Page 123 of I Knead You Tonight

“You think I don’t know that, Drew? I’m fucking sick over this.”

“Good! You should be! I trusted you with him.”

“It wasn’tme. My body gave out.”

“Becauseof you. Why couldn’t you just listen to me? Why couldn’t you just get yourself checked out? Why didn’t you tell me your shoulder wasthatbad? I wouldn’t have left you with Riker if I’d known.”

“That! That right there is why—because then you wouldn’t have trusted me to watch him. You’d have been freaking out the entire time, worried something would happen.”

I dart my eyes toward Riker’s bruised head cradled against my chest. “Clearly that would have been a valid concern.”

“Drew, I know my body. If I’d have thought I couldn’t handle him, I would have told you. I would have never put him in harm’s way.”

“Then what happened, Winston? How did your arm give out and you have no warning?”

“I don’t know, okay? It just happened. It popped really bad earlier today with Foster, but it was doing fine until I was getting him dressed. It clicked again, but it wasn’t anything major. I was fine, and then I wasn’t. It happened in a split second. It’s not like I planned to hurt him.”

His eyes are burning red, pleading with me to forgive him.

“I know that, Winston. I know you didn’t hurt him on purpose, but it doesn’t change the fact that youdidhurt him.” I blink away the hot tears that are threatening to spill. “You know your body isn’t supposed to make noises like that and yet you’ve done nothing about it, despite me asking you to go see someone. You—”

“Want to know what I find funny, Drew?” He laughs harshly, shaking his head. “You keep bringing up howyou’veasked me to go see someone, like that’s supposed to matter to me in this big way, but you won’t even make this thing between us official. How am I supposed to act like I mean something to you when you act like I mean nothing? Like we’re just playing house and I’m cute, fun Uncle Jesse while you’re Bob fucking Saget with your shit all together.”

“I—”

“Mr. and Mrs. Woods? Riker’s ready to head home,” a nurse interrupts, pulling the curtain back. “Though we don’t believe there is anything to worry about, we recommend you keep a watch on the little guy throughout the night, checking on him every few hours, okay?”

I nod. “Understood.”

“I’ll meet you at the front desk whenever you’re ready.”

She walks away, leaving the curtain open.

I peek at Winston, who’s staring at me with a brokenness in his eyes as I breeze past him and follow the nurse from the room.

He’s hurting right now, and I’m hurting too.

But right now, I need to focus all my energy on my son.

We check out from the hospital and I buckle Riker into my car.

“What are you doing?” I ask when Winston tries to pop open the passenger door.

“Riding home with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

His brows slam together. “Yes, I am.”

“It’s really cute that you think that, Winston, but it’s not happening. I’d rather not be around you right now. Drive yourself.”

I care about Winston, but the last thing I want to do is ride home with him. I’m too angry, too afraid I’ll say something I can’t take back later. I need time to cool off.

“I don’t have my car, and even if I did, if you haven’t noticed, my arm is in a sling. I can’t drive.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t give two shits. Take the fucking bus.”

I climb into my car, crank it, and drive away, leaving him standing there staring after me.

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