Page 105 of On the Double

“Not a very good one,” I muttered.

“Oh, and your point was so much better? You can hardly move, but you refuse to accept my help because you think I might drop you for a better lay?”

“It could happen,” I snapped.

He stilled, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess it could. But it’s not happening anytime soon.”

“Why’s that?”

He hauled me to my feet and walked me over to the chair at the kitchen table, gently pushing me into it. “Because I just bought a bunch of books that will tell me all your desires, and I’m not walking away until I’ve had a chance to try what’s inside.”

I nearly swallowed my tongue at the heated look he shot me. If the bulge in his pants was anything to go by, he was ready to go right now. “I’m not really in the mood.”

“I wasn’t suggesting I take you right now, Harper.” He turned and got down on his knees, picking up every single pill, counting them out to make sure he had them all. When he was done, he shook the bottle in front of me. “Next time, have someone fucking help you.”

“Someone might not always be around.”

“Well, I’m around now. And if I’m not, fucking call me.”

“Isn’t that being too needy?”

“Christ, Harper, you were in a car accident. It’s not like you’re manipulating me to get what you want. You’re allowed to ask for help.”

I wished that I knew the way his mind worked. Maybe my line of thinking was foolish to him, but the way he acted—like this could end at any time—I wasn’t sure how he would respond to me. It wasn’t like he had visited me in the hospital.

And that was something else that I was hiding from him. The whole time I was there, the only person I really wanted was him, and he hadn’t shown up once. I suppose I should feel grateful that he washere now, but the harsh reality that he hadn’t bothered to come really twisted something inside me.

Telling me once again I wasn’t worth it.

“Do you want to go back to bed?” he asked.

“No, I can’t lay down for another minute.”

“Then I’ll get you set up on the couch. Give me a minute.”

I watched as he walked away and busied himself with making the couch comfortable. He was a good man for coming over here, and I’d enjoy his company for as long as he gave it. But I would not fall under any illusions that he was here for any reason other than to help out. One day, he would walk away, and I would have to find a way to deal with the ache I already felt blooming in my chest when it was over.

“You need to go for a walk,”he snapped.

“And I will, but not right now.”

I was crabby. Fuck, I slept so badly last night, and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. But Edu was being a pain in the ass and wouldn’t let me just go block out the daylight.

“It says right in the fucking paperwork that you need to get up and move every two hours. Every two fucking hours, Harper!”

“I can read!”

“If you could, then you would know that you have to get your ass out of bed!”

“I only got a few hours sleep last night. Give me a fucking break!”

“If you had taken your pills, you would have been able to sleep through the night!”

“If you hadn’t left me, I would have slept just fine,” I retorted, letting more slip than I should have.

He jerked back, glaring at me as I did the same back at him. Yes, I wasn’t supposed to be relying on him and letting my heart get broken, but for the last three days, he’d been with me nearly every minute of the day. I was growing used to having him around, and then he up and left me last night.

“You said I could go.”

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