Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“I’m so sorry,” she said as Eli walked into the small area.
“Sorry for what?” Eli asked as he came over and took her hand in his.
Uh, wait. Nope. He was checking her pulse not holding her hand.
She shot him a look, but he just gave her a stern one back. “I’m checking your pulse. I’ll probably do it often or until my heart stops racing. You nearly died. If Cole hadn’t known about your peanut allergy . . . fuck, you nearly could have.”
“We would have checked her wrist for a bracelet,” Kellan murmured.
Eli shot his gaze to his brother. “Would we? Are you sure about that? Because I was in a fucking panic.” He turned his gaze back to her. “I never panic and I was ready to throw up when I saw you struggling to breathe, swelling up, and then when you collapsed into Kellan’s arms . . . it took years off my life.”
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you guys.”
Eli gave her a stern look. “Don’t do it again.”
Was he serious right now? She’d expected him to placate her. To tell her that it wasn’t her fault and she couldn’t have known they’d be so upset
“Don’t do it again?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. Don’t. Do. It. Again. Or you’re going to be in big trouble.”
She glanced over at Kellan to see what he thought of his brother’s statement. Was he losing his mind? Who told someone not to nearly die again? Did he think she wanted to come close to death again? That she liked ending up in the hospital and feeling like crap?
That she enjoyed knowing her dog was with her ex-fiancé and his girlfriend and boyfriend?
“I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“I didn’t say that you did,” Eli replied calmly. “Just that you’re not to do it again. Because I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you. So nothing will.”
That statement hit her hard.
Maybe because no one had ever really protected her. Pop-Pop tried his best but he’d been older and fragile when she’d come to live with him during college. And she’d ended up looking after him.
Her father had never really cared about her. The fact that this man who she barely knew wanted to keep her safe because he was worried that something might happen to her blew her mind.
And she wanted that sort of protection. She wanted someone to take care of her almost more than anything.
But she shouldn’t let herself believe in what they were saying. Why would they care about her that much? Why would it upset them? Wasn’t that odd?
Or maybe you’re the one who is odd? Perhaps you’re so unaccustomed to basic human kindness that you can’t just recognize and accept it as normal?
That was a worrying thought.
“Just because you say it doesn’t make it true,” she whispered.
“Of course it does. Don’t you know that I can make anything happen,” Eli told her with an arrogant look.
She just rolled her eyes. “I still don’t understand why you’re so upset. You barely know me.”
“So we shouldn’t care if you live or die?” Kellan asked.
“Um. Well.”
Shit. Perhaps her thinking was warped.
Darn it.
“All right, maybe you can care. But I . . . I certainly wouldn’t expect you to take care of me afterward. I mean, unless you didn’t mean it.”
“We will be staying with you,” Kellan said firmly. “And we will be taking care of you.”
She gulped. What did she say to that? “I really am fine now. The doctor is just being overly cautious for some reason. I really don’t have to have someone watch me once I leave here.”
Kellan turned to Eli, ignoring her. “The doctor gave me instructions for her care.”
“Good,” Eli replied.
“She needs lots of rest and she’s not supposed to stress. She’s concerned about the dog.”
Eli nodded. “Cole promised to take care of him. If he doesn’t I’ll kill him.”
She rolled her eyes at those words.
But he didn’t smile or say he was joking. Yikes.
“When you’re discharged, Kellan will take you home and I’ll go get Horse.”
Still felt weird that Cole was taking care of her dog.
“He likes me better,” Kellan pointed out. “I should get him.”
He did? When did Kellan decide that? Because as far as she could tell Horse wasn’t that impressed with either of them.
“That’s okay,” Eli replied. “We have to get used to each other if we’re going to live together.”
What the heck was happening right now?
“What do you mean . . . live together?” she asked. “You’re taking my dog from me?” Panic filled her again.
How could they do that? Horse was hers . . .
Except he’s not, is he?
He might have another family out there . . . one that you don’t know about.
Waves of panic washed through her. How had she come to rely on Horse in such a short time? To the point where she didn’t know what she’d do if she lost him?