Thirteen

THIRTEEN

Josie

"This is the most excited I've felt in such a long time."

No sooner had I made my declaration, I felt Huck's gaze on me. Twisting my neck, I looked over to where he was sitting behind the wheel of his truck. When my eyes landed on his, he offered a genuine smile in return. Though I knew he was a great guy, I wondered how it was possible for him to look at me with my face being as beat up as it was and still have it in him to smile at me. I guess it was just a testament to who he was.

"I can only assume this excitement is about finally being able to get out of the hospital," he said.

That was exactly the reason.

Fortunately, I hadn't been required to stay any longer than the doctor had initially guessed I'd need to stay. All the results of the testing he'd done with regard to the concussion I'd suffered had been what he wanted to see. The progress was all in the right direction. Obviously, my ribs still ached—would for quite some time—and my shoulder was still slightly tender, so I'd need to take things easy for a while.

But the moment I'd stepped outside of the hospital with Huck, it felt like taking a breath of fresh air.

Returning his smile, I gave him a nod. "I'm finally free."

"In more ways than one," he countered.

The moment he said it, I realized he wasn't wrong. I wasn't just free from the confines of the hospital, but I was no longer under Kurt's thumb. This was my chance to start over, and I was beyond ready for it.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Ready?" he asked.

A wave of enthusiasm moved through me. "I am."

With my confirmation in hand, Huck focused his attention forward again and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. And every mile he drove away from the hospital toward his home felt like I was getting closer and closer to a new life.

Granted, I understood this was only a temporary solution—I couldn't expect Huck to keep me at his place forever—but I was grateful I even had this option. For far too long, I'd been living in such a state of despair and hopelessness that it was nice to feel like I finally had the chance to start over. I didn't doubt Huck's willingness to be by my side as I made that happen.

I was so lost in my thoughts about what the future held for me that before I knew it, we'd arrived at Huck's home. We'd only just turned into his driveway, and it already felt like the best thing I'd ever experienced in my life.

Huck pulled into the garage, turned off his truck, and said, "Hang tight while I come around to help you out."

"Okay," I replied.

The last thing I wanted to do was feel entirely helpless, but the reality was that certain movements were painful, and I didn't want to risk falling or injuring myself worse than I already was. If any of my plans for my future stood a chance of becoming reality, I had to be smart.

For the sake of my pride, I'd tried doing it another way before, and it hadn't gotten me anywhere good. It was time to accept the help of someone I trusted, even if it meant waiting inside the truck, so he could come around and open my door for me.

Holding on to his hand, I eased myself out of the truck before Huck led me inside. As soon as my foot stepped over the threshold, something came over me.

I was here.

I was with Huck.

And I was in a safe place.

Sure, I'd be happy to get the grand tour and see his house, but the truth was that none of the details mattered. I didn't care how he decorated, if he was messy, or whether he had huge flat-screen televisions. The only thing that mattered was that I knew I was in a place where I'd no longer have to be fearful. I'd never have to worry that someone was going to come home from work feeling angry and find a way to take it out on me.

The realization hit me hard, like a blow to my body, forcing me to stumble back into Huck.

"Whoa. Are you okay?" he asked, his hands coming to rest gently on the caps of each of my shoulders.

I twisted my neck slightly, looked back at him, and whispered, "I'm safe."

Understanding dawned on his features. "Yes, honey, you're safe."

"You're not going to come home from work feeling frustrated about your day and take it out on me," I declared.

His jaw clenched. Evidently, my need to share wasn't doing all that much to help Huck, even if getting it all out was helping me. "No, Josie. That is never going to happen. And as long as you're here, you're always going to be safe. I would never lay my hands on you in anger."

"Do you know how that feels? I don't know what to do, Huck. I've felt so unsafe for so long," I rasped, my throat painfully tight.

Huck turned me in his arms, lifted one hand to the side of my face, and threaded his fingers through my hair. His eyes watched his fingers until they made it to the end of my strands before he returned his attention to my face and said, "I'd be lying if I said I understood precisely how you were feeling. I don't know. But I can imagine it's a lot to digest. On the bright side, as new as the feeling is for you, at least it's a good thing."

