Page 32 of An Unexpected Encounter

Ezekiel

She looks like shit. Her skin is pale, and her eyes don’t hold any sparkle. Not like they did the night I met her.

“I’m not going anywhere and I don’t need to be taken care of like a child. It’s just a stomach bug.” Her words hold such conviction, but she’s fucking crazy if she thinks we’re leaving her here.

“No! You have two choices. Pick one!” My voice is strong, not leaving any room for argument.

My brothers both nod in agreement when I lock eyes with them.

“No. I’m not going anywhere. And you’re most definitely not staying here. In fact, I think it’s time for all three of you to go. So either do it willingly or I’ll call the police and let them know you’re harassing me.”

“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” Jay asks her.

“No. I’ve told you I’m fine. Just a stomach bug and you’re acting as if I’m an invalid. You made these bold proclamations this last week about wanting to start fresh. So why not do that, and just do as I ask?” She sighs, and I see the tremble in her hands.

Fuck, this is not how I planned this to go. We were hoping this would be a good time to approach her as a unit. What we didn’t expect was to find her in this bad of a shape.

What the hell do we do? If we don’t leave like she asked, we may risk any chance with her. But if we leave her here and something happens, we’d hate ourselves.

Her fucking boyfriend should be here with her, not off gallivanting on a vacation without her.

“Selena, please be reasonable. Let one of us stay here with you. Just to make sure you’re okay,” I plead.

She sits there, just staring at me, almost as if she can see into my soul. Just when I think I’ve convinced her to see reason, she opens her mouth.

“No.”

I groan in frustration, stand, and leave the room, going to the kitchen. Eli placed the bags of food on the table when she took off down the hallway. If she’s not coming home with us, she’s at least going to eat.

Going over to the cabinet, I search for a bowl, then pull drawers until I find the one with silverware.

I take out a container of chicken broth and pour a small amount into the bowl, replace the lid, and put the leftovers in her refrigerator.

Warming up the soup for a couple of minutes, I use the time to calm down. I don’t need to let my anger get the best of me. Of the three of us, I have the shortest temper when I feel like I don’t have control. And right now, I definitely don’t. Selena has all the power.

“We need to go home. We’ll come back tomorrow and check on her. We work tomorrow night. So we can see her in the morning and again before we go on shift. If we push her too hard right now, she’s going to shut us out,” Eli speaks softly.

“I know. Fuck Eli, she looks like death and we’re going to walk out of here and leave her alone. You saw how dizzy she got. What if something happens?”

Opening the microwave, I carefully take out the bowl, not even caring that I’m burning my fingers.

“Brother, she’ll be fine for one night. We’ll give her two days and if she’s not feeling better, we’re dragging her ass to the doctor, then home with us. When that sorry ass boyfriend of hers gets back, I’m having a word with him,” Eli spews with venom.

“You’ll have to get in line. Let’s take her the broth. I need to see her at least try to eat. Can you get her the Gatorade?”

I pick up the bowl with a dishtowel, wanting to make sure Selena doesn’t burn her hands.

When I step back into the room, Jay is sitting so close that his body grazes against her. Seeing him with her, there’s not an ounce of jealousy. Not like when I saw her with Sam. She was made to be with us. She’s our soul mate. I’m going to fight for her, just like I know my brothers will. Dad’s just going to have to accept it. He wants his happiness and we want ours. And it’s Selena.

“We need you to eat a little of this soup, then we’ll go. But we’re going to be checking in on you tomorrow.”

“Whatever,” she finally relents, taking the soup from my hand.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” I tell her.

She takes her time, taking small bites as we watch her like a hawk. So far, so good; she seems to be taking the food okay. I didn’t put a lot in her bowl. With how much she said she’s been throwing up, I didn’t want to shock her stomach.

“I can’t anymore.” She sets the bowl on the table and I’m happy to see she’s eaten at least half of what I put in it.

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