We wound up in an awkward, tentative hug, which to me felt worse than nothing at all.Everythingwas a reminder of the last time, from the robotic pinging noise to the crumple of the hospital gown against my cheek.
I pulled back. “Okay, then. So what are you thinking for food?”
“I’m not,” she laughed. “I have zero appetite.”
“You have to eat,” I insisted. “Pick something, or I will.”
“Hey, bossman, step down please,” Gwen said, a warning tone in her voice.
I ignored her and changed gears. “Do we need to get anything else on the way? How about a heating pad?”
“Youcan be my heating pad,” she joked.
“Gwen, come on. This is serious.”
She frowned at me for a beat.
“I’m fine now. You heard what Samantha said. I almost feel silly being here, taking up a bed someone else probably needs more.”
“Which is exactly why it’s time to leave,” I said, pacing to the door to scan the hallway for anyone who looked vaguely doctor-shaped. “What’s taking so long?”
“Harrison.”
I turned to Gwen.
“Please take a breath. This is a hospital, one of the few places on earth where you can’t force people to do what you want.”
I let out an angry sigh. Yeah, I knew just how true that was.
“Sit down and talk to me,” she continued.
I reluctantly walked over to the chair next to her bed and collapsed into it. I felt wrung out. Itchy.
I wouldn’t feel like myself again until I was out the door with Gwen by my side.
25
GWEN
Harrison took the housekey from my hand and moved in front of me to open my apartment door.
“Okay, come on now. I’m not incapacitated,” I said in as light a tone as I could manage, considering.
Considering I barely recognized the withdrawn man who’d driven me home from the hospital, stopping to pick up pizza, fried chicken,andtacos on the way despite me telling him I wasn’t really hungry. Helookedlike Harrison Ashford, but he was acting like a fucking pod person.
I’d tried to keep the mood light on the way back, but every joke I made about what I’d just been through landed with a thud, making me feel stupid for even trying. And awkward. It was like I was on a first date with a stranger, trying to draw him out of his shell and failing at every attempt.
Iwas the one who’d just been in an accident, so why did it feel like I was pushing a boulder uphill every time I tried to get a little tenderness and affection from him?
“Nice place,” Harrison mused as he walked in ahead of me and placed the billions of bags of food on my tiny kitchen counter.
“Liar. But you can’t beat the location.” I paused. “Okay, maybeyoucould, but the average human like me is happy to live in a shithole in order to be so close to the beach.”
He glanced around my kitchen.
“Why do you have a bungee cord on your refrigerator door?”
“It’s called improvising,” I teased. “You should be impressed with my resourcefulness.”
