Not giving either a good look, Eden turned back to his hand and began unwrapping the bandage. It wasn't until he heard the curse from Mason that Eden's head popped up to look at his friend.
Mason's expression was somewhere between shock and disbelief.
Turning his head back to the door, Eden noticed nothing amiss about the doctor. Then his gaze fell to the nurse.
Eden's entire body froze.
As he looked into those familiar hazel eyes, they took him back in time.
She hadn't changed a bit. Same freckles splattered across the nose, same long brown hair. Same Shylah.
The shock faded quickly, only to be replaced by searing anger. Eyes narrowing, rage pulsed through his veins.
Shylah's eyes widened as her gaze met his. Her body went deathly still.
The look on Shylah's face told Eden she was somewhere between fleeing the room and having a panic attack right where she stood.
"Eden Cole, good to meet you." Eden only vaguely registered the doctor's voice, unable to focus on anything but her. "I'm Doctor O'Neil, and this is Shylah Kemp, your nurse. We'll be looking over your hand today."
Eyes glued to Shylah, he wondered if she'd thought about him for a second over the last year.
There wasn't a single day that had passed where he hadn't thought about her. Some days he was sure that he had built up their connection to be more than it was.
His fingers itched to touch her, run his hand down her cheek.
What the hell was wrong with him?
This was Shylah. The woman who promised she loved him only to disappear off the face of the planet.
"Nurse, can you please clean the wound while I get some information from the patient?"
Shylah remained where she stood. Her eyes wide. Eden could hear her pulse thundering.
Was that fear he saw in her eyes?
The anger inside Eden intensified. A person only showed fear if they had a reason. Hers could only be that she'd wronged him and now had to face the music.
"Shylah?"
Shylah's eyes suddenly pulled away from Eden's. Pain shot through Eden's chest at the loss.
Moving toward the cabinet, Shylah's body was rigid, her steps stilted.
For the first time in his life, Eden was at a loss of what to do. He wanted to get up and grab her. Drag her to the nearest private room and force the answers to her absence from her.
He also wanted to know what her plan was. Did she just intend to pretend they didn't know each other?
Turning back toward Eden, medical supplies in hand, Shylah's eyes remained downcast. Eden took the opportunity to inspect the rest of her.
She'd pulled her brown hair back into a high ponytail like she usually wore it, and the dusting of freckles across her nose still gave her the appearance of being younger than she was.
She was still the most stunning woman Eden had ever seen. Even if it killed him to admit.
"While the nurse cleans your hand, can you take me through what happened, Eden?"
Shylah took the lid off the antiseptic bottle and poured some onto a cloth. A slight tremor in her left hand, which was holding the bottle, made Eden stop.
Shylah's hands never shook when she did her job.
Brows pulling together, Eden's gaze lifted back up to Shylah's face.
"Not as steady-handed as you used to be, Shylah."
* * *
Shylah's gaze swung up to meet the pair of familiar gray eyes. The gray eyes that had haunted her every thought for the last fourteen months.
His voice was the same. A deep timbre that sent shivers ricocheting down Shylah's spine.
If possible, he looked bigger. Broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his shirt. Arms so muscled they would put most bodybuilders to shame.
Although it was possible, she'd just forgotten how big he was.
When Shylah had walked into the room and seen Eden, she had thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Like she'd dreamed about the guy enough times, maybe she was hallucinating him now.
When her brain had figured out Eden was a living, breathing human right in front of her, she'd wanted to throw herself into his arms. Tell him how much she'd missed him.
Once recovered from the surprise of it being Eden, she'd noticed the look on his face. Shock mixed with anger, mixed with undiluted rage.
The scowl that had followed did nothing to calm her. In fact, it made Shylah want to find the nearest rock to hide behind.
Eden directed his anger entirely at her.
Anger at her disappearing for over a year?
Shylah had done what she had to do. Not that he seemed like he'd be receptive to anything she said right now. He looked like he'd rather throw her on a bed of hot coals than listen to a word she had to say.
Pulling her hands back, she held his gaze. It was tough when the look in his eyes made her hairs stand on end.
"Hi, Eden." Shylah forced the words from her mouth.
"So, you do remember me?" The venom in his tone shocked Shylah. He'd never spoken to her like that. She hadn't heard him talk to anyone like that before.
The silence that followed was a thick fog that coated the room.
"You two know each other?" the doctor asked after clearing his throat.
"They dated." Noticing the other man in the room for the first time, Shylah recognized him immediately. Mason.
Mason had been part of Eden's SEAL team and was probably Eden's closest friend.
When Mason's eyes clashed with hers, there was anger there too, but also questions.
Did that mean Eden didn't have any questions? Did he already have the answers to what had happened to her?
"Oh . . . well, that makes things slightly awkward. Would you like a different nurse, Eden?" The doctor's words cut through the air.
Did he?
Did she hope that he would say yes or no? She wasn't sure. Confusion took the forefront in Shylah's mind.
"No." Eden's gaze didn't leave Shylah's face. Like razor blades cutting through her thin armor.
