Jessica growls.
“Knock it off,” he says to her, but he’s not nearly as grumpy as he’s been with me. More resigned, if anything. “I didn’t ask you to drive. I know better than to ask you for anything.”
She sneezes.
At least, I think that’s a sneeze.
It’s not a sound she’s made the past couple weeks while he’s been gone, but it comes with snot firing out of her nose and landing on his bare leg and his boot.
Did she—did she do that on purpose?
She looks up at me and grins, doggy tongue hanging out happily, as if she’s answering the silent question withof course I did.
“I’m happy to call a cab for you.” I hope cabs still exist. Not too excited about paying for a rideshare for him. “But I need to finish packing, and the kitchen will take a while.”
“You’re leaving?”
My stomach twists.
I don’t want to leave. I truly don’t.
But I also won’t stay here with a guy who thinks he can walk all over me.
“Seems like I should, doesn’t it?”
Something shifts in his eyes. “You said last night you were staying. You were right. We have an agreement. You get three more weeks.”
“I might not want those weeks anymore.”
He’s blocking the door of my room.
This hasn’t escaped my notice.
While he might be on crutches, and while I’m not what you’d call a small woman, he’s also over six feet tall and basically solid muscle.
Except for whatever’s wrong with his right leg.
He growls softly to himself again.
Jessica growls right back.
I ignore both of them and head back to my day bag. It’s still gruesomely hot, so I’ll need to pack an extra water bottle.
Or three.
“Is your house ready?” he asks.
Somewhere it is, though I don’t know yetwhichhouse it is or how long it’ll take me to find it, make an offer, and close on it. “Not your concern.”
“So it’s not.”
“My next living arrangement is my problem, not yours.”
“You can stay here.”
“Would you want to stay here with you?”
“I’msorry.”
