Page 4 of A Forbidden Spring
Astrid gasps and covers her mouth. “I’m so sorry, I—” she starts but I hold up my free hand.
“I should have communicated it better yesterday.”
“Or at all,” Wren murmurs, her brass balls still intact this morning.
Wetting my lips, I try to keep them from turning up into a smile. “Or at all. I don’t expect anyone to not eat them here, but I would appreciate that we keep them from community items—pastries and such.” Clearing my throat, I add, “It’s probably unlikely, but in the event that I go into anaphylactic shock, and someone wants to stab me in the leg with this,”—I hold up the EpiPen—“I keep two in the center drawer of my desk and one in my briefcase.”
“It’s that bad?” Astrid asks, making me lift a shoulder and then let it drop.
“If I touch them, the reaction is fairly mild, but ingesting fresh ones will land me in the hospital.”
The admission hangs in the air between me and these people, practically strangers, my life being literally held in their hands. I expect to see Wren’s face contorted in the type of expression that would indicate she’s planning my demise.
But it’s not.
A soft smile graces her gorgeous face, and it’s so unexpected, my heart nearly stutters in my chest at the sight.
“I don’t want to keep you. I know everyone has a full schedule today, but your coffees are all labeled with your names, and again, I apologize for yesterday. Surprisingly, I’m not really known for my bedside manner, but I’ll work on it.”
The joke, as lame as it is, gets a small chuckle from everyone gathered, and after a few more interactions, I’m finally able to slip out of the room and back to my office.
Where it’s safe.
Where I can finally breathe.
3
WREN
We all stare, mouths open, as Merrick leaves the room, but it’s not until we hear his door click shut at the end of the hall that everyone starts talking at once.
“What the hell did you say to him?” Kami hisses at me as she grabs her coffee from the table.
“I grew up with three brothers and my cousin. There’s no way I’m letting some suit from New York bully us.”
Plus, my father would never allow it. Winston Sterling might be all smiles andHi how are yasbut he’s also a fierce business and family man. He taught us to never let anyone mistake our kindness for weakness. I hadn’t as a child and I wouldn’t start now.
After eating quickly, we all help clean up while Astrid pulls everything out of the fridge and wipes it down with the disinfectant wipes before moving on to the counters.
Merrick had been a dick yesterday, but looking around, it’s clear that compassion has replaced any negative feelings.
And I feel like he needs to know.
Glancing at the clock, I have ten minutes before my first appointment, and while I’d usually scroll on my phone or refill my water bottle, there’s something I need to do more.
Peeking out of my room, I quietly move down the hall and knock on Merrick’s door. A pause before a quietcome inhas me turning the knob and stepping inside.
“Ah, so you have decorum; you just chose not to use it.”
“Careful or I won’t tell you how nice this morning was and how much it meant to everyone.”
He dips his head before meeting my gaze. “Thank you.”
“Did a little self-reflection last night, did you?” I muse, my lips twisting up into a smirk.
“Something like that,” he admits. “You took pity on me with the disinfectant wipes before you left?”
Surprised he noticed, I do my best to school my expression. “Something like that.”
