Page 53 of Accidentally Mine
Claudia frowned at me.“Recovered on the outside, sure.But—”
I exhaled.“Hey, Claudia.She doesn’t want to hear about that.”
Roselynn’s worried eyes landed on me.“I don’t want to hear aboutwhat?”
I sucked in air through my teeth and blew it out.“Fine.What my sister is trying to say is that I suffered from various injuries that day, and they persist.But I’m getting over them, day by day.I’m fine.”
“Fine?”My sister’s voice went up an octave.“You call two years of sufferingfine?”I was sure she was thinking of the countless doctor appointments she’d accompanied me to, the surgeries, the therapy, the pain.But I’d mostly recovered now, and I didn’t want to burden Roselynn with any of my problems.
Next to me, Roselynn stiffened.I took her hand.“Right.But I’m here.I owe everything to the woman who saved my life.”
Claudia shot me an incredulous look.“What?You mean the phantom that doesn’t exist?”She turned her eyes on Roselynn, who was burrowing into the seat beside me.“There was one woman, who it turns out caused the accident.Then she ran away!You owe her nothing.She left the scene, Brent.The police reenacted the accident and determined that she was the only person at fault.She should be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, at the very least.”
“Can we drop this?”I wanted to concentrate on enjoying a gorgeous woman tonight.Not on my accident and its aftermath.
Claudia shook her head and said to Roselynn, “My brother.He’s just too damn nice sometimes.Some people deserve justice, and she’s one of them.”
I looked down at the floor and fought the need to press my fingers to my temple as an actual headache pinged inside my skull.Instead, I tightened my grip on Roselynn’s hand.To my surprise, she pulled hers away.She’d turned pale and gazed forlornly out the window, her hands buried under her thighs.As I watched, she began to visibly shiver.
“You cold?”
When she didn’t answer, I removed my tuxedo jacket and dropped it onto her shoulders, receiving a small smile of thanks in return.
The car pulled up in front of Claudia’s apartment complex.“It was wonderful to meet you,” she bubbled at Roselynn, oblivious of the other woman’s distress.
Roselynn smiled and said quietly, “Likewise.”
Claudia nudged my shoe with her own.“See you, brother.”
As she stepped out of the car, I ducked my head and planted a kiss on Roselynn’s bare collarbone.“You okay?”
She flinched at the touch of my lips and slid closer to the door.“I’m the one who actually does have a headache now.I’m sorry.Can you just drop me at home?”
I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t disappointed.For the first time since my accident, I’d been faking the headache and looking forward to a long, long night with Roselynn in my arms.But now she wanted to call it a night?Fuck.
“I could take you to my place.I have ways to fix that.”
She shook her head, and her eyes blinked a little too rapidly.Was she on the verge of tears?
“Hey.Are you all right?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes and nibbled at her lip.“Yes.I just want to go home.”
“Roselynn, I want you to stay with me.”
The tendons in her neck tightened as she swallowed hard.“I’m sorry.I’m really sorry.I can’t.”
Can’t.
Her jaw was tensed.She was set.There was no use trying to convince her otherwise.
“Ernest.Take us to Roselynn’s house.”Sliding the glass up, I turned toward her more fully, resting a hand on her shoulder.“Hey,” I said softly.“Look at me.”
She wouldn’t.But I kept my hand there, fingers slowly massaging her pale skin.I tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine.I studied her, seeing the Roselynn she’d been when I first met her, the one who was so damn hard to get to know, so stuck in her shell that nothing seemed to pry her out.
It occurred to me at once, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle suddenly falling into place.She’d been running from something that night.That was how she’d caused the accident then.And that was why she couldn’t stay now.
She was the woman with the turquoise eyes.I had thought it might be true before, but now I knew I was right.Certain of it.
