mind a complete blur.
We drove in silence, and when we got to Heeley Street, she pulled up in the usual spot and finally turned to me.
“Alex,”
I’d never heard her say my name so gently.
“Do you have someone to look after you at home?” She asked, her face soft and worried.
I hesitated—because yeah, I did, but I had zero intention of waking my parents up. All I wanted was to crash in bed and deal with my throbbing head in the morning. I sighed, finally meeting her gaze. “I live with my parents.”
She nodded, unbuckling to move. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“No!” I reached out, my fingers catching her arm, but snatched my hand right back like I’d been burned. Fuck, the sudden movement felt like someone had whacked my skull with a hammer all over again. I clutched my head, squeezing my eyes shut against the sharp spike of agony.
You fucking idiot.
She couldn't. I couldn't let her walk me to the doorstep. Absolutely not happening. The situation was mortifying enough without her discovering where I actually lived.
“Alex!”
A quiet groan escaped her. I kept my eyes closed, but felt her hands covering mine—holding firm, grounding me while I tried to breathe through the blinding pain.
Slowly, I opened my eyes again, blinking back the dots. Fuck, this was a bad concussion. Her thumbs gently smoothed the back of my hands, her voice gentle. “Alex, you need to let me help.”
I swallowed around my dry throat. "I can walk myself.” I said stupidly. I barely fucking recognised myself right then.
“Darling.” Her fingers kept smoothing a fluttering rhythm on the back of my hands. "You can’t. I am not letting you walk anywhere on your own. I will walk you to the front door and leave once I know you are safe with someone looking after you.”
That was even fucking worse. What was I supposed to say to my parents? Fuck no. Fuck, this was a bad idea. I should never have texted her in the first place. I should’ve fucking made Steve pay for a taxi home.
Her thumbs stopped their movement. “Alex, why won’t you let me walk you home?”
Because I was fucking shit poor and I didn’t want her to know. I didn’t want her to see what a fucking shitty life I had when she walked around in clothes I probably wouldn't even know where to buy from.
“Dr. Carter, I’ll be fine. Honestly.” I pulled away from her and reached for the car door, completely forgetting that it was locked — like always. Fuck. I looked back at her awkwardly, and she was smirking. Then she straightened her posture and turned the car on again.
She looked at me expectantly. “Will you let me take you home?”
I chewed my cheek and answered, “No."
She gently pressed the accelerator, and the car moved off smoothly. Um, what the fuck. I looked at her wide-eyed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not leaving you unless I know you’re being taken care of, and if you won’t let me do that, then you don’t get to leave,” she said simply, as if that wasn't fucking abducting me.
I groaned and laid my head back against the headrest. I didn’t even know if I had enough in me right then to fight her. I couldn’t, I just couldn't let her know the truth. I managed to say, “Pretty sure it's illegal to kidnap someone.”
She scoffed. “You are not in a position to make sound decisions. I am merely doing my duty of care, darling.”
I just glared at her, and she smirked. I focused on the road right ahead; with everything blurring past, it made me feel so nauseous that I couldn’t look out the side window.
We were heading into a part of town I'd never been to before, and it was not surprising—the houses were fucking huge.
Each of them stood alone with gates that blocked the driveways.
Fuck, I had known that she must have been minted, but this was surreal.