Nodding slowly, I advised, "I might need some time to come to grips with this."

"Take all the time you need," he urged me. "You're going to heal here, Josie. That's the most important thing to me right now. I don't care how long it takes or how often you need reminders about it. You'll always be safe with me."

I closed my eyes, and the air rushed forward with the sigh of relief that swept through me. My head dropped forward, landing in Huck's chest, and as I took in several deep settling breaths, the scent of him wrapped around me like a soft, cozy blanket.

Eventually, I pulled my head back and looked up at him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to show you around so you can have the lay of the land?"

I nodded. "That's probably not a bad idea."

For the next few minutes, Huck gave me the tour of his home. We started on the first floor, where I was introduced to his kitchen, living room, dining room, study, and half bathroom. Then we climbed the stairs, Huck staying a step behind me and keeping his hand at the small of my back.

Every time he took me by the hand, drove his fingers through my hair, hugged me, or touched me tenderly to make sure I was steady as I walked, my belly trembled. But it didn't happen in the way my belly used to tremble with the fear I felt. This was a different type of nervous tension. This was something enjoyable.

We made it to the top of the stairs, where Huck pointed to a door that was partially opened and said, "That's one of the spare bedrooms." He turned back to the right, took a few steps down the hallway in that direction, and pointed to a door on the left-hand side. "This is a bathroom. And right across the hall here, just a few feet up on the right side, is another guest bedroom."

We moved toward that bedroom, and Huck swept his arm out toward it, indicating he wanted me to step inside ahead of him.

"This is nice," I said.

"Yeah? I'm glad you think so, because this is where I was thinking of having you stay while you're here," he explained. "When I came back the day my mom all but forced me out of your hospital room, I took some time here to get this room ready for you. That's why I was a little late getting back there."

My eyes roamed over the space as I stepped deeper into the room. It was so cozy and spacious. And the bed looked unbelievably inviting. I reached my hand out and allowed my fingertips to drift over the thick blanket. It felt luxurious. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I was going to be more comfortable here than I'd ever been anywhere else in my life.

"If you'd prefer to check out the other room at the opposite end of the hall, we can do that, too. I just want you to be comfortable," he said.

Spinning around to face him, I replied, "Are you kidding me? Huck, this is lovely."

I watched as his body relaxed slightly, some of the tension moving out of his neck and shoulders. Then he crossed the room and moved toward the dresser on the opposite side of the room. He pulled opened the drawers and said, "I had my mom run out to pick up a few things for you. I know your plan had been to pack up some of your things, but since that didn't happen, I wanted to make sure you had something to wear. It's enough to get you through the next few days. Whenever you're ready, I can either take you out shopping to get some new things, or you can use my laptop and buy whatever you need online."

For several long moments, I simply stared at him, feeling utterly stunned. "Are you… are you joking?"

Huck seemed a little unsure of himself. "Joking about what?"

"You sent your mom out to buy me some clothes?" I asked, tears pricking my eyes.

He shrugged indifferently. "I knew you were going to need some things to wear when you came home. I'm sure it's not everything you'll want or would have chosen if you'd picked it out yourself, but I hope it'll be okay for the next couple of days as you're resting and healing."

Huck Davidson sent his mom out to buy me clothes. I hadn't asked him to do it. I hadn't even mentioned not getting any of the things I'd intended to get when I'd foolishly decided to have that one last night at Kurt's place.

But this man just knew what I was going to need and took care of it. Like it was nothing. "I feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment and find out I've been dreaming," I declared. "You're the only person who has ever been this kind to me."

Sympathy moved into his features as he stepped forward, closing the distance between us. "You make it seem like I've done something incredible. This is just basic human decency, honey."

He probably wasn't wrong, but it felt like something so much more than that to me. "I'm sure everything she picked out is more than fine. Thank you for asking her to do that for me. As soon as I start working again, I'll pay you back for everything."

Huck shook his head. "I'm not looking for you to do that. I just want you to be comfortable. Consider it a ‘welcome home from the hospital' gift, if that helps you feel better about it. I don't want your money, Josie."

