Chapter36:

“Yes, it does. Look at you…. Tell me what happened.” I grab at his waist in a semi-hug to turn him again, not leaving this without answers, and then recoil as he flinches and groans at my touch before slumping forward onto the counter. He shields the right side of his ribs and waist with a flat palm and dissolves into heavy breathing. It’s so obvious that I just hurt him without barely touching him. “Don’t okay.” The words are breathed out. He shifts sideways out of reach, yet I can only gawp at him. Now aware of the fact his body hurts this much too. “Tell me you went to the hospital…. Dane, how bad is this?” I follow him, pulling at the hemline of his shirt to see what he’s hiding, but he tries to hold me off. Straining his arm out to combat me seems to cause him discomfort, and I manage to get up his t-shirt and hoodie high enough to see his entire side with minimal fight. His rib cage and under the waistband of his sweats are also black and blue, and I feel faint at seeing them. I