Page 24 of The Monster’s Weakness

Caleb squatted down in front of her chair, took her hand, and kissed the back of it. “Baby, anything you want, you get.”

They got ready and headed outside. She doubted a mystery car would be parked on the road, but he walked up to a shiny new black sedan and reached under the rear tire well and pulled out a set of keys. He tossed them up with a jangle and caught them.

“We’re all set,” he said. Caleb opened the passenger door for her.

“Is this even real?”

She got into the car which was even nicer than his last one, and she swore that one had a new car smell, too.

“Where we heading?” he asked after getting into the driver’s seat.

There was a new iPhone on the center console, which he got out and pulled up the map app. She told him the address of the medical building which wasn’t too far away. It took about twenty minutes to get there because of the morning rush hour.

They walked into the building together. He felt so big and imposing beside her. It wasn’t the best area of town, but she couldn’t afford the prices at the fancy clinics. In the breezeway before entering the medical building, there were sketchy-looking guys hanging around. It made her nervous even though it was the middle of the day. She was glad they made it inside without a confrontation.

After a brief wait for her number to be called, they allowed Caleb to come into the exam room with her. She stared determinedly at the opposite wall, refusing to look at the little tray beside her.

“I hate this,” she whispered.

“I know.”

Gemma’s eyes flicked to him. “You don’t know. I might actually die.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “You’re not dying.”

The nurse reached for her arm, and she immediately turned toward him instead. He was already holding out his hand. She slipped her fingers through his, squeezing much harder than she intended.

“Sorry.”

Caleb’s thumb moved slowly over her knuckles. “You could break every bone in my hand and I wouldn’t care.”

She gave him a nervous little laugh. “That’s romantic.”

“I mean it.”

For some reason, she believed him.

The pinch came. Her face scrunched, and his other hand brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

“Look at me,” he murmured.

So she did.

“There you go. Just me.”

Her heart stumbled stupidly.

A few moments later, the nurse pulled the needle away, but the familiar lightheadedness was already creeping in.

“I’m dizzy.”

His expression changed instantly.

“I’ve got you.”

Gemma took some cleansing breaths. He’d held her hand while she got her bloodwork, and she felt like a little girl again. Somehow having Caleb there made things easier. She still felt woozy afterward, but he was there—caring, attentive, present.

She’d unbuttoned her shirt a bit more than she normally would when she felt overheated after the bloodwork ordeal, and had forgotten to button back up. Outside the building, those creeps were still there. One of the guys stepped in front of her while Caleb was still inside paying for their parking at the automated machine.