Page 22 of The Proximity Factor

“So why bother with it?”

“Because it’s good for you.”

“I think I’ll stick with Pop-Tarts. By the way, I have brown sugar cinnamon and cherry on hand.”

“Um ... maybe cherry, but later. My stomach doesn’t feel so good right now.”

“That prick, Greg. Is he the one who called you eye candy?”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah.” She hung her head. “He broke up with me because I wasn’t smart enough for him.” She sounded mortified. “Not too long after that, he got engaged to one of his nurses, but then last week out of the blue he said he made a mistake and begged me to take him back. I just never thought he would act like this. I can’t believe the police won’t do anything unless he threatens me or physically hurts me first.”

That was a load of BS. I wanted to talk to the police myself and give them a piece of my mind, based on the conversation she’d had with them just moments ago over the phone. It was no wonder we had a domestic violence epidemic raging.

Though I probably shouldn’t have, I reached over and, with the crook of my finger, lifted her chin. Lanie had no reason to hang her head in shame. I’d seen my mother do it way too often after my father humiliated her time and time again. I refused to let another woman feel so defeated by a man in my presence. Even if her touch excited me in a way nothing had in a long time.

Lanie’s baby-blue eyes caught hold of mine, making me want to get lost in them. Her appeal was unreal, unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I let my finger drop and cleared my throat, getting a grip on reality—the reality being I was too old for her, and the last thing she needed was another prick in her life, even just a friendly one. “Lanie, don’t ever give him the satisfaction of doubting yourself.”

She tilted her gorgeous head. Even with red-splotched and tear-stained cheeks, she was stunning. “You know, you’re really good at this.”

“Good at what?”

“Being human and helping me.”

I leaned back into the couch and laughed. I hadn’t felt human in a long time, or even helpful for that matter. It seemed I could hardly help my own situation, much less anyone else’s. “I’m sure I’ve done my best to make you believe I’m an ogre.”

“Hmm. Ogre. It seems fitting.” She smiled.

I wished she wouldn’t. Her smile was inviting—lethal, even. I shrugged, knowing I couldn’t deny the unflattering title.

“You know—” She paused. “Your sister, Daphne, messaged me and uh ...”

I scrubbed a hand over my face and groaned. Little sisters were a pain sometimes. “Of course she did. I don’t know if I want to hear what she said.”

“Well, she said I should be afraid.”

“Afraid?” I spewed out, ready to call Daphne and lay into her. I was a lot of things, but I would never physically hurt anyone, unless Greg returned.

“Yeah,” she said warily. “She warned me you are the best person she knows.”

My hand dropped, not sure if I was more upset with my sister now or when I thought she was telling Lanie she should be afraid of me for nefarious reasons. She was meddling where she had no business. “I haven’t been that person for a long time, so I think you’re safe. Also, I should forewarn you: she’s a pathological liar,” I teased.

“I’m going to tell her you said that,” Lanie taunted.

“Please don’t tell me you’re becoming friends.” I sighed, knowing it was probably a lost cause to hope the inevitable wouldn’t occur.

“I think we are going to be BFFs.” Lanie playfully nudged me with her shoulder.

I rubbed my temples, feeling a major headache coming on in my near future.

“Is it so awful for you that your family and friends like me?” All the playfulness had gone out of her voice. Some hurt crept in.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, which complicated the hell out of things. How did I maintain a reasonable distance without being a jerk? “Lanie, I don’t know how to put this. But I didn’t sign up for this. I thought I’d get some smelly dude who played video games all day in his underwear while completely ignoring me.”

She giggled. “Would you like me better if I played video games in my underwear?”

I coughed. Don’t think about her like that. Don’t think about her like that, I had to repeat to myself over and over.

Lanie patted me on the back. “You okay there? Don’t worry, I have no plans to play video games while scantily clad. At least not in your presence,” she drawled, knowing exactly what she was doing.

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