Page 86 of Rough Ride

She played with the remote control…waiting. She knew he was still mad at her for following him, for getting “in the way” as he called it. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he’d be dead if she hadn’t gone against his wishes.

“Are you going to pick a channel, or just go through them over and over?”

“I dunno. Might just keep checking the channels.”

He grunted.

“Dad’s going to be here today. He’s anxious to see you.”

“Your father? Anxious to see me?” he snorted. “I doubt that.”

“I think it has to do with the fact that I told him I loved you. So, seeing that you were almost killed, he’s worried about you.”

There was silence in the room and she dared not look at him. She wasn’t sure she could handle his rejection right now, even if she knew what was behind it.

“You told him you loved me?” he asked.

She looked at him and had to fight showing any kind of emotion. He was still pissed at her, pissed at himself at what he saw as a failure. Right now, he looked so dumbfounded that she would admit to their relationship.

“Of course, I did. What did you think I would do when I called him to tell him you almost died and you were in the hospital?”

He rolled his shoulders and then winced in pain.

“Feeling sorry for yourself, are you?” she asked, showing no outward reaction. Eli didn’t understand tenderness all the time, and he needed a swift kick in the ass at the moment.

“Not feeling sorry for myself.”

She turned back to the television, trying to keep her emotions in check. “Sure sounds like you are. Kind of whiney.”

“Look, woman, I’m not in the mood to deal with you.”

“Yeah? Well, whatcha gonna do about it?” she asked.

He said nothing, but she felt his glare.

“I want to know what the bloody hell you were thinking?”

She sighed. They had done this the day before and she just wasn’t in the mood. “I was thinking I shouldn’t let you die just because I am a woman.”

He said nothing for a few moments. She glanced over at him and he was staring straight ahead.

“You want to be pissed because I followed you, because I saw what was happening and I wasn’t about to let that bitch kill you? It wasn’t like I came alone. I had Sean with me, and he knew what he was doing. Get pissed, and then get over it.”

“You put yourself at risk.”

Crysta fought the need to tell him to fuck off. He was sick. He almost died. If she said those two phrases enough times, she might remember them.

“Oh, and so that explains your reason for acting like a pissy little boy?”

“I said to stay at the house. I had it under control.”

That one little comment pushed her over the edge.

“You had it under control? You?”

Unable to sit any more, she stood and started pacing the room. “I was supposed to sit at the ranch not knowing what the hell was going on, what the fuck was going to happen to you? You would have died without me. You know and I know. Oh, but I could have said I obeyed your order? I don’t think so.”

“Crysta—”

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