Page 36 of Indebted

“You’re a little warm,” his hand disappeared, and he started to make himself at home on the edge of my bed.

I took one step before whipping around and shutting the door to my room. No need for an audience.

I wanted to tell him to leave, but the scent of chicken noodle soup penetrated my stuffy nose and...

“Is that…?”

“Fresh bread? I picked it up, thought you might like it instead of crackers.”

Next, he pulled out two different kinds of juice along with a box of tea bags.

An elephant had taken up residence on my chest.

I couldn’t breathe. I could only stand and stare as he took out an array of medicines and started to tidy up my side table, turning it into its own version of a dinner table and pharmacy.

My throat clogged, and it had nothing to do with the cold I was fighting.

For as long as I could remember, I’d been taking care of myself when I’d been sick. Unless I went to school and then got sent to the nurse’s office. Which had happened once in seventh grade, but my mom hadn’t answered the phone then either and I’d spent the day with a cold compress on my head and my tummy full of cookies.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” I finally got my voice working.

Justin’s stare was flat. “I want to do this, Katie. Now get over here,” he crooked his finger and a shiver raced down my spine.

I shook my head. It wasn’t safe for me to get close to him.

My whole body craved this man and I had no idea why. The very act of him bringing me soup made my eyes well up. I was a wreck. I couldn’t keep him at arm’s length feeling like this. I didn’t have it in me, but if I didn’t keep him away, it’d only hurt more later.

Was this all an angle?

I wasn’t naïve enough to think two sexual acts between us meant anything.

I would not be that girl, the one that read too much into something.

“If you don’t come over here, I’m going to walk over there and get you.”

I jolted, narrowing my eyes so he knew I didn’t appreciate his high-handedness. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“You couldn’t afford my rates anyway.”

I bit my tongue, to keep from smiling.

Damnit. The fact that he was here—that he’d brought all these goodies, made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

For once I would enjoy the pampering.

“Don’t even think about making this a habit,” I warned, approaching the bed.

Something came and went behind his eyes, too fast for me to make out, but the smile on his face dimmed. “This should’ve been a habit. Nothing about this should be abnormal.”

I stopped a foot away and shooed him off my bed. I would never get any rest with him sharing my queen-sized bed. Even him sitting on it, made the usually too large space feel small.

He dutifully got to his feet and circled me, swapping our positions, me seated at the side of the bed and him standing by the nightstand.

I tucked my feet back under the blankets. “You act like you were dating my mom when I was a kid. I didn’t need to be looked after my last year in high school.”

“Everyone needs someone in their life.”

No, they didn’t. It made you reliant, dependent on someone that could fail you—disappoint you.