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She shook her head.
Fuck! Did she really think so little of him that she expected him to be a dick about this? To say ‘I told you so’? Would he have done that in the past? Or to someone who wasn’t her?
‘Estelle,’ he said quietly. ‘The other night, when I told you the most frightening moment of my life was when you fell from the staircase, I wasn’t lying. At the time, I think the adrenaline got me through it, but I keep getting flashbacks. And when you fell from Duke just now, I panicked.’
Her eyes opened, but she was still staring at the muddy ground.
‘I know you think I’m an arsehole—’
‘I don’t,’ she mumbled.
He let out a short laugh. ‘You’ve called me that three times to my face, the last instance being two days ago.’
‘I’m sorry.’
He was still touching her shoulder. Could he take her hand?
‘I know I’ve been an arsehole in the past. But right now, I’m trying to be the opposite of that.’
She didn’t reply.
Letting go of her shoulder, he held onto her little finger. ‘Can this much of you give me a chance? Even if just for the time it takes to help you to the hospital?’
‘I don’t need to go,’ she said petulantly.
‘Well, back home then?’
She nodded.
James let out a breath. Thank god. ‘Okay, I’m going to use my phone as a splint. Can you help by holding it?’
Taking it from him, she held it against the inside of her ankle and he began strapping her foot up with his scarf.
‘You’re ruining it,’ she grumbled.
‘It was cheap.’
‘Bollocks was it. My Mom’s a supermodel and my aunt’s a fashion designer. That’s made from silk and would have set you back three or four hundred quid.’
‘I stole it.’
Her eyes shot up to meet his, as if needing to see if he was joking or not.
He grinned. ‘It’s just, what did you call it?’ He revisited his ‘catalogue man number four’ pose, clasping his chin and furrowing his brow. ‘Ah yes! A “poncy silk scarf”.’
She looked away again.
‘Estelle.’ He squeezed her little finger. ‘I don’t give a shit about the scarf. But I do give a shit about you.’
‘And all your nice clothes are ruined.’
He glanced down. ‘People are going to think we’ve been mud wrestling.’
The corner of her mouth lifted.
‘How about this?’ he continued. ‘I help you back home. But if we meet anyone on the way, I’ll tell them you kicked my arse. Deal?’
She nodded.
