Page 16 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

Shaking my head, I shrugged it off. The haze of the meds was probably messing with me. No sense worrying about it now. I shoved the door open with a little too much force, the wood slamming against the wall as I limped inside.

I immediately made my way over to the small desk where my laptop and files were stashed, feeling a small sense of victory.Reaching for them, I paused, the weight of everything settling in. I wasn’t just here to gather my stuff for work. I was here because I couldn’t stand being helpless, stuck at Mia’s, relying on someone else.

Laptop and file folders in hand, I took a deep breath and steadied myself against the desk. The rush of pain and exhaustion from the effort hit me hard, and for a moment, I just stood there, staring out the window at the woods beyond.

I should head back, I thought. Get back to Mia’s before she realizes what I’ve done. But as I turned to leave, the strain on my ankle intensified, and my vision blurred for a second. I leaned heavily on the crutches, biting back a groan.

One more step. Just get back to the truck. But the world tilted slightly, and before I knew it, I was on the ground, the crutches falling away from me with a clatter. I cursed loudly, the frustration and pain mixing together in a wave of defeat.

“Great. Just fucking great,” I muttered through gritted teeth. Now, I was stuck, unable to move without making the situation worse.

I wasn’t sure how long I had lain there before the sound of an approaching vehicle snapped me out of my wallowing. I looked out the window, my heart sinking as I recognized Mia’s truck pulling up beside mine. She was supposed to be at work, not here finding me like this.

Perfect timing.

The door opened, and within seconds, Mia was standing over me, her hands on her hips, looking both furious and concerned. “What the hell are you doing? When I called and didn’t get an answer, I figured you were up to no good,” she declared, her voice sharp but laced with worry.

I tried to play it off, pushing myself up onto my elbows. “Just grabbing my laptop.”

“You couldn’t have waited until I got back?” She crouched beside me, her eyes narrowing as she looked me over. “You’re in no condition to be walking around, let alone driving out here. What were you thinking?”

I winced, not just from the pain but from the frustration in her voice. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

Mia let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. “Bother me? Come on, Liam. You’re staying in my house because you can’t take care of yourself right now. Bothering me should be the least of your concerns.” She grabbed one of the crutches and helped me sit up. “You could’ve made your ankle worse.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, though the throbbing in my leg said otherwise.

“No, you’re not,” she snapped. “Come on. Let’s get you back to my place before you can do more damage to yourself.”

With her help, I locked the door and got into her Jeep, trying to ignore the way her arm felt around me as she supported my weight. Once I was back at her place and settled on the couch, Mia crossed her arms and stared me down. “If you needed something from your cabin, all you had to do was ask. I’m not your nurse, but I also don’t want you ending up in the hospital again because you’re too stubborn to admit you need help.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off.

“And don’t give me the whole ‘I don’t need anyone’ speech. You do need help. Right now, you need me, whether you like it or not.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. I hated it, but she was right. “I’m sorry,” I finally said, my voice quieter than usual. “I didn’t mean to?—”

“Just... please don’t do it again,” she interrupted, her voice softening. “Okay?”

I nodded, feeling sheepish for the first time in a long time. “Okay.”

Mia sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing as she grabbed the laptop from the couch where I had put it and set it on the table beside me. “You’re lucky I came home for lunch and discovered you weren’t here,” she said, shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you?”

I offered her a small, grateful smile. “You’re already doing too much.”

She glanced at me for a long moment before turning toward the kitchen. “You know what? Since you’re clearly determined to make your life difficult, I’m going to make dinner tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden shift in tone. “Dinner?”

She shot me a teasing grin. “Yep. Something ‘clean’ just the way you like it.”

My stomach growled in response, and despite the situation, I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re really going to cook a clean meal just for me?”

“Don’t get used to it,” she quipped, already rummaging through the cabinets. “I figured you’d appreciate it after that whole ‘burgers and fries are unhealthy’ speech from last night.”

I chuckled. Mia was cooking something clean... for me? That was a gesture I hadn’t expected. And as she moved around the kitchen, a part of me wondered if this meant she was starting to accept me—really accept me.

I leaned back on the couch, watching her work. The smell of chicken and veggies filled the cabin. I felt less restless and more at ease for the first time in days. Maybe it was the promise of food or the way Mia’s presence seemed to fill the space in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.

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