“No.”
Yikes. If this was the way he was going to be, I would gladly drop his ass off at home and get to work earlier than planned.
“Okay, I’ll go get the nurse while you get dressed.”
Fleeing his room, I wandered over to the nurse’s station, not exactly in a hurry to get back in there after the grouch basically ignored me.
Caroline looked up just as I approached, a bright smile on her face. “Is Prince Charming ready to go?”
“Almost. He’s changing, though not a prince this morning.”
“Most patients are grouchy when they stay in the hospital,” she assured me.
“Oh, I know. But not one of them has an attitude that rivals Liam Parker’s.”
She barked out a laugh, walking out from behind the counter. “Girl, some ladies like that in a man. So, when’s the wedding? Your mother called my mother last night to tell her all about it.”
“Seriously? There’s no wedding. It’s been like a week since we started dating. Not even that!”
“Yeah, but you’ve been together since you were little,” she jested.
“If by together, you mean he shot me lustful looks when he thought I wasn’t looking, then sure. Otherwise, he spoke to me when I forced his hand.”
With a quick look around, she leaned in close and whispered, “If Ihad a man like that, his mouth would be used for things other than talking.”
Barking out a laugh, I slapped her on the arm. “Seriously!”
“Yeah, I’m serious.”
“No, I meant—never mind. Let’s go get Mr. Grouchy checked out. And no talk of weddings or his mouth!”
“I make no promises,” she said in a sing-song voice. Shoving the door open, she grinned at Liam. “Mr. Parker, your chariot awaits, as do your instructions for aftercare. I’m sure your bride—I mean, girlfriend can take care of your every need.”
I could have killed her. I felt my face flame bright red, but it only worsened when Liam’s eyes met mine.
They were blank.
No affection. No teasing smirk. Not a single ounce of humor in that face.
My stomach plummeted to the ground, and thankfully, Caroline noticed the drop in temperature and quickly moved on.
“Aftercare instructions,” she said, handing the papers over. “If you have any questions, please let us know. I’ll be right back with a wheelchair.”
She spun and widened her eyes at me before fleeing the room.
Tucking in his shirt, he basically ignored me until it was time to put his shoes on. As he sat on the bed, it was clear he couldn’t do it on his own. I got to my knees and grabbed his shoe.
“Let me do it.”
Tears pricked my eyes for some silly reason, but I couldn’t stop them. I kept my head down and took my time tying his boots. It was only when I was sure I could look at him without wanting to cry that I finally stood.
“Do you want me to push you down or should I get the car?”
He sighed heavily, not even bothering to answer. I tried not to take it personally. After all, I had stabbed him and landed him in the hospital after he’d already been in a horrible accident. He had every right to be grouchy. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, he would be fine.
“Well, I’ll bring the car to the front and see you down there,” I said cheerily.
But as I turned to go, it took everything in me to hold back the tears welling behind my eyes. Even worse, Caroline shot me a sympathetic look as I headed for the elevator.
