him.
Kao lets out a chuckle. “I’ve missed your coffee.”
The corner of my mouth lifts a little, and then I say, “I’ve watched Noah help you. He should’ve studied medicine.”
“Yeah, but you can always take over.” It sounds like Kao is teasing me, but I can’t be sure. “I sure as hell wouldn’t mind you dressing me.”
I let out a burst of laughter. “Oh, is that so?”
I sit down next to him and sip on my coffee.
I watch as Kao carefully lifts the cup to his mouth.
“How are you coping?” I ask, wanting to know how he’s doing emotionally.
“Better.” He sets the cup down, then turns his eyes to me, and instantly I feel overly self-conscious. “Much better now that we’ve talked.”
“Yeah, me too.” It has helped to clear the air between us. I hated walking on eggshells around Kao. I feel we’ve taken a step in the right direction, and it’s taken some of the pressure off my shoulders.
I still have one question to ask, but I bite my bottom lip. It might be too soon to open that box of worms. Knowing it won’t stop bothering me, I push through and ask, “Why did you refuse the transplant?”
Kao’s eyes flit to my face before he lowers them again. He seems to think about his answer, and it makes the corner of my mouth lift. Seeing his trademark habits brings warmth to my chest.
Kao clears his throat, and his features tense. “I wanted to punish myself.”
Shocked, I gasp, “Why?”
“Because you got hurt.” His eyes lock on mine. “You could’ve died in the accident, and I just… the guilt drove me insane.”
Knowing Kao pushed me away because of his own guilt and heartache makes me regret not fighting harder for him.
“I’m sorry I gave up so quickly,” I whisper.
Kao turns his body toward me and holds his hand out to me. “Let’s make a deal.” When I place my hand in his, he says, “No more sorries. It was a hard month for both of us. Let’s focus on the future now.”
I nod and say, “Okay.”
Letting go of me, Kao places his hand on his thigh. He rests his right elbow on the counter and leans his chin on his knuckles. The pose makes him look strong… and mouthwateringly attractive.
For a moment, it feels like no time has passed at all and that we’re right back to how things were between us before the accident ripped us apart.
“Sorry to interrupt, guys,” Noah says, popping the bubble I got caught in. “Time for eyedrops.”
I watch as Noah sets three bottles on the table, then my gaze goes back to Kao’s eyes. I drink in the sight of his striking blue irises, but then a frown begins to form on my forehead, and I lean closer.
Oh my god.
I climb off the stool, and framing Kao’s jaw, I lift his face so I can see the stitches around his irises better. “Do the stitches hurt?”
“Not as much as they used to. It comes and goes,” Kao replies.
“How will they come out?” I ask, worried that he’ll have to undergo another surgery.
“They’ll remove them bit by bit as he heals. The whole process can take nine months to a year and a half,” Noah informs me.
I let go of Kao and stand back so Noah can administer the drops. I watch closely what he does so I can help out in the future.
Noah picks up on the fact I’m taking in what he does, and he explains, “You have to wait a couple of minutes between the different eye drops.”
“Why?” I move a little closer, and seeing how red Kao’s eyes are, makes me wish I could do something to make this process easier for him.
“It irritates his eyes.”
I nod, and when some of the solution runs down Kao’s temple, I quickly reach up and brush the drop away with my thumb.
“Careful,” Kao murmurs. “I’ll get used to all the attention.”
Noah lets out a chuckle, and then he administers the next set of eyedrops. I pick up a bottle and ask, “What are they all for?”
“That one is so Kao’s body won’t reject the donor cornea.”
I glance at Noah. “I was telling Kao, you should’ve become a doctor like your mother.”
“I don’t have her patience,” he chuckles.
“Could’ve fooled me,” I tease.
Noah gathers the three bottles of eyedrops. “They’re just to help with the healing.” Then he looks at Kao. “Don’t forget to put on the eye shields when you go to bed.”
“Are you turning in