Hello, everyone! Remember us? Well, if you don't then we don't blame you. It's been a looooong while since we updated this one. We hope you all think that it was worth the wait. As always, we hope that you'll let us know what you think of this chapter. We really do appreciate your input and kind words. Hopefully, we'll be able to update more often from now on. Take care all, and hope to hear from you soon.
Yours,
butterflyswest and Erin Allen
11
Neela sighed in weary relief as his building came into view. She never thought that stopping for pizza and a video could be so exhausting. She felt as if she'd run a marathon with no preparation. She glanced at Ray who was dozing in the seat beside her and bit her lip, ashamed of her selfish thoughts. If she felt tired, then he was purely exhausted.
He'd stubbornly refused to take the wheelchair into the video store, but after only a few minutes had been forced to sit down. Luckily, it was a rental place that he frequented often and the girl behind the counter knew him. She'd given up her seat, fussing over him as if he were a child. He'd grinned at Neela before acting as if he was on death's door, eating up the attention. Neela could only shake her head in disgust as she searched out the movies he'd chosen. She'd toyed with the idea of making him walk out by himself, but one look at his face had changed her mind. His face had gone white with strain and it was almost too much for him to just sit there. So, she'd helped him outside and into the waiting cab where he'd collapsed into the seat with a groan.
The pizza place had been little better. He'd agreed to use the chair, but she could see the effort it took to ignore the stares. She'd never considered that aspect of recovery before, but now it was hitting her full force. A wheelchair was notable, and apparently gave people free rein to be rude. She nearly lost her temper as one man asked her what had happened to her friend, as if Ray was mentally deficient. Without batting an eyelash, Ray had smiled and, looking at Neela, said, "I told you we shouldn't have had sex there." The man had quickly run off, shooting Neela a look of curious interest over his shoulder.
"I cannot believe you said that," she muttered, her face burning.
"What?" he'd asked innocently.
She smiled and shook her head as the taxi came to a halt at the curb. She paid the extortionate fare, biting back the urge to yell at the amount and shook Ray awake. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes darting around as he got his bearings.
"Jesus," he breathed as he scrubbed at this hair. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I fell asleep."
"Don't worry about it," she said kindly. "I understand. But we have bigger problems."
"Such as?" he asked as he gathered himself together.
"Such as how the bloody hell I'm going to get you upstairs?"
He gave her a dark look.
"The elevator's broken again isn't it?"
"In this place, who knows? I just don't think you can navigate the stairs yet."
He opened his mouth to speak when his door was wrenched open nearly spilling him out onto the curb. Ray cursed as Brett ducked down to look in the car.
"Let the party begin!" he said loudly as his eyes darted longingly over the pizza on the seat beside her. "We brought the beer, and I see you brought the pizza."
"Didn't you eat already?" she asked annoyed at being startled half to death.
"Yeah, but we could all eat more."
She rolled her eyes at him, holding back her exasperation. She took back everything she'd thought about being glad to see him. He was and always would be a pain in her backside.
"We thought we'd help get your stuff up to the apartment," he said with a grin as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "We were wondering what was taking so long."
"How did you get in?" she asked.
"I still have a key. What? Did you think we broke in?"
Ray snorted.
"I wouldn't put it past you," he said under his breath.
"I heard that," Brett said cheerfully. "And I'm hurt that you would think that about me."
"What about Kelly what's-her-name? You didn't exactly have her permission…"
"Good God, you two are like children! Neela broke in. "Can we just go upstairs please?"
"We already moved around some of the furniture so Captain America here could get around without killing himself."
She opened her mouth but closed it again just as quickly. Anything she was likely to say would simply encourage him. She didn't know whether to be irritated or grateful to him for what he'd done. He was one of those people that seemed to bring out both emotions in her without any effort at all.
"Will you lay off with the super hero crap, Brett?" Ray grumbled as he struggled to pull himself from the car. Brett took his arm to steady him as Neela scooted out behind him.
"Nope. You're the only real hero I know, so I have to make a big deal out of it," Brett said without remorse. His words were typical Brett, lightly poking fun at everything, but the look in his eyes as he glanced at Neela was worried. Even the short time Ray had been up had taken its toll on him. She shook her head almost imperceptibly but Brett got the message. It would be a while before Ray was back in fighting shape, but he would get there. She was going to make sure of it.
"We should probably go up," she said, turning toward the trunk of the cab where the driver was unloading Ray's bag, guitar, and the wheelchair. To her surprise, Nick and Ben were already there, popping up out of nowhere to sling the items over their shoulders and carry the wheelchair between them. She gave them a thankful smile, and they grinned, heading back into the building with their burdens. Turning, she found that Brett had already guided Ray up to the door. She sighed and followed, wondering how soon she could kick them all out without seeming ungracious.
It was painful to watch Ray as he moved slowly up the steps. Brett bullied him the whole way, taking potshots at him that, from anyone else, would have seemed like cruel insults. Neela ground her teeth but said nothing. She could see in Brett's eyes the worry he felt at seeing his friend so diminished, and knew that it was just his way of coping. It was also one of the few ways she could think of to get Ray to work harder. No one, not Brett or anyone else was going to insult him and get away with it. Neela couldn't help but feel better each time he lobbed insults right back at Brett until they had reached the right floor. Even so, by the time they got to the apartment, sweat had broken out on Ray's forehead and he was pale.
