“It shows.” Bob’s frown was deep. “You’ve got bags under your bags.”
I reached up and rubbed at the skin under my eyes. I knew I didn’t look that good. I wasn’t sleeping on top of the headaches and not eating.
I chuckled nervously as I lowered my hand. I really didn’t need anyone freaking out on me right now. “Lack of sunlight will do that to you.”
“How about we go grab some dinner?”
“Oh, no, Bob, I can’t—”
“You can.” Bob walked around the desk and reached for me. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
He grabbed my wrist before I could stop him. I hissed when pain ripped through me.
Bob dropped my wrist immediately, stepping back. “I’m sorry, I—”
Crap.
“It’s not you, Bob. I swear.” I so didn’t want to go there, but the guilt on Bob’s face couldn’t be allowed. “I had an accident with my chair a couple of days ago and I hurt my wrist. It’s nothing.”
I still hadn’t figured out how it had happened. One second I was in my chair, wheeling myself through the hallway. The next second, I was flying through the air, landing on the hardwood floor with a very painful thud.
It had taken several minutes before I had been able to move. Getting my chair upright had been an effort in frustration. I had eventually had to call out until someone came to help me.
“It’s not nothing if you’re hurt, Sinclair.” Bob grabbed my arm, but further up from my wrist. He gently pulled back my sleeve. I groaned when he hissed.
“Seriously, Bob. It’s nothing. I get bruised like this all the time.”
Well, not all the time, but it definitely seemed to be happening a lot more lately. I wasn’t sure if I was growing clumsier or if I needed a new wheelchair or what. If I did need a new wheelchair, I was screwed. Stone had gotten me my current chair and I wasn’t about to call him for anything.
Stone had made it more than clear that he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I wasn’t going to continue to hope for something that would never happen. I knew when to cut my losses.
No matter how much it hurt.
“I was just lucky my chair didn’t get damaged when I fell.”
“Did you hurt yourself anywhere else?”
I shook my head, not willing to tell Bob about the big bruise all along my left side. I appreciated Bob’s concern, but it wasn’t going to make the bruises go away, or keep me from getting them the next time I took a spill.
“I’m good, Bob, promise.”
I could lie with the best of them. Too bad it made my stomach knot. I was actually growing used to my stomach being tied up in knots.
I smiled brightly, wanting this whole conversation to be over with. “So, about that dinner offer…”
“What do they make you around here?”
I glanced at Shade, both of us grinning. Bob hadn’t really had a chance to enjoy the food provided for those who lived at the mansion. His reception had been done well, but every-day dinners were different.
“Oh,” I said as I started to wheel myself around my desk. “This is council headquarters. We only eat the best kind of slop around here.”
I prayed it wasn’t tuna.
* * * *
I groaned as I slowly rolled to my side—very slowly. Any quick movement sent my stomach reeling. The cook hadn’t served tuna for dinner last night so I had been positive I would be okay.
I was so wrong.
