“What’s this I hear about you getting hurt?” he said by way of greeting as he barreled through the front door of Chase’s apartment.
I looked up from the couch where I’d been all afternoon reading.
“Hey, Lance!” I put my book down and tried to hobble up.
He immediately stopped me. “Sit down. Don’t get up. Are you okay?”
“She’s fine,” Chase said from the dining room doorframe. He’d gone into the kitchen earlier to prep the steaks and veggie burger.
“How could you let her get hurt?” Lance demanded.
“I didn’t—”
“He had nothing to do with my falling,” I said calmly. “It was all me. I was just clumsy. How did you find out?”
“Clifford called me this afternoon to say he already knew about your prison break and he reset everything back to normal.”
I laughed. “Prison break! That’s a good one.”
A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of Lance’s mouth. “His words.”
“I’m okay,” I insisted. “I just twisted my ankle.”
He frowned down at my iced ankle then pointed to my crutch. “How’re you getting up and down the stairs if you’re hurt and on crutches?”
I swallowed hard. “Well, Chase was kind enough to let me stay down here with him. So I’m living here with him in his extra bedroom.”
Lance’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, no you’re not! No way am I letting you stay here within ten feet of him.”
Chapter 9
Chase pushed himself up off the door jamb. “Why not? You were okay with setting her up here last week when you went behind my back and tricked me into taking her in.”
“Hey!” I objected. “Not cool!”
But Chase ignored me. “What’s the difference if she’s right here or upstairs.”
I watched in amusement as myriad emotions flittered over Lance’s face. Anger, embarrassment, concern. I had to admit, I was a little curious as to why he’d be so upset, too.
“That’s different,” Lance said. “I put her here because I knew she’d be safe…living upstairs.”
“But she’s not safe living here in my apartment?”
I heard an undertone of anger in Chase’s question, and I immediately went into peace-keeping mode.
“Let’s not do or say anything we will later regret,” I said. “Let’s just all take a nice deep breath and—”
“No,” Chase said. “I’m curious as to why Lance would think I’m safe enough for you when you’re upstairs but not when you’re downstairs.”
“It’s not that.” Lance went to stand by me and put one arm around me. “Alex is like the little sister I never had. I’m just trying to watch out for her.”
“Thank you.” I patted his chest and beamed up at him.
“So, you’re okay with dangling the carrot in front of my face,” Chase said, “you just didn’t want me to really grab for it? Look but don’t touch?”
I frowned. That didn’t sound good. “I’m not chattel.”
Chase chuckled and walked farther into the living room. Rocky immediately perked up from his sleeping position to stand next to him. “No one thinks you are, Martin. I think at first Lance liked the idea of you and me finally meeting. But I don’t think he was prepared for us to be sleeping within a few feet of each other already.”
