Page 18 of Always Mine

“I’ve been hurt before.”

“Not like this.” Her eyes were full of concern.

He blew out a heavy breath. “I don’t know why I started this,querida.I’ve been thinking about you. About us.” He squeezed her hand. “I’mgladyou’re back in my life. Can we just go forward now?”

“I—”

“Don’t deny how you feel, Annette.”

She said, “I never could lie to you.”

His gaze dropped to her left hand. “Does your fiancé know that you’re seeing me? And why aren’t you wearing his ring?”

Her shoulders tensed and she looked away. “He doesn’t know I’ve visited you. I just told him I needed some time alone.Helet me have it, unlike you did.”

That pissed him off. “I’m sure he’s a great guy.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

She bolted up. “I shouldn’t have come.”

He reached out to stop her and moved… “Arrgh!” Pain splintered through him.

Annie dropped down on the side of the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“The movement pulled on my bad shoulder.”

“Are you taking pain meds?”

“I’m weaning myself off.”

She spied the bottle on the dresser. Got up, walked over. He closed his eyes to banish the pain. “There’s a schedule here. You haven’t had any since last night.” After reading the bottle, she shook two out pills and returned to him. “Here, take these.”

“Just one. I’ll take just one.”

“You are still so pig-headed.”

“You dissin’ somebody in the throes of pain, girl?” He took one pill. “It’ll make me sleepy. Stay until I wake up. Please.”

* * *

Annie stayed, watching him sleep. After a while, she started to nod off herself. Since taking a break from Seth, she’d gotten little sleep. Before she could stop herself, she kicked off her shoes and sidled in beside him. His spicy scent calmed her. It was the first time she felt content in days. Ever since he got hurt.

Her eyes closed.

The thrashing woke her. His whole body bucked on the bed and his face twitched. “Watch out, don’t go in…oh God, the ambush…Arrgh. No, No…”

“Diego, wake up.”

He didn’t. His head jerked, just like the last time. “You had a bad dream, Diego. Wake up.”

After two more shakes, he awoke. Sweat beaded on his skin and his face was white. He’d done this in the hospital.

“You had another flashback.”

“I was right there in it again. The screams. The moans. My face was in the dirt…” He stopped. Took in a breath.

“Please talk to me about it.”

A knock on the door and his mother walked in. “Oh,Dio mio, I didn’t know Annie was still here. There was shouting. I became worried.”

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