Page 109 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

“Then we need to call your doctor. And get him out here immediately, because I might be able to stop the bleeding but I’m not going to be able to stitch you back together.”

“Soon,” he said.

He heard her retreat. And when she returned, she had a large white towel. She pressed it over his eyes, his forehead, and he leaned back against the chair, trying to relax.

She held it there, counting, whispering.

“It’ll be all right,” she said.

He remembered, with a start, what she had said about caring for her mother. He could definitely feel that energy now. That familiarity that she had with the medical.

He didn’t know how he felt about it. If he needed medical care, then there was a professional to do it. This wasn’t her job. And she had been hurt...

“You’re sure you’re all right?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said softly. “I’m fine.”

“I feel like we don’t know that for sure.”

“I know it well enough,” she said. And when she removed the towel from his forehead, and when he opened his eyes he found that he could see nothing at all.

CHAPTER NINE

AUGGIEWASCOMPLETELYSHAKEN. Everything that happened this morning felt jarring and shocking. From them fleeing London, to ending up at this manor house. In the accident...

She had hit her head, but not as badly as he had. The impact had ended up on his side, because he had cranked the wheel sharply and taken her out of harm’s way. The gash on his forehead was severe, but she was more worried about the trauma that the impact might’ve caused.

And now he was looking at her, his dark eyes fixed at a spot just beyond her.

“What?”

“I can’t see,” he said.

“What do you mean you can’t see?” She was so aware that she was stupidly repeating his words like a Muppet, and she couldn’t stop herself.

“Just what I said,” he ground out. “I cannot see anything.”

“We need to call your doctor.”

Panic shot through her. This had to be very bad. And it was entirely possible that there was an injury to his brain.

“You can get into my phone. The doctor’s name is Carlos Valdes.”

She grabbed hold of his phone, which had his blood on it. She grimaced. Then she turned it toward his face and unlocked it, the way that she had done before with his girlfriends. Had that been only a week ago? Had that been the same life even? He didn’t seem like the same man. She didn’t feel like the same woman. She hadn’t even had a moment to try and fully comprehend what had passed between them last night, and now she had to... She just had to save his life.

She called the doctor. “Hello. I am with Matias Balcazar. We are at his country estate in England. I assume you have the address on file.” The receptionist on the other end of the phone confirmed. “He’s been in an accident, and we need a trauma team to come out right away. Fly if you can. He cannot go to a hospital. He needs to be treated here if you can.” He was a billionaire. She knew that he could be treated here. They would bring equipment. “He has a head injury. He cannot see. Please.”

“A team including Dr. Valdes is being dispatched immediately,” the woman said. “Not to worry.”

“How long will they be?”

“Fifteen minutes. They will go by helicopter.”

“Thank you,” she said.

She hung up, looking around the room, trying to avoid looking at him. Because it made her stomach cramp painfully. Then she sat down, looking straight ahead, in the chair next to his. “I’m right here,” she said.

At least the bleeding had stopped on his forehead gash. Though the wound was angry and deep. “They’ll be here soon.”