Shylah wanted to shrink back. Find a dark corner to hide within.
Holding firm, she straightened her spine. Shylah had nothing to feel bad about. She'd done nothing wrong. If Eden assumed she'd betrayed him, then it was him who was in the wrong.
Trying not to show her emotions, she steadied her injured left hand as much as possible before continuing with her job.
As soon as her skin touched Eden's, a jolt of awareness coursed through her. It took effort not to flinch and pull her hand back.
Still feeling the heat of Eden's eyes on her, Shylah kept herself busy with the job at hand.
"So, ah, Eden, can you take me through what happened to your hand?" the doctor asked in an overly cheery voice.
"I punched my fist through a window," Eden responded immediately, not taking a moment before answering.
"Okay. Would you like to tell me why?"
When Eden didn't respond, just continued to stare daggers into Shylah's skull, Mason answered, "He was angry."
"Have been angry for the last fourteen months."
Flinching at Eden's insinuation, Shylah's left hand dropped the cloth. The tension in the room so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Grabbing a fresh cleaning pad, Shylah attempted to make quick work of the wound.
"Where were you when you hurt your hand, Eden?" Silence followed the doctor's question until Mason spoke for him once again.
"We run Marble Protection here in town. He was in one of the workout rooms."
Shylah tried not to squirm at Eden's intense glare.
"How's it looking, Shylah?" the doctor asked, still overcompensating for the awkward situation they were in.
"Finished."
Thank god.
As she took her hand away from Eden's warm skin, she felt the loss immediately. Like she'd found something that had been missing and now she was losing it again.
"It wasn't too bad—no glass shards in the skin. Maybe n
ext time don't be so quick to react. It might be more than your hand that you damage."
Why the hell had she said that?
Eden's eyes narrowed, understanding the insinuation immediately.
Pulling off her gloves, Shylah turned to leave when Eden's fingers wrapped around her upper arm.
Stopping in her tracks, Shylah turned to face Eden again, unsure what his next move would be.
For a moment, time stood still as Eden and Shylah watched each other. Shylah was transported back fourteen months when there was no distance or anger. Just Shylah and Eden.
Mason bent down and placed a hand on Eden's shoulder. He said something into Eden's ear that Shylah didn't catch before standing upright again.
A moment passed before Eden abruptly released Shylah.
A part of her wished Eden's hand was still on her arm.
Another part of her, a more rational part, wanted to get as far as possible from this man. This man who seemed so different from the one she remembered and loved.
Which was crazy, seeing as how he was the reason she was in this town to begin with.
"You may leave now, Shylah," the doctor blurted the words as if scared to see what Eden might do next.
Pulling her gaze from Eden's, Shylah turned and left the room on shaky legs.
Walking down the hall, she almost felt like she had an out-of-body experience.
Did that really happen? Had she just treated Eden—her Eden? Did he hate her now?
The last question made Shylah's breath catch.
Once she was inside the safety of the staff locker room, Shylah walked into one of the stalls, shutting it with shaky fingers.
When her legs gave out on her, Shylah dropped to the ground. Placing her head in her hands, she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
What the hell had just happened?
It had taken Shylah over a year to get to where she was ready to search out Eden. Over a year of waiting, of recovering, of healing.
She had dreamed of the moment she would see him again.
Never had she pictured it would be like that. That she would get that reaction. Shylah didn't even know what that was. Disgust? Distrust? Hate?
At the memory of how Eden had looked at her, a small part of Shylah's heart broke.
The idea that what they had might be gone forever was too much to comprehend.
Had their relationship been so fragile that it didn't survive their time apart?
Shylah had thought they had something unbreakable. Her faith in what she and Eden felt for each other was so strong that she hadn't ever considered that their reunion wouldn't be what she dreamed it would.
Glancing at her watch, Shylah still had two hours left of her shift. She didn't know how she would survive those two hours, but she would have to.
She needed to hold it together until she could leave, then she could fall apart. Break. Shatter.
3
Eden stormed into Marble Protection.
He knew Mason trailed closely behind, but he had eyes for one person.
When his gaze darted around the sizeable mat area and didn't spot the man he was looking for, he moved to the reception desk.
"Where's Wyatt?" Eden knew that he all but growled the question, but he couldn't control the storm raging inside him.
Lexie visibly flinched at his words. Recovering quickly, she placed her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing.
"I know you're part owner of this company and technically my boss, but don't think that gives you the right to bark orders at me, Eden." Lexie huffed with a stony look on her face.
Feeling Mason's warning grip on his shoulder, Eden took a slight breath before asking again.
"Sorry, it's been a . . . confusing day. Have you seen Wyatt?"
Drawing her brows together, Lexie still appeared unhappy, but some of the anger dissipated. "He's in the workout room at the end of the hall."
Giving a small nod of thanks, Eden moved down the hall of Marble Protection.
This was the company that he and his team had created. Their sanctuary.
The government had given them a payout after what Project Arma had done to them, and they'd poured that money into this.
Wasn't fucking enough for what happened to them. Nothing would be.
Stomping down the hall, Eden heard Mason's steps behind him but didn't pay him any attention.
