“You look like you’re hurting.”
“In more ways than one,” I admitted.
Footsteps moved closer; the sound of a plastic bottle echoed around me.So that’s what I knocked over.The smell of strong coffee hit my nostrils, and I mustered the strength to emerge from my blanket fort.“Is that what I think it is?”
“Black.Hot.And strong enough to resurrect the dead.”
“You’re my favorite person in the world right now.”I took the mug into my hands as if it were a prized possession and inhaled the roasted goodness.
“You said that same line to a mint sprig you pulled out of your pocket last night.”
Flashes of the night before bounced around in my mind, and I winced.
“Did I karaoke?”
“Does screamingTotal Eclipse of the Heartwhile the Grassos carried your ass into my place count?”
I sighed into my coffee.“Did I wake the neighbors?”
“Odette popped her head out.Steve asked if we needed him to throw you over his shoulder.”
“He’s freakishly strong,” I admitted.
“And you’re freakishly heavy when you’re drunk, but the five of us managed without Steve’s help.”
Ben leaned against the doorframe, arms folded over a fitted tee, dark blond stubble shadowing his jaw, and green eyes studying me.
“Hope you didn’t hurt your ribs.”The poor guy had the ever-living shit kicked out of him by his dad’s goons only a few months ago.And I thought my dad was a prick.
“My ribs are fine.”He rolled one shoulder as if he were testing it.“Though you did fall headfirst into them at one point.”
“Sorry about that.”
“No worries.”A corner of his mouth lifted for a second before fading.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping to ease the pounding.“The whole town is going to be talking about this by lunch.”
“By lunch?”Ben laughed.“Try breakfast.”He looked at his watch and adjusted it.“And considering it’s already nine, I’m sure it’s pretty much full steam ahead.”
“Nine o’clock?” I downed the coffee and jumped up from the bed, instantly regretting that foolish decision.A novice marching band started practicing in my head, all off-key and out of sync.“I’m late for work.I’m never late.”
“Considering you were with a majority of the company last night, they all assumed you’d be late, if you showed up at all.”
I ran a hand over my face, letting the memories of the night and every night since Rose left me sink in.“I keep fucking up.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself.”
“Am I?How would you feel if Sherry left you because you couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted?”
Ben’s expression sobered.“I’d be wrecked.”
He didn’t say it with pity.Just straightforward and honest.I appreciated that.
“What would you do?”
“I’d fight like hell to be the man she needed me to be.”
I sank back into the bed.“And if you tried that, and it still wasn’t enough?”
