The bruise on her side brings a “Fucking hell” out of me. I edge to her left, ogling the enormous contusion.

“Giant Jelly,” she breathes out. “Told you.”

It looks as if she received a terrible tattoo—all blacks and blues, stringing down her hip from a large round knob that starts under her left arm. Touching it causes more goosebumps, but I run my fingers over it anyway to test the temperature and swelling. Again, nothing stands out except how painful it looks.

Her hands fall to my shoulders, bracing herself like she can’t stand this long. I hold her at her hips for extra support, and she doesn’t mind my grip, the way she presses into me.

“Have you been icing this?”

“Yep, every three hours or so.”

I ease her clothes back to their appropriate places as tenderly as I can.

“Thanks, doc. But sometimes a headache is just a headache,” she says, looking woozy.

In her dizziness, she leans toward me. I gently scoop her into my arms as I stand.

She gasps, wrapping her arms weakly around my shoulders and muttering, “Grady.”

“Everything’s okay, but here’s what’s going to happen,” I say, edging her through the hallway. “I’m going to take care of you. You’re going to let me. We’ll get through this together. No arguments.”

Her head falls to my chest, forgoing any further discussion.

I lay her gently onto her unmade bed, careful of her left side. Her red hair flays out behind her against the white pillowcase, reminding me of that day when her head was against the concrete. All her pain is my fault. My responsibility. My doing. And just like that day, I can’t leave her.

I wouldn’t want to, anyway. Even if I hadn’t caused this. Something about her shatters my rule about not getting involved. I want to be here.

After tucking her in, I return to the living room and do what I never do. I call in sick to the clinic—baffling Aunt Elena.

My second call is to the hospital unit, and luckily, Ivy answers the phone. Once I have the necessary information, I check Marina’s medicine log—she’s up-to-date on everything. Then, I grab the ice pack and return to Marina.

She’s in the same pained heap that I left her in. I draw the curtains to make the room darker, kick off my shoes, and climb into bed beside her. I wrestle her pillow into my lap with her on it and gently apply the ice pack.

She gasps at the cold shock but soon smiles and sighs as the numbing relief hits her.