Page 48 of Love Somebody Like You

Heat rushed up her cheeks as she saw the frown had extended into his posture. “I didn’t mean—”

“Is there a reason you’re here and not with my mom?”

“She’s fine.”

“Is she? How would you know?”

“Jackson,” Ellie protested. “Lexi came out just a moment ago.”

He exhaled and glanced away. From the pulse throbbing in his cheek, she guessed he was trying to keep his temper under control.

“I’m sorry if you think I spoke out of turn,” she said, looking at Ellie when it became clear he wasn’t going to look at her.

“Honestly, Jackson, I can’t believe you’re treating Lexi this way. She’s doing us a favor.”

He crossed his arms. “How has my mother been?”

“She’s been fine. Look, come say hello.” Lexi strode to the end of the hall and opened the door, then gasped. “Mrs. Reilly? Oh my goodness!”

The poor woman had fallen, and now lay half sprawled out of the bed.

* * *

“Mom!”Jackson pushed past Lexi as he rushed to his mother’s aid, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he helped her back into bed. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?”

“I spilled my coffee.” His mother’s voice was whispery thin.

A brown patch was creeping across the bedsheets, and he shot Lexi a look.

“I’m so sorry. She was fine five minutes ago.” She bent to collect the mug.

He helped his mother shift up against the pillows, and with a hissed “Ellie!” got his sister to help change the sheets. It felt humbling to be doing so, the woman who had given life to him looking so frail and thin in the bed. Clearly Lexi wasn’t doing what she should. This wouldn’t work. Something else would need to happen.

Regrets pushed against his chest, his failures pounding inside like a toxic cocktail. His time with Bob—with Ellie in full raging guardian bulldog mode—left him feeling even more antsy. And his hope of having one thing in his life sorted—his mom—now made him only too aware how fast her life could slip between his fingers. And judging from the weight of disappointment, his hopes for something with Lexi had been higher than he’d realized.

“I’m really sorry, Mrs. Reilly,” Lexi said again. “I should get you a bell or something.”

“A bell?” He shot her a look of disbelief. “You should’ve been here.”

“Stop being unreasonable,” Ellie said. “Mom had an accident. Accidents happen. Deal with it.”

“I would’ve thought a professional nurse would know how to prevent an accident,” he said, hating the words coming out of his mouth, but unable to stop them. “Is that what happened before?” He motioned to his neck. “Was that an accident too?”

Lexi straightened, her cheeks paling as her lips parted. She swallowed, the ripple in her throat drawing attention to the edge of a scar her slipped scarf could no longer hide.

“Jackson!” Ellie’s anguished look said he’d gone too far. “You need to apologize.”

But before he could, Lexi held up a hand, and his remorse was trapped in his throat.

“Mrs. Reilly, it was very nice to meet you today.”

“You too, dear.”

Lexi smiled, but even he could tell it was an effort.

Remorse twisted within. “Lexi, I’m—”

“I’m sorry things haven’t worked out,” Lexi said to his mother, even as he got the sense the words were meant for him. “I do hope you feel better soon. I’ll be praying for you.”

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