Shit. I wasn’t even thinking. But Sofia would always make her coffee with cream and honey. Whenever we’d be studying late, or we’d stop at the coffee shop near school, she’d always have her coffee the exact same way.
My heart does a funny, twisting thing.
“I guess,” I reply sharply. “Don’t read into it.”
The moment the words come out of my mouth, I regret them.
Sofia ducks her head. Her hair falls in long curtains, hiding her face. “Don’t worry,” she mutters. “I won’t.”
Shit.
She’s hurt. Scared. Staying in an unfamiliar place. And I’m sure she feels just as uncomfortable with this living situation as me. So why am I being rude to her?
“Do you want anything to eat?” I ask by way of apology. “I’ve got plenty of food. Eggs, bacon, toast, fruit…”
“It’s not necessary.” She dumps some creamer and honey into the mug and stirs it quickly. Then she gets off the stool and glances back towards the hallway. “I’m not hungry.”
“You need to eat to keep your energy up.”
“I can eat later.”
“Sofia.” I use my commanding tone, the one I mastered in the Army. “You need to eat.”
“I can eat later,” she replies. Her chin lifts. Her eyes flash with defiance. “I’m not hungry right now.”
Even if she was, she wouldn’t tell me. Not now. Not after I put that hurt look in her eyes.
This is even harder than I thought it would be.
It’s really hard to be angry when my instincts are screaming at me to protect her.
“Listen, I’m going to head into the office soon,” I offer, knowing this isn’t a battle I’m going to win right now. “So if you get hungry, you can help yourself. And if you’re not feeling up to cooking, I have a meal service, too. There are a bunch of pre-cooked meals in the fridge—all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they’re all set.”
Sofia sighs. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And if you need anything while I’m gone,” I add, “I’ll leave a phone for you to use. It’s just a basic burner phone, but I’ll put my number into it. I wouldn’t let anyone else know where you are?—”
Sofia edges closer to the hallway. “I know. I won’t.”
I’m not sure why I’m reluctant to let her leave. “The security. I’ll make sure it’s armed when I leave. Not that anyone will bother you here, but better safe than sorry.”
“How long will you be gone for?”
“Until six or seven,” I reply.
“Oh.” Sofia’s voice goes quiet. “Okay.”
Guilt stabs into me.
Should I leave her here like this? With her still recovering from a concussion? It’s been two nights, technically, which means the worst of the danger is over. But if she gets dizzy, falls, hurts herself again…
But I have work to do. After spending all of yesterday dealing with Sofia, first at the hospital, and then settling her in here, I’m way behind. And while I could work from my office here, I’ll be nowhere near as productive. Meetings would have to be rescheduled. Working from home would be a distraction I don’t need.
And I need a break,I silently admit.Some time to not have painful memories shoved in my face.
“I’ll turn on the cameras inside the condo,” I tell her. “They’re usually off, but I like having them for when I’m out of town. With the cameras on, I?—”
“Can make sure I’m not stealing something?” Sofia’s tone is sharp. Her eyes spit fire at me. “I won’t. But if it makes you feel better to have your security cameras watching, go ahead.”
