Coming Home (Homeward Bound Series Book 1) by Rebecca Barber Read Free Book Online Page B

okay?”
    “You’re seriously asking me if I’m okay?” he asked, looking like he’d been knocked for six.
    I didn’t understand why he was so flabbergasted. Of course I cared. I might be a bitch most days, but I wasn’t completely heartless. At least I didn’t think I was. “Of course I am.”
    “Zoe.” He smiled, stepping towards me. When his large, warm, calloused hand cradled my cheek I felt my stomach turnover. I didn’t want to acknowledge it so instead I swallowed down my emotions. “I’m fine. Nothing to worry about. Now we know you’re going to be too, so let’s get the hell out of here,” he declared.
    “Sounds good to me, Spence,” I agreed quickly.
    I knew we both had different ideas about where that would be. I was taking this one step at a time. First I needed those discharge papers. Once I got them and got out of the sterility of the hospital, I’d fight the next battle, and it was going to be a doozy. Somehow I had to convince Spencer to drop me off at my hotel. First things first.
    A knock at the door brought me out of my own head. “Everyone decent in here?” a voice questioned.
    “Well, I am, I can’t say the same about Zoe.” Spencer winked at me as Nurse Foreman pushed open the door and stepped in.
    I rolled my eyes at Spencer and he just grinned knowingly. He knew exactly what he was doing. He’d always been mischievous and a troublemaker and he sure as hell hadn’t grown out of it. Nurse Foreman walked over and perched herself on the bed beside me, her hand finding its way onto my knee. I stared at it and waited for the awkward feeling to flood my body but it never came. Instead a strange calm consumed me. I let out a huge, unexpected sigh. I hadn’t realised or maybe it was just I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it before that moment, but I was tired. Bony weary exhausted.
    “Well, Miss Zoe…” She smiled a crooked smile. Her teeth were worn and yellow and the wrinkles around her eyes were deeply ingrained. “You ready to break out of here?”
    “Absolutely,” I answered quickly. I didn’t want anyone to get the idea I wanted to spend one more minute in the hospital than I needed to.
    Nurse Foreman looked contemplative, like she had something she wanted to say, instead she bit her tongue. Turning her attention to Spencer, who had at some point melted into the corner, she asked, “Spencer, can you give us a second?” Her gaze never wavered from me.
    “Yeah.” He shuffled out the door. I wasn’t blind. The way he moved from the room, I knew he didn’t want to leave, yet he did it anyway. For me.
    I watched him go and felt like a part of me left with him. But I knew Spencer. He wouldn’t have gone far. He’d be just on the other side of the door waiting. Impatiently.
    It took a moment after he was gone before Nurse Foreman turned to me and took both of my hands in hers. She reminded me of my grandmother. Her soft, cool hands. Her baby powder scent engulfing me, overwhelming the disinfectant. “Zoe. If you aren’t ready, you can stay here tonight. Or even if you just need another couple of hours. We don’t need to kick you out right this second. You don’t have to leave with Spencer…not if you don’t want to. I know you two have been friends since before you could walk and he’s the one who was there today, it still doesn’t mean you need to leave with him. Not if you don’t feel comfortable…”
    “No!” I snapped too harshly. As soon as the word was out of my mouth I knew it was what I meant. I felt guilty about my attitude. I wanted to blame it on tiredness, on aches and pains, the truth was I was just being a bitch. “I mean, thank you. I know you’re trying to help, Spencer would never hurt me. I want to get out of here. I need to. I want a shower. And sleep. I need sleep.”
    Tapping my hands with hers, I knew she forgave me. She shouldn’t, but she did. Without question or judgement, she just brushed off my nastiness and continued to be the