AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You dropped this,” I say, and smile innocently.
Her lips compress, and she clears her throat.
“Here.” I drop it into her outstretched palm.
“Thank you,” she says stiffly, and tucks it between the cushions of the couch.
I rub the wetness on my fingers together. Her eyes widen briefly, before she starts looking around, like she can’t find something.
“You lose something else?”
“Have you seen my shoes?” she asks, a tinge of panic in her voice.
“What do you need those for?”
Her head snaps up, and she narrows her eyes. “I’m leaving.”
I laugh. “Fuck if you are. You owe me at least more information about this reckless thing you dragged me into. If anything had gone wrong, Regan…I don’t even want to think about it. Robert Hirsch is a great pediatrician. But I want her to come to my office, tomorrow, if she’s up to it, and she should be. She needs a proper exam and blood work. She’s healthy, young, and in good shape, so everything went smoothly, but Regan, the hospital is where all of this should have happened.”
Her jaw tenses, and her words are clipped. “I know that, Stone. I’ve explained that this was extraordinary, and she might have been in danger. You’re a doctor. And, I trust you.”
I snort in disbelief. “As if you know the meaning of that word. I think you called me because you think I’m so pussy whipped that I’d risk my career for you. You needed a chump, and you called the biggest one you knew.”
She rears back like I slapped her. “No, how can you say that?”
I take a sweeping survey of the room in an effort to escape the damning hurt in hers.
I glimpse the papers she left scattered on the floor and see one that reads “The Jezebel” in large letters, in the same font as her tattoo. I lean down to pick it up, and she dives to beat me to it. She tucks them behind her back.
“What is that?”
“Nothing,” she snaps, but she looks panicked.
A prickle of unease runs up my spine.
“Did you start your blog again?”
“No.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Nothing, Stone. Leave it,” she snaps, but she’s nervous as hell.
“Why can’t you tell me?” I advance on her.
She stands her ground, sticks her mulishly set chin out at me and says, “I don’t have to tell you anything. No matter what you think, you don’t own me.”
Disillusionment is like a dagger in my side and I’m so tired of her and this whatever the hell is going on with her. I nod. “You’re right. I don’t. So, fuck all of this. I’m done asking you questions.”
“Finally!” She raises her hands in celebration and exasperation all at once.
“Yeah, fucking finally. I’m done. Whatever you’re up to, keep me the hell out of it.”
“Oh, no problem there,” she quips.
I laugh and snatch up my backpack. “Big fucking problem, actually.”
“Enlighten me,” she scoffs.
