Page 51 of P.S. You're Intolerable

Broke as a joke.

Abandoned by Liam.

Being wholly alone.

Injuring myself on my own shitty floors.

Letting Elliot tend to me.

“Don’t be.” His thumbs pressed into the arch of my foot, behind my injury, and something unfurled in my belly. “I know you well. You wouldn’t be in this situation if it could have been helped.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do.” He held my foot tenderly, stroking the sides and along the top, all the way to the elastic band around the ankle. It was such a sweet and unexpected gesture I didn’t have a chance to decide how I felt about it before he changed the topic. “These sweats are way too big for you. I’m concerned you’ll trip and knock yourself out.”

“No, I love them. You’ll have to pry these sweats out of my cold, dead hands.”

He huffed a laugh. “I guess I know why your ex didn’t take them with him.”

“They probably once belonged to a man, but notmyman.” I plucked at the worn gray fabric on my thigh. “These bad boys are mine, all mine, courtesy of a Goodwill shopping trip. Also, Liam isn’t my ex. He was just a friend.”

Elliot gave me his infamous doubting raised brow. “The baby in the bedroom down the hall says otherwise.”

“One time trying each other on for size didn’t make us a couple. It did make us parents, though.”

“Hmmm.” He was still holding my foot, still stroking it and looking up at me with an intensity only he possessed. “You said ‘was’ when claiming him as a friend. He’s not anymore?”

I shook my head, sadness blanketing me at the loss of the man I’d trusted and shared so many life-changing experiences with over the last four years.

“No. He’s definitely not my friend anymore.” I lifted my shoulder. “It’s a lesson learned. I won’t ever depend on other people.”

“That’s a shitty lesson.”

“Yeah. It definitely is.” My mouth pressed into a tight smile as I slipped my foot from his hands. “Thank you for fixing me up. Do you think I’ll live?”

“Yes. I know you will.” Shooting up from the little teak bench, he kicked it out of the way and held out his hands to me. “Come on. I’ll help you down. You shouldn’t be jumping on that foot.”

He was right, of course, but I hesitated to put my hands in his anyway. We’d had enough touchy-feeliness tonight to confuse my vulnerable emotions. But he was just being polite and helpful like he’d been all evening.

When Elliot got tired of waiting on me to stop vacillating, which didn’t take long, he cupped my elbows and pulled me toward him. For a second, I was suspended in the air, pressed to Elliot’s front, before he placed me gently on the ground. His hands stayed on my elbows to steady me until I looked up at him.

“I’m good now. I can make it back to my bedroom.”

He stepped away immediately, allowing me to pass him out of the bathroom, then trailed behind me to my bedroom door, where he stopped on the other side.

“Good night, Catherine.”

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, breathless from my hammering heart. “Good night, Elliot.”

Chapter Sixteen

Catherine

WhenJoeyandIfinally made our way downstairs in the morning, Elliot was long gone, but he’d left me a croissant on a plate on the counter, along with a note and his garage door opener.

Catherine,

There’s fruit in the refrigerator and groceries will be delivered at 2 p.m. I didn’t know what you like to have on hand, so I ordered some of everything. In the future, you can make a list. It was my mistake not asking for your requests.

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