“You quit.”
Pausing, I glanced up at him. “You telling me to quit and me actually quitting are two entirely different things.”
“Listen. I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think your ears work that well. I’ll ask the doctor to check them when you go.”
“Maybe we can have him check your brain,” I replied sweetly. “Because it seems like you forgot to turn it on.”
Hiro reared back. “My guyyy, did you just call me stupid?”
“You have really good hair.”
“I do, don’t I?” But then he scowled. “That’s not the point.”
“I’m not quitting my job, Hiro. I need it for the income.” That reminded me. “How much is the rent here?”
He laughed.
“If you don’t like it, I can go back to my place.”
His nostrils flared. It was a pretty good impression of an angry bull. “Try moving back to that fleabag motel and see what happens.”
“My apartmentdoes nothave fleas,” I insisted.How rude.
“Because they probably took one look at the place and fled for their lives.”
I smacked the unwrapped Band-Aid into his chest and hopped off the counter. I cringed at the pain radiating up the inside of my ankles and twinging in my knee, but I headed toward the door anyway.
His arms wrapped around me from behind, but I kept going, only to realize I was basically air-walking. “Pip.”
“I know my apartment isn’t the best, but it’s mine! Andit’s better than the street. I’ve taken care of myself all my life, and I won’t let you or anyone else make me feel bad about it!”
“I’m sorry.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that. “W-what?”
He blew out a breath that tickled the back of my neck and sent shivers down my spine. “I’m a first-class asshole, and I’m sorry,” he said, putting me down and backing away.
I turned back as he was shrugging the black shirt on, covering up the wound I’d already covered. But the one on his arm from the IV still needed a new one.
I started forward, but he held up his hand, stopping me.
“I’m no good at this,” he said quietly, maybe more seriously than I’d ever heard. Before I could ask what he meant, he continued. “This is why I forced myself to walk away from you two years ago. I’m not a good man, Rett. Definitely nowhere near good enough for you. I’m not good at talking, at compromise. In my life, it’s always been my way or no way. I never cared about anyone?—”
“What about Kieran?”
He made a crude sound. “He doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s my brother.”
I frowned.
“Kieran saved my life once, a long time ago. And he’s done it again since. Me and him, we were in the military together. Got tapped for some top-secret unit that not even most of the government knows about.”
I nodded to show I was listening, hoping he knew that meant I wanted to hear more.
Everything.
