Page 38 of Dangers of Love

“I don’t think you really need me to help you move, do you?” She gestured toward the guys. “Unless there’s something you don’t think they can handle.”

Shit. She was annoyed.

If she stayed, I knew she would try to help, and even though I didn’t have a lot, I didn’t want her exerting herself like that. At least at the boutique, she probably wouldn’t be doing any heavy lifting.

“I’ll take you,” I said. “Do you need to stop by the apartment for anything?”

She shook her head. “What I’m wearing is fine. I’m doing inventory, so I’ll mostly be in the back, counting, that sort of thing.”

The guys had been wandering around far enough away that they weren’t eavesdropping, so I raised my voice to get their attention.

“Hey, I’m running Aline to work. Meet me over at Life Storage in thirty minutes.”

“Which one?” Cain asked.

“East Commercial.” I pulled out a couple bills and set them on the counter. “Pick us up some beer and make it the good stuff, not that shit you marines drink, Dez.”

“Bite me.”

I was laughing as Aline and I went to my car, but my heart was only half in it. We still hadn’t gotten the test results, and I really didn’t like the idea of her being away from me when she got the call. Except I liked the idea of her working when she was possibly in a – for lack of a better phrase – delicate condition even less.

Neither of us talked on the way to the boutique, but I didn’t know if her silence was because she was thinking about something or if she was still annoyed at me, and I didn’t know how to ask without sounding like a complete asshat. I’d put my foot in my mouth more than once with her, and she was too important to me to risk saying something stupid. Again.

I parked as close to the boutique door as I could without taking a handicap space and then turned to Aline. “You said you get off at seven?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be back then.”

“That’s not necessary,” Aline said. Before I could argue, she added, “Martina gets off at seven, too, so we’ll go home together.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t even considered that possibility. “That’s good.”

“Thank you for driving me.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek.

I hoped that meant we were still good. I did have something I needed to ask her before she got out, though. “Will you call me as soon as you get the test results?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

That made me feel better, but as I watched her walk into the boutique, I still wished that she was staying with me, that we were going to be waiting for the call together. It wasn’t only that I wanted to be there for that news, though. I just didn’t want to leave her here. The need to protect her, to watch over her, was stronger than anything I’d ever felt for another human being, not even my family.

It was harder than I liked to drive away and nearly impossible to tell myself that it was the right thing to do. But I did.

Twenty-Two

Aline

I’d never truly appreciatedhow monotony could pass the time. It didn’t speed it up, exactly, but made it blur together, made the time…inconsequential. I’d made it three-quarters of the way through the inventory list when my phone rang. I jumped, startled, and then fumbled for my phone.

I usually kept it on silent while I worked, but I hadn’t wanted to risk missing the call from Dr. Rhimes. I’d told Martina that I had an important call coming at some point that afternoon or evening, but not what it was about. She hadn’t asked, and I was thankful for her trust in that respect.

Now, as I answered my phone, a part of me wished I would have told her, if only so that I could’ve had support as I heard the news that could, quite possibly, change my life.

“Dr. Rhimes?”

“I have the result of your blood test.”

She wasn’t going to draw this out, which I appreciated, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. I needed more time to brace myself. To prepare.

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