Page 15 of The Alpha's Assistant & The Dom Next Door
“He’ll require further surgery. His heart is so badly scarred from previous trauma that we weren’t able to fully perform the necessary procedures the firsttime.”
Erica had barely recovered from hearing that, when the surgeon continued, “We don’t think he’ll need to be put on a transplant list, but he’ll require intensive care for quite some time, to get him back to health. And after that, he’ll need tosee…”
Erica heard the long list of specialist and therapists and medications, even as she knew they didn’t have the money to pay for it. Her father’s pre-existing conditions had been the death sentence on any number of insurance plans they’d applied for over theyears.
She managed to somehow thank the doctor and saw him to the door, then was sinking back into her chair when a familiar voice made her head shootup.
“How ishe?”
“Brock,” she exclaimed in surprise, jumping back up to her feet and realizing that in the chaos, she’d completely forgotten to call work. She’d simply skipped going in. “Oh my god, I’mso—”
Then he was beside her, drawing her into his arms, holding her tight. “Shh. How is he?” he repeated, and Erica broke down and cried for the hundredth time, leaning into Brock’s big, broad chest as he kissed her hair and whispered soft, reassuringwords.
Finally, she drew back and managed to sniff, “How did youknow?”
“Your best friend called,” he replied, snagging a tissue from a nearby box and gently wiping her face. “You should’ve called. I would’ve been here immediately,Erica.”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything except him.” She looked at her still, silent father and tears overflowed her eyes again. “He can’t die. He just can’t. It sounds so selfish, but I’ll be all alone.” Her voicecracked.
Brock slid an arm around her waist. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. I know I told you I’m not into commitment, and I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be here foryou.”
His words felt bizarrely discordant with his sudden appearance and she went from feeling reassured and supported, to alone all over again. It was like he just had to drive home that onepoint.
“I don’t even know what that means.” Erica drew away and folded her arms around herself, desperately cold in this lonely, sterile room. “What exactly are we, if we’re notcommitted?”
He grimaced and she kicked herself around the block, already knowing the next words out of his mouth. “I told you before … everything. I just don’t do that kind of stuff. I’m your friend, Erica. Your boss. Your friend. Your loversometimes.”
She clenched her jaw so tightly it hurt. “Of course. You did tell me. I’m the one who deluded myself into thinking I could possibly bemore.”
She needed to walk. She’d been cooped up into this room for too long. Needing air, she started for the door and headed down the hallway, not knowing where she was going, but unable to stopmoving.
Brock kept pace with her easily. “Erica. I know it sounds terrible, but it’s honestly not you. I swear, the problem isall—”
“Oh, I know where the problem is,” she interrupted, taking the stairs two at a time. “And I’m no innocent. You were upfront, and I should’ve seen it coming. I let myself be bought almost from day one. My salary. Mydebts.”
“Whoa!” Brock protested, as she nearly slammed the door to the lobby in his face, still keeping close on her heels. “Yes, you looked drop-dead gorgeous when I hired you, but I don’t hire employees because of knockout legs and breasts that keep me hard 24/7. Damn it, Erica, I hired you because of your brain. Would you stop for just onesecond?!”
She had stopped, finally, and was staring at a magazine in the hospital’s giftshop. Reaching out, Erica picked it up and stared at the cover. Brock glanced at it and groaned. “Erica—”
It was a standard tabloid, supermarket style, filled with celebrities and diet tricks. And on the cover was her boss, her lover, her “friend” passionately making out with a certain celeb dujour.
“That wasn’t recent,” Brock began, and Erica waved him away, putting the magazine back down and resuming her endlesswalk.
“You don’t have to apologize. Like you said. We’re nothing. And even if we were something, which we’ll never be, I know, I know, that doesn’t matter right now. What does is that my father may be dying. That is all that matters to me, Brock. You are no longer important. Maybe you’ve never heard those words before, so hear them clearly fromme.”
She pivoted and faced him dead on, not even angry as she looked into his handsome, shocked faced. All she felt was empty. Hollowed out. “You are no longer important. I would like to keep my job, because I have to once again pay my bills along with my father’s, but that is the only reason I don’t outright quit. Please don’t fire me. If I have to beg, I will. For him. Not forme.”
He blanched, but she didn’t have enough energy left in her to regret her words. “I would never fire you. Erica, I’ll pay for his care so you don’t have toworry—”
“Not on your life.” She drew herself up to her slight height. “I can take out loans. I will take out loans. I cared for him before, and I will care for him again. You’re not buying me a second time. Maybe it would be best for Dad. Probably it would be. But he’d die for sure if he knew I let you give me one more penny. Thank you, but no thank you. So long as you’ll still have me as an employee, I’ll see you at work in a couple days. I’ll need a few days of leave to finish figuring things outhere.”
Brock stared at her for a long, endless moment before silentlynodding.
Nodding back, Erica exhaled a long, slow breath and walked away. This time he didn’t followher.
Chapter12
“Itoldher exactly what the deal was,” Brock muttered, downing another shot beside Jack at the bar. “Just like with every other woman, I was crystal clear on thedeal.”
