Page 28 of Broken Rules

It was pathetic, but I could’ve taken that promotions call at home.I didn’t have to sit around past seven o’clock on a Friday night.I wanted to because I needed the excuse to see her one more time today.

“Dammit!Would you let me help you?”I didn’t recognize the female voice outside my office, but I heard the frustration in it.

“I told you, it’s not that bad.The medic said so.”

That voice, I knew.Suspicion got me out of my chair in a hurry, and I marched across the room, flinging the door open in time to see Claudia helping Summer limp into her office.“What the hell happened?”I demanded, following them, watching Summer settle painfully into the chair behind her desk.

“It was nothing,” she grumbled as she propped her bandaged ankle on the desk.“The damn DP wouldn’t position the camera where I wanted it.It wasn’t picking up the shot.So I went out to fix it, and I turned my ankle.”

“She fell,” Claudia almost shouted.There was still an edge of hysteria in her voice, which told me this was more serious than Summer wanted to admit.“She fell onto the damn track and barely rolled out of the way in time to keep from getting run over!”

My heart stopped for one endless, breathless second.“Say that again,” I managed to grunt out.“Because I know you did not run out there while the cars were in motion.”

She had the nerve to act like she was in the right, puffing out her chest and everything.The wounded party.“We were in a hurry, dammit!”

“We’re not in that much of a hurry!I hope like hell you’re not putting anybody else in danger with reckless stunts like that.”

Her cheeks went red.“Of course not!”

I looked down at her bandaged ankle, shaking my head.It could’ve been so much worse.Bad enough that the thought turned my blood cold.“What do you think you’re doing, taking a risk like that?”

“It’s not a big deal.I lost my footing.It happens.”

Only Claudia kept me from saying everything that came to mind.Still, I needed a slow, deep breath while they examined scrapes on Summer’s palms.“It didn’t just happen to anyone,” I reminded her.“It happened to you, and it’s important you stay alive.Is that too much to ask?”

That wasn’t half of what I wanted to say.Blood rushed in my ears.I was seconds from tearing the room apart.It could’ve so easily gone the other way.And I’d still be here, sitting at my desk, unaware, thinking about her and wishing she’d come back while there was a chance she ever would.

She lifted her eyes and met mine, but not for long, going back to her scraped hands.“I’ll be more careful from now on.Okay?Is that enough?”

“I don’t even see why you wanted to come back here.”Claudia glared down at Summer and tapped her foot.“I should’ve taken you back to the apartment no matter what you said.”

“I told you I want to check in with the editors.I hurt my ankle.It’s not a big deal.”I saw another truth in her eyes and had no doubt someone who knew her as well as Claudia did could see the same thing.She was in pain.

“Fine, have it your way.”Claudia checked her phone and scowled.“I still wanted to get out to the supermarket to stock the kitchen before I leave.”

“Where are you going?”I asked.

“I’m visiting my parents in San Francisco,” she explained.“I’ll be back Monday afternoon.”

“I can send her home in a car,” I decided, ignoring the way Summer grunted and huffed in her chair.“And if groceries are a problem, we’ll have some sent up.Don’t worry.I’ll make sure she stays in one piece.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” she insisted.I ignored her, went to the window, and stared out over the parking lot while Claudia said her goodbyes and left.Once her footsteps faded, I released a long breath.

“Do you think this is a game?”I asked.My voice was trembling, anger bubbling just below the surface.“Or is it that you think you’re invincible?Maybe that’s the problem.”

“I don’t need this.”

“Maybe you do.”I looked down at her in time to see the eye roll and headshake.“You could’ve gotten yourself killed today.Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“I didn’t get myself killed, though, did I?”With a grunt, she pushed herself up and out of the chair, then started limping away from the desk.“I have work to do now.If you want to scold me, write up a memo and send it over.”

It was the casual sarcasm that did it.A match touched to a powder keg.One that exploded and propelled me across the room.I closed the door before she reached it, then slid an arm around her waist to hold her upright.“Would you stop, already?Look at you.You can barely walk.”

“I’m…” She winced, sucking in a pained breath as she tried to shift her weight onto her sore angle.

“Jesus,” I growled out.She didn’t put up a fight when I picked her up and carried her back to the desk, setting her ass on it.“Now, you listen to me.If you’re not going to take care of yourself, I’m going to make sure you do.”

“How do you plan to do that?”she asked, jutting her chin out like the defiant brat she was.

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