“Everything… good?” he asks.
“Yeah.” Auden ducks his head to kiss my cheek and shoots me a wink like I’m in on a joke I’mdefinitelynot in on. “I’d better get going. I have lots of class prep to do for next week. Give me a call, though, Ames. When you’re up for visitors, I’ll be waiting.”
“Uh. Yeah. Will do,” I say faintly.
After Auden leaves, Robbie moves to the spot where he was standing and takes my hand in his own. “What was that about?”
“None of your business.” I sigh. “I let him off the hook. This is a lot, and we haven’t been seeing each other that long. He deserves someone who’s not…”
About to spend two weeks in close quarters with their straight best friend and greatest temptation, and attempt to survive it with his heart intact.
“Not broken,” I finish, which seems to encapsulate all of the above.
Robbie’s expression softens. He reaches out one giant hand and carefully brushes the hair back from my forehead. “Don’t be stupid. You’re not broken, you’re injured. You’re gonna be okay.”
He’s so tender, I can’t stand it.
I can’t get enough of it.
And I’m so fucking in love with him, it’s useless pretending I’m not.
I’m not sure I’m ever gonna beokay.
I clear my throat. “What’s up with Anna?”
“Oh, just making sure I knew what I was getting into. She’s coming over after she gets off her shift. Pretty sure she wants to make sure you didn’t force me to drop you off in the woods so you could hike your way home, just to prove a point.”
“Please. I’d never,” I say.
Though, come to think of it, the idea has merit.
Robbie grins like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. “She reminded me about the time you duct-taped your injured knee halfway through our last basketball game senior year rather than get medical attention. But I promised her I’d learned my lesson when it comes to your stubbornness.”
“Damn it,” I sigh. “I can’t believe she remembers that.” They topped up my pain meds in preparation for discharge, and I’m feeling all kinds of loose and warm. “You know giving you Anna and the girls is the best thing your brother ever did for you, right?”
“I know.” Robbie cards his fingers through my hair again before he straightens. “When we get home, I’ll get you set up in the guest room, then I’ll go to your place and grab whatever you need.” He gives me a stern look. “I’mtaking care of you, Ames, and you’re not gonna give me any shit about it.”
“I’m not sure I know how to do that,” I tell him honestly.
Robbie laughs, and the sound warms me from the inside out. “Then I guess you’ll be learning some lessons aboutmystubbornness, won’t you?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
ROBBIE
GettingAmes from my truck into my house is like trying to herd a cat… if the cat weighed a hundred seventy-five pounds and was determined to prove he didn’t need help.
“You’re being ridiculous. I can walk,” he insists again.
His bad ankle’s in a boot, his arm’s strapped to his chest, and his skin’s pale from the jarring motion of getting out of the passenger’s seat, which only makes his black and blue bruises more prominent.
“I know you can, Amesie. You’d be running if I’d stop holding you back.” I keep my arm around his waist, being careful of his ribs. “I appreciate you taking it slow to humor me.”
“Seriously. It’s a few fucking steps?—”
The toe of his boot catches on the brick walkway and throws him off-balance, but I have him safe against my side before gravity has a chance to get him.
He mutters something under his breath that sounds like “fuckingfuck” but lets me support most of his weightas we make our way up the front walk, which is probably a sign of how uncomfortable he is.
