Page 25 of Love, Academically
This fucker thought he was a pretty boy Chad Michael Murray, but he was a weak imitation at best. In fact, his features were more weaselly than anything. Rhys glared at him and shoved his hands into his pocket. No way was he shaking hands with that dick again.
“Rhys,” Jason replied tersely, before turning back to the woman in the wheelchair. “What have you done to yourself, Li? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, I fell,” she said, sheepishly. “Slipped on some leaves.”
Jason took a long accusing look at Rhys, who just held his stare.
“Let’s take a look at your X-rays.” Jason pulled out the black and white photographs and held them up to the light, despite the fact there was an X-ray boxright thereon the wall behind him. What a pretentious douche.
“Hmm. Yes, I see.”
Jason sat down on the office chair and wheeled himself too close to Lila, touching her ankle, which was propped up on the leg rest of the wheelchair.
“It’s not broken, it’s just a bad sprain. I’ll give you some painkillers and wrap it up for you, but you have to rest, okay?” he said, looking up at her from under his floppy hair. Could DrDickhead try any harder? It’s like he’d read an article on how to flirt and was putting everything he could remember into action.
“Right, okay. Thank you,” Rhys said, his voice clipped. Jasmeet’s ‘be a proper fake boyfriend’ speech ricocheted around his head.
Jason looked up at him, leaning back in his chair when Rhys’s glare pinned him.
“Where were you when Lila fell?” Jason asked, more than a hint of accusation in his voice.
“Jason,” Lila warned softly.
“I was right next to her, Jason,” he said tartly. There was something about this man that really got under his skin. Perhaps the fact that he was an absolute fucking knob.
“Right,” Jason said, turning to the desk to fill out some paperwork. “I see.”
If Jason was trying to antagonise him, then he was doing a damn good job.
“What is it, exactly, that you see?” Rhys bit out.
“Good job you’re doing at looking after her,” Jason murmured under his breath.
Rhys looked at Lila, who had her eyes fixed firmly on her fingers in her lap. Why wasn’t she saying anything to him? Why wasn’t she standing up for herself? Fine. If she wouldn’t do it, then her ‘boyfriend’ would.
“Lila doesn’t need anyone to look after her, Jason. We established that the other day. She is perfectly capable of looking after herself,” Rhys snapped.
“Rhys,” Lila said quietly and he sat down abruptly. He may only be her fake boyfriend, but he was damned if he was going to let this guy, with his big dick energy,treat her like that.
Jason smirked at him and Rhys ground his teeth together. Kickboxing sounded really good right now.
“Li, here’s a prescription. I’ll take you the pharmacy after I’ve wrapped your ankle,” Jason said.
“Rhys can take me, but thank you,” Lila said quietly. Jason nodded graciously and rummaged around in a drawer to find some dressing.
He took his damned time wrapping her ankle up, all sly glances and little smiles up at Lila. If Rhys was really her boyfriend, he would be getting seriously pissed off by now. Not to mention the fact that Jason had a girlfriend. How would she feel if she knew Jason was mooning over his ex? Because that’s what he was doing. Mooning like a fucking teenager.
“Li, if you need anything just text me,” Jason said, opening the door for Rhys to wheel her out. “I’ll always be your friend, ready to hold your hand.”
“For fuck’s sake.” The words just burst from his chest. “You mustn’t know her very well, because she doesn’tneedanyone to hold her hand,Jason.”
“I think I know her better than you,” Jason snorted. “We were together for seven years.”
“Yeah, and you messed it up, boy,” Rhys snapped, his anger getting the better of him, Welsh accent stridently cutting across his vowels. Christ, he hadn’t used the word ‘boy’ in that derogatory tone for years.
Jason took a step closer to him.
“Guys,” Lila pleaded.