Bonnie's words about Huck feeling grateful I'd survived without injuries that were worse than what they were rang in my head. Clearly, she hadn't been making it up. It seemed I was going to have to learn rather quickly how to accept his kindness and generosity. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Really. I'm just glad you're okay with this room, because you'll be close," he said.

Tipping my head to the side, I eyed him curiously. "What?"

Jerking his head toward the entrance to the room, Huck urged, "Come with me."

I followed behind him out of the room, and a moment later, after taking a handful of steps to the right just outside of the room, Huck and I were standing in what I assumed had to be his bedroom. "This is yours," I stated.

Huck didn't hesitate to confirm I'd guessed correctly. "It is. That's why I thought the room we were just in was the best one for you. I thought you might rest a bit easier knowing that I was close by."

With Huck being all business about this whole situation, I wasn't quite sure what prompted my train of thought to be any different than his. I should have been focused on the fact that he'd be near if I needed him, that he was giving me this safe place to stay. And yet, my thoughts were entirely on the fact that I was standing just inside Huck's bedroom, looking at the bed he slept in every night.

If only the high school version of Josie could see me now.

"It's—" I stopped to clear my throat. "It's nice. You have a beautiful home, Huck."

Huck shrugged for the second time in a matter of minutes. "Thanks. It's okay, I guess. It gets the job done and has everything I need and then some, so I can't complain."

I guessed it made sense for him to have the reaction he did. He hadn't ever been in a position that left him feeling the way I had all my life. The way he lived now was just more of what he'd been accustomed to; life had been so very different for me. "Well, you've lived my dream, and as jealous as I am, I'm also happy for you."

And I was.

There was nobody in this world who I believed deserved to have lived a good life more than Huck.

"There's no need to be jealous any longer, Josie, because this is going to be your reality for the foreseeable future. You're never going to have anything less than what you have now," he insisted. "Speaking of which, I didn't forget what you said at the hospital, and I think now is the perfect time to get yourself comfortable."

"What did I say at the hospital?" I asked, unsure what he was referring to.

"You couldn't wait to take a shower," he reminded me.

"Oh, you're right. Would you mind if I attempted that now?" I questioned him.

He shook his head. "Not at all. You're welcome to do that in the spare bathroom, but you can also use my bathroom in here. I've got a soaking tub, which might be more comfortable and easier for you right now."

My ear dropped to my shoulder, my heart hammered in my chest, and my eyes roamed over his handsome face. "That sounds amazing, but I don't want to overstep."

"Nonsense. If that's what you want, that's what you're going to do. I've got spare towels and washcloths in there, and I can grab you some toiletries I had my mom pick up when she was out. I figured you'd want some things that smelled nice, and my mom was the best one to ask to make that happen."

I loved that he had gone out of his way to make this stage of my life, this temporary stay at his place, a comfortable one. "I feel like I keep saying thank you, and it's not enough, but I don't know what else to say."

"I know you're grateful, Josie. You don't have to keep saying it. Why don't you make your way to the bathroom while I grab those few things you'll need out of the other bathroom?"

I did as Huck suggested, and by the time I made it to the bathroom and took in the space, Huck returned with his arms full.

"Wow, you didn't skimp, did you?"

He let out a small laugh and shook his head. "I wanted you to have everything you'd need." After setting everything down on the edge of the tub, he asked, "Do you think you'll need anything else?"

He had covered it all. Shaking my head, I answered, "I don't think so."

Huck held my gaze in silence for a few moments, questions or concern lingering in his stare. Whatever was going through his mind, he didn't share. Instead, he dipped his chin and said, "Okay. I'll step out and let you get to it. If you need anything, just yell."

"Thank you."

Once Huck left the bathroom and closed the door, I turned on the bathtub. As it filled up, I went about getting myself stripped out of my clothes. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing I'd done, but I had the time to spare while the water filled the tub.

Eventually, finally, I carefully stepped over the edge of the tub and sank down into the warm water. It was heavenly.

I dropped my head back onto the soft, padded pillow on the side of the tub and closed my eyes. And for the first time in my life, I felt a peace come over me that I never knew existed.

It was all thanks to Huck.