“Are ... I...” She licked her lips. “Have I done something wrong?”
“Of course not. I’m the one...” He looked away.
The crestfallen expression on her face was like a shard to his heart.I’m not kicking her out.This was for the good of her and the girls. Cheye would finally get a new path for healing, and Erykah wouldn’t have to live in the basement any longer. He knew his place was not her idea ofhome sweet home. Besides, his deductible for physical therapy would make a dent in his pocket. Not to mention PathLight would be severing their contract with him and requiring a payback on the advance they’d given. He’d basically be paying for them to find a new star for their show.
But that’s a good thing, right? You don’t actually like working for them.
That was beside the point. His income would take a hit. The leg, the money, worrying about overwhelming a woman who already had so much on her plate ... all the things that had kept him from sleeping soundly. He never wanted to be a burden, and honestly, sometimes a person had to reassess their promises. Discover when it was time to back away—like Tracey had when she ended their relationship—and find a new plan.
“You guys will be better off without me.” His throat cracked on the sentence, but he had to show her he meant every word.
“Better off without you? Are you suggesting we’ll never see you again? Aren’t we friends?” Shock coated every word.
Being her friend wouldn’t change, but he was failing in that department. “Of course the girls can visit, and you’ll always be my friend. No matter what.” Whether she remained his was another story.
“And that’s it? Just a friend?” Her brown eyes bored into his.
The desire to pull her close and into his arms swelled within him. But just as quickly, he batted the feeling away. As much as he wanted to take her on a date like he’d asked weeks ago, he couldn’t. Legit couldn’t. He couldn’t drive, couldn’t even cook her dinner. With the uncertainty surrounding the docuseries and his financial troubles, Chris couldn’t figure out what he could possibly offer her. She was a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon. Chris would be foolish to offer his heart only for her to return it like Tracey had when she’d seriously considered forever.
He swallowed. “We’ll always be friends.”
“Okay, then.” Her head dropped, and the next words were muffled as she spoke into her chest. “I guess you’ll be happy to know I found a place.” Her head shot up, and the fakest smile he’d ever seen plastered itself on her face. “My Realtor is putting in an offer, and if they accept, I’ll close by end of month. We’ll be out of your hair.”
“Uh...” His mind blanked.
Erykah held up a hand. “No need to say anything more. You’ve made your position perfectly clear.” She stood up. “Do you need anything? If not, I’m gonna hit the sack.”
“No.” Didn’t matter that there was an awful cramp in his calf. He wouldn’t ask one more thing of her.
“Good night,” she said curtly.
He winced and said nothing as she walked away and down the stairs. As soon as she was out of sight, he closed his eyes.
Lord, that hurt. Please don’t let that have hurt her as much as it hurt me. I want nothing but the best for her. The girls will finally get to a permanent place and won’t have to worry about me on top of everything else.
And as for closing the door on a future romance...
Well, she was beautifulandsmart. She’d find someone else worthwhile.
Maybe he should take a page out of her book and go to sleep. No need to think over this ad nauseam. He grabbed the crutches and pulled himself up, keeping his weight on his left leg. Still, that didn’t stop the pain radiating in the back of his calf. Why did that area even hurt when the screws were holding his bones together, not his calf muscles?
He placed the crutches forward, and stepped on his left leg, moving the right one slowly. Footsteps pounding against the stairs drew his attention. Erykah stormed back toward him, anger furrowing her brow and narrowing her eyes.
She stopped short, her feet an inch away from his.Uh-oh.His pulse drummed in his ears.
“How dare you.” She pointed a finger until it jabbed his chest.
“What—”
“Don’t talk. You’re done talking. It’s my turn to talk.” She punctuated each sentence with a jab as if dotting it with a period.
Chris had enough clarity to see the proverbial steam rising from the top of her head. He’d never seen her this upset. All he could do was gape.
“You can’t just make a decision without me. We’re friends, but we’ve become more than that these past few months.”
He couldn’t disagree with any of that.
“So for you to try some high-handed, fall-on-your-sword action is bull! We’re a team, Christian Gamble.”