Brett waited until she had opened the door and nearly carried Ray into the apartment. Ray felt like an ass, having to lean on Brett just to go up some steps, but he was at his limit. The only thing that had kept him from going down was Brett's constant cajoling and knowing that Neela was watching. He didn't want her to worry about him. He wanted to get his strength back for her, and the first step was to at least attempt the stairs. But by the time he was in the apartment, he was done in. He had nothing left and was glad that Brett was there to help him.
"Sit down before you fall down," Brett said, dropping Ray onto the sofa. "Jesus, you're heavy!"
"No one asked you to carry me. You did that all on your own," Ray said, blowing out a breath in relief.
Brett scratched his eyebrow with his middle finger and glanced around. The boys were already arranged around the room, beers in hand, loafing on every available surface, from the sofa and chair to the coffee table and floor. Matt was nodding into his beer, struggling to stay awake. Brett shook his head and flopped down next to Ray on the sofa. He glanced back as Neela shut the door and cast a sullen gaze across them all.
"Nothing changes does it?" she asked with mock indignation, her sharp eyes missing nothing.
"Some things do," Brett said. "This place sure as hell changed. Who cleaned for you, Barnett? When we got here we about fell over and died. I thought I'd broken into the wrong place."
Ray glanced at Neela and felt his face heat up as she arched an eyebrow.
"I cleaned up a little," he muttered, embarrassed. Leave it to Brett to hone in on one of the few things that he did not want to talk about at the moment.
"A little! Hell, I thought maybe Dr. Neela came over with a bulldozer to clean up this place." He glanced back at Neela and grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "Although the thought of her in one of those little maid outfits has definite appeal."
Ray's heart did a painful somersault in his chest at the mental image that provoked. The thought of her in one of those skimpy little… He cleared his throat and elbowed Brett in the ribs. He didn't dare look at Neela or else he would embarrass himself.
"Keep at it, Brett, and you'll find yourself missing vital pieces of anatomy," she said as she headed for the kitchen with the pizza.
Brett grinned and glanced at Ray who only shook his head.
"I'd listen to her, man. She's in surgery now."
Brett cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably as Nick and Ben laughed, startling Matt from his drunken doze. Brett ignored them and gave Ray a meaningful look. Ray tensed wondering what the hell was up now.
"Did you talk to her yet?" he asked in a low voice.
"I haven't had time," Ray said defensively. "There's been too much going on…"
Brett made a face.
"You're such a terrible liar," he said in disgust. "You're just putting it off. You could have said something on the way home."
"We had other things to do," he said, wondering how it had suddenly become a let's-give-Ray-shit day.
"Too much to say, 'By the way, Neela, I love you'?" Brett asked under his breath, having just enough tact to keep his voice down so she wouldn't hear.
"Jesus, Ray, we thought you would have told her by now," Ben cut in loudly, either too drunk or too dense to take the hint. He grunted in indignation, shoving at Nick's foot when Nick kicked him.
"Told her what?" Neela said as she came from the kitchen carrying a beer. She eyed Ben and Nick suspiciously as they both avoided her gaze. Her glare settled on Matt, but he just blinked owlishly back, his bloodshot eyes telling a tale of too many drinks already pickling his brain. It would be a miracle if he even understood English at the moment. Finally she looked at Brett, crossing her arms over her chest in a way Ray knew all too well. "I'm waiting," she said implacably.
"Told you that he wanted you to chuck the maid outfit and get one of those cute little nurse get ups…OW!" he finished as her hand flashed out to catch him on the back of the head. He gave Ray a look of exasperation. "Are you going to let her do that to me?"
"She already slapped me once today," Ray said without sympathy. "The only thing I can tell you is don't pass out here."
Neela grinned.
"I have a scalpel around here somewhere," she said, glancing around. "Now where did I leave it..?"
Brett threw up his hands as if to ward her off.
"Fine, Doctor Neela. I'm sorry." He glanced at the beer she held in her hands and gave his best pout. "Is that for me?"
Neela struggled with her smile. How these men could have gotten to the ages they were without every really growing up was beyond her. Bloody Peter Pan syndrome. But they were amusing at times. She finally let her grin break free and handed the beer to Ray.
"Only one," she said sternly. "I don't want you dying on me because of some reaction with your meds."
"Thanks," he said quietly, his eyes finally resting on her. She swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. She really could get lost in those eyes if only he could give her the chance…She cut off the thoughts that swirled in her brain and managed a bright smile.
"Pizza's ready whenever you are," she said to them. "I'll bring you some in a minute," she told Ray. "I only hope you don't pop."
Brett laughed as she turned and went back to the kitchen, listening as they talked.
She refused to contemplate what it was that Ray should have told her. The half heard conversation and their subsequent bizarre avoidance of her question were preying on her. Had he told Brett that he wished she would just go? Did he want her to stay? Perhaps on a more permanent basis? There were many things she wanted to know, but knowing Brett and his twisted sense of humor, it could have been just as he'd said. She shook her head, her mind distracted. She hadn't thought that it would feel so…so normal being back here. After all that had happened, she could barely believe that they could fall right back into the same old patterns. The boys scattered all over the place, swilling beer and making noise. She, listening in shocked amazement at some of the things that would spout from their mouths. And Ray, in the middle of it all, holding it all together because, deep down, he was the reason they were there at all.
She forced a smile and turned to watch him from where she stood. He still looked tired. Still looked too thin for his own good, but she could not deny the spark in his green-gold eyes as he talked with his friends. But would that spark remain for her? She didn't know, and suddenly didn't care. She would love him no matter what he felt for her.
Now, she only wished that they could be alone so she could finally tell him all that she'd been thinking of for the past weeks. It was far past time.
For both of them.