Pure Innocence Read Online Free PDF Page B

lip. He remembered. He just
didn’t—“But you caught him? He—” He couldn’t help the little wobble
that accompanied the words.
    “ Yes, yes. He’s going to be
locked up for the rest of his life. You have nothing to worry
about.” Damon’s hand smoothed the hair a little that had fallen in
front of Oliver’s eyes. “All you need to do is concentrate on
getting better.”
    Oliver sank a little into the bed again. He
still needed to try. “But, then, it’s not as if you need me to help
catch him. I mean. My testimony,” Oliver hurriedly added, because
the thought that Damon would need Oliver for anything else was
completely ridiculous.
    Damon shrugged. “I have time.” He caught
Oliver’s perplexed look. “If there’s someone else you know,
somewhere else you want to go—”
    “ No.” Oliver shook his
head. He was useless, now that Damon thought he was ungrateful.
Oliver burned as shamed tears sprung to his eyes. He was like a
faucet, any little thing, and he ducked his head as Damon’s hand
came up to wipe the moisture away. He was suddenly so tired again,
and felt his shoulders droop. He knew Damon pitied him, that was
why he was here, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to protest
though.
    He saw Damon glance at the clock on the
wall. “The nurses will probably be back soon. Why don’t you shoot
for a nap? We have plenty of time to discuss how we’re going to do
this.” Damon’s thumb swiped some more moisture away. “I keep
telling you, all you have to do is concentrate on getting better.
We’re going to get you out of here as soon as we can.” He smiled.
“I’ll do all the worrying for both of us.”
    Oliver agreed. He didn’t have the energy to
worry. It was so nice to have someone else do it for a while. He
concentrated on the hand, on how it soothed, and closed his
eyes.
     
    ****
     
    Damon stared at Oliver for a good few
minutes even after he was sure he’d gone back to sleep. He’d
managed to avoid Oliver’s questions, thank God, because he wasn’t
sure he knew the answer himself. He’d never mentioned the nursing
home to Oliver because he wanted him home with him. He knew being a
Dom carried a weight of responsibility, and he liked taking care of
things—people. But he wasn’t Oliver’s Sir, and as he acknowledged
the empty feeling that came with that thought, he wasn’t ever
likely to be. Damon gently eased up from the bed not wanting to
wake him, and returned to staring out of the window in the
corner.
    He sighed as he heard the clatter of the
nurse’s trolley a little later, before they even pushed the door
open. Oliver forced his heavy eyelids up at the intrusion.
“Remember you can get some proper rest when you’re back with me.”
Damon was pleased at the answering smile he got. It was enough. It
was enough for now.
    He stood back while the nurses pulled the
curtains around the bed and tried very hard not to resent being
excluded. But then, Oliver was having his catheter removed, it
would be embarrassing enough without an audience. Damon remained
quiet, looking over the parking lot below, until the noise of the
curtain drawing back pulled him from his thoughts and he
turned.
    He met Oliver’s tremulous gaze. He hadn’t
been wrong when he’d thought Oliver gorgeous. He was slim, way too
thin really, but his face fairly glowed, and he loved the shy smile
that accompanied the anxious eyes. Warm, brown, and framed by thick
lashes. They looked huge in his pale face. “Does that feel better?”
The nurses had washed Oliver and sat him in the chair next to the
bed. His arms had been taken out of the sling contraption that had
just been keeping them shy of his body so they were supported, but
couldn’t be knocked.
    Oliver followed his glance to where his arms
were now resting on his knees. “Ugly, aren’t they?”
    Damon shook his head. “I know it’s hard, but
you’ve got to remember three boys are dead.” He walked towards him.
“And you’re very much