Page 64 of Bean

“Jarek,” he said.

I recognized his voice. “Hey. Bean’s upstairs. He got his meds and water. I was on my way out.”

Several faces peered around his shoulders, and I figured they were the other guys. I fought the urge to laugh because it didn’t seem like the time, but they were like eager puppies trying to get a look.

Nash rolled his eyes. “I’ll walk you out. Heathens, go inside and don’t bother anyone.”

They filed past, the last one stopping, and I recognized him from the beach. “I knew I’d be seeing you again,” he said with a wink.

“Heath,” Nash warned. Heath gave him a mock salute and followed the guy with the shortest hair, closing the door behind him. I let out a chuckle and Nash sighed, beckoning me toward my car. “Sorry about that. They’re in everyone’s business.”

“I’m not offended. I’m actually glad you all came home. I didn’t want to leave him, but I also didn’t want to hang around your place without an invite.”

Nash’s mouth twitched as we stopped by my car. He gave it a look and a raised brow, but he didn’t ask about my situation, which I appreciated. “Thank you for getting him home safe.”

Bowing my head, I nodded, staring at my feet. “It was terrifying, I’m not gonna lie. I thought he was having a stroke or something at first.”

“His seizures are fewer and farther between now, but they were bad at first. And his memory would be completely fucked when he came out of it.” Nash folded his arms, and his gaze moved off toward the horizon. “We’ve all got a lot going on.”

“I know.” I had a feeling this was his version of the shovel-talk.

“It takes a lot of patience, and Bean’s the sweetest one here, but he can also be the most difficult. He gets these brainstorms, and he gets angry. He can get a little mean?—”

I interrupted with a laugh. “Sorry, no. I sort of saw that today, but his version of mean is like my ex on a good day.” I hesitated, then asked, “So, what you asked me before when you said something about him hurting himself…?”

Nash glanced toward the house like he didn’t want to meet my gaze. “It’s not something he does intentionally, and it was worse when he was first discharged. Traumatic brain injuries are like onions.”

Was this man really quotingShrekright now?

His lips lifted into a smile. “Yeah, silly reference, I know, but itisa good one. There are a lot of layers to injuries likehis. Bean had to learn to walk and talk again after he woke up. Then, he had to figure out who everyone around him was with the complication of his retrograde amnesia and face blindness. He was…frustrated,” Nash said slowly, like that wasn’t the word he wanted to use. “He was angry. He still gets angry at himself for being different, which sometimes overwhelms him.He can spiral and hurt himself if he’s not careful.”

I swallowed thickly.“That sounds hard.”

“It is,” Nash said, “but he’s been working on it since he was discharged from rehab.He has a therapist and coping techniques he uses.It’s just…” He hesitated for a beat. “Sometimes they don’t always work.”

“So what do I do when that happens?” I asked.“How do I help him?”

“Listen to him. He’s been real good at advocating for himself and telling people around him what he needs. If he needs space, give it to him. Don’t push. If he does start hurting himself, use your words to calm him down. Don’t grab him. That’s a good way to take an elbow to the eye.”

He spoke like he knew firsthand, which was fair.

“Have I scared you off yet?” Nash asked.

That startled a laugh out of me. “Do I seem scared?”

He studied me for a long beat, and then his face broke into a big smile. “I guess not.You’re a good one. You know that?”

“Don’t give me too much credit.Giving someone what they need feels like the bare minimum, and Bean deserves to be taken care of. And between you and me, I feel like he doesn’t get enough credit for how well he takes care of everyone else.”

Nash went soft all over. “You get him.”

I did. It was terrifying because it was creating feelings I wasn’t ready to face, but knowing these things about Bean made me feel a little more emboldened to be there for him. To be asteady rock when everything else felt like a stormy sea. “I like him. Nothing you said is going to scare me off.”

Nash’s lip twitched, and then he chuckled. “Good. He needs people in his life who are willing to understand and stick around when the going gets rough.Because it will get rough.That’s something that will likely never change.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Not unless he asks me to.” I knew I probably shouldn’t be saying much, but frankly, I needed to say the words. “He deserves the best.”

Nash swallowed thickly, then nodded. “You get home safe, okay? And now you’ve got my number, so you call me if you ever need anything.”