She pulls away. “I know you can’t. But don’t lose yourself in the process. That’s all I’m asking.” Anastasia wipes her cheeks. “Sorry. I guess I needed a good meltdown. When I heard what happened—” She shakes her head. “Nope. You’re fine. God protected you both, and I’m going to focus on that.”
“Good.”
“Okay. Call me if you need me. Mom and I are headed to dinner and a movie, but I’m reachable by phone.”
“You’ve got it, sis. Thanks.”
She offers me a quick hug, then turns and leaves the cabin. I hear the guys greet her as she does, so I turn back toward the closed door leading down to my bedroom. Since Anastasia wasn’t in there long, I imagine Tessa insisted on getting dressed on her own.
With the pain she’s in today, I don’t know that that’s possible, so I step forward and knock, my chest tightening as I wait for her to answer. I barely managed to keep my head last night when she’d needed help, and today we don’t have the distraction of being at the trailer. But the idea of her hurting herself simply because she’s being stubborn is too much.
She needs help. And I need her to see that I’m here. In whatever capacity she wants me. I knock again. “Tessa?”
A shrill yelp echoes through the door less than a heartbeat before something—or someone—falls over and hits the ground with a thud. I don’t think, just burst through the door. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. I fell.” Tessa waves a hand from the other side of my bed. I can’t see her, but the sweats she’d had on are lying on the ground.
Heat slips up the back of my neck as desire punches me in the gut. “I’ll go get Anastasia. She’s probably still close enough that I?—”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Tessa.”
“I don’t want her help,” she snaps. “She’s done enough.”
I turn away to give her some privacy. “Can I help?”
She takes a deep breath. “You’ve done enough, too.”
“I’d really rather you be fully dressed when you meet with my team. So I’m happy to lend a hand.”
“Keep your eyes closed.”
“Deal.”
I hear some rustling behind me. Then Tessa’s hand grips mine, and she pulls me back a few steps. Heat spreads up my arm at the contact, but I keep my eyes shut tightly, trusting her to guide me.
“Okay. Here.” She shoves a pair of pants into my hands, so I turn around and open my eyes just to make sure I don’t put them on backward, then close my eyes before turning again. Just like last night, I drop to my knees and hold them open so she can slide her legs into each of the holes.
“Good?” I ask.
“Yeah. I can do the rest. Thanks.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. I’ll be out in a minute.” Her tone is clipped, frustrated, so I don’t press. Instead, I turn and open my eyes again, then head up the stairs and close the door behind me.
As soon as it’s closed, I take a deep breath and rest both hands on my counter as I lean my head forward. My cheek aches, but it’s nothing compared to the burning in my heart.
The desperation to still be everything she needs despite our history.
Behind me, the door opens, so I turn to face her. As she limps out and closes the door. Both eyes are red and swollen. “Are you okay? Do you need pain meds?”
“No. I’m fine.” She forces a smile. “Let’s do this.”
“Look, Anastasia is?—”
“Zane, you don’t owe me anything, okay? Anastasia is protective of you, and what I did was wrong. She’s right. You nearly died because of me.”
