Page 106 of Secret Spark
Joan snorted and dropped her forehead to Sadie’s. “I mean…”
“But I always knew you were good.” She rested a hand on Joan’s chest, over her black-and-red Spark outfit. “You don’t have to be a Superhero to do good.”
“Maybe I’m neither good nor bad, but a little of both.”
Sadie smiled widely. “Aren’t we all?”
CHAPTER21
Joan held Sadie’s hand securely as they exited the elevator onto the seventh floor. Home at last.
She’d barely let go in the past few hours. Or at least hadn’t wanted to while Sadie gave her statement to the police at the hospital and had a quick exam to make sure she was okay. After changing into her street clothes, Joan had been there as a “supportive friend.”
It was kind of funny and a bit terrifying to have been so close to the cops as Sadie made it known Spark, Ice and Breeze had been integral in capturing the very bad guys. She’d explained that she didn’t know why Trick had taken her. Wrong place, wrong time.
Sadie caught her staring and squeezed Joan’s hand. “I’m fine. Just a little sore.”
“I hate that you got hurt,” Joan murmured.
“I’ll feel better after I wash up and put on comfy clothes.”
They paused outside Sadie’s door. Amit had come by the hospital to check in and give Sadie her keys and phone, as well as some food. He’d told her to take the next few days off. He’d also told Joan to take care of her, which had been unexpected but very welcome. He reminded her a lot of Perry with his gruff way of showing he cared.
“Can you come in with me?” Sadie said. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course. You shouldn’t be by yourself. You went through a pretty traumatic event.”
“I guess one good thing is that I was under mind control most of the time, so I don’t remember much. It’s more like a dream I had, in bits and pieces.”
Joan nodded. Sadie had said as much in her statement.
Sadie hesitated, key poised at the lock. Then she turned to Joan. “Can I stay at your place tonight? I’d feel safer if I was with you. And you have all those alarms and stuff.”
“Absolutely. Stay as long as you want. I’ll have the arnica gel at the ready.”
Sadie swayed a little. Joan scooped her into a tight hug. She honestly couldn’t believe Sadie felt safe with her after seeing her in all her flame-throwing glory. But Sadie didn’t seem bothered. She knew the good, the bad and the fiery and still wanted to be with Joan.
She waseverything.
“Okay,” Sadie said, and drew back. “Let me get a few things and we’ll hunker down.”
She gathered her bathroom essentials before rummaging around her bedroom. She emerged with her hair down, in a faded City School of Design T-shirt and short, girly flannel boxers.
“You’re getting full-on Comfy Sadie,” she laughed.
“Comfy Sadie is cute,” Joan said. Comfy Sadie also didn’t appear to be wearing a bra.
She handed Joan her cosmetics travel bag, then grabbed her phone and keys off the kitchen counter. “I’ll call my parents tomorrow. I don’t have the energy to tell the story again tonight.”
Thank god Sadie’s parents were out so they wouldn’t tune in to the nightly news. She’d asked not to be identified by the press, which would hopefully delay their inevitable freakout.
Guilt twinged Joan’s chest. If it hadn’t been for her, Sadie would have never been in harm’s way. What if being together meant more danger ahead?
Sadie gave her a small smile. The twinge grew in warmth and pressure.
What if being together was the best way to protect her?
They headed over to Joan’s apartment. She disarmed the alarm when they entered, then swiftly reactivated it. “Let me do a quick sweep,” she said.