Reaching the end room, Eden pushed the door open without knocking. Wyatt dropped from the pull-up bar as Eden stormed in.
"Did you know she was in town?" The words were out, loud and angry before Eden could stop himself. Trying to push down the tornado of emotions inside him, Eden ground his jaw.
"Who?"
Moving forward so that his face was an inch from Wyatt's, Eden barely had a hold on himself.
"Shylah. Did you know Shylah was in Marble Falls?"
Holding his ground, Wyatt didn't shift or pull back from Eden's advance.
Brows drawn together, the surprise on Wyatt's face gave Eden his answer before Wyatt did.
"Shylah's here? In Marble Falls?"
Feeling like he needed to hit something, Eden turned and ran his hands through his hair.
He didn't know how to feel. How the hell was he supposed to react to this?
The woman who he'd loved and had betrayed him was within reaching distance. He didn't know whether he wanted to make love to the woman or murder her.
"She's at the hospital. Working," Eden muttered.
Wyatt's brows pulled up as he looked at Mason for confirmation.
"It's true. She just walked right into his hospital room wearing scrubs," Mason said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"No shit?" Picking up a towel, Wyatt wiped the sweat from his face. Turning back to Eden, Wyatt took a step toward him. "You need one of us to deal with this? We can go talk to her."
"No." The suggestion that anyone would talk to her before him was not an option. Hell, the idea of any man just being around her other than him sent him spiraling. "No one talks to her but me."
Not appearing surprised or fazed, Wyatt shrugged. "Okay."
"Can you get me her address?"
"Now that I know she's in town, it shouldn't be hard."
Turning, Eden stepped right into Mason, who had moved directly behind Eden.
"But don't do anything stupid, Hunter." Mason's voice was hard. Unyielding.
Narrowing his eyes, Eden didn't back down. "Like what?"
Shrugging, Mason didn't take his eyes from Eden. "Fall straight back into bed with her."
Almost laughing at the idea, Eden stepped around Mason. "Don't worry, Eagle. I don't see her through rose-colored glasses anymore. I'll get us the answers, regardless of whether she wants me to know them this time."
* * *
Pushing the door to her apartment closed behind her, Shylah shut her eyes as she leaned her back against it.
Today felt like it was eighty hours long.
Seeing Eden had been like dumping a bucket of ice water on her head. Shocking. Not in a million years did she think he would waltz into the hospital before she gained the courage to go look for him.
Guess that made her a bit of a sucker because, in his line of work, it was possible.
How many times had she pictured their reunion in her head over the past fourteen months? Not one of those times had Eden looked at her like she'd run over his puppy then murdered his cat.
That scowl on his face could scare the toughest man to run.
A shiver ran down Shylah's back at the thought of it.
Confusion swirled through Shylah's mind. Did he hate her that much for being gone for so long? Shouldn't there have been even a sliver of excitement in him to see her again?
Throughout the day, she'd gone over Eden's reaction to her in her head a million times, and always came back to the same place. If the guy loved her as much as she loved him, there would be some trust there.
Just thinking about Eden's obvious lack o
f faith in Shylah left her feeling a bit broken.
The rest of the day had been a mess. Shylah had been so frazzled that she hadn't been able to concentrate on the job.
When you worked as a nurse, and people's lives were on the line, that was unacceptable.
At one point, a doctor had asked her if she needed to go home. It had mortified her.
Not an impressive start to a job she was still fairly new at.
Pushing off the door, Shylah removed her shoes before she walked into the living room of her one-bedroom apartment. It was small, but she didn't need much space.
She had moved to Marble Falls for one reason. Eden.
Dropping her bag on the round table, Shylah turned and let out a scream at the gigantic man leaning against the kitchen wall. Make that familiar gigantic man.
Although the man looking at her right now may as well be a stranger.
As Eden took a step forward, Shylah took a step back. There was an air of danger about him. Any sane person would want to get far away from him as fast as possible.
She must be nuts not to be running full speed toward the door.
Either that or Shylah was just one of the few who knew that no normal human could outrun him.
"Eden." Placing her hand on her chest, Shylah took a breath to calm her thundering heart. "How did you get in?"
Taking another step forward, Eden didn't appear bothered that he was frightening her.
He looked like a predator in every sense of the word, and Shylah appeared to be his prey.
"You know me better than that, Shy. When has there been a door that could keep us apart?" Pausing for a moment, Eden's eyes narrowed slightly. "When I know where you are."
Eyes drifting down his body, it reminded Shylah of how much bigger he seemed.
Either the guy had spent the last fourteen months working out, or her mind was playing tricks on her.
Words seemed to be lost on her. It had been over a year since she'd seen him. Months of missing him. Of wishing every day that he was right there with her.
Now that he was, Shylah was at a loss for words.
"Nothing to say, Shy? How about you tell me where you've been for the last fourteen months? Because you sure as hell weren't at the cabin when I got back. You were conveniently missing when my whole world changed." Eden's voice remained calm as he spoke, but daggers of anger were shot through his eyes.
Eden: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 2) Page 2
