Page 19 of Shattered
One thing a sick Harper couldn't do was hide her expressions, and it was amazing to see any form of emotion run over her features. Seeing those green eyes absolutely unguarded stole my breath.
Her brows pulled together, and I could see a million questions dance behind her eyes. But she settled for one, "H-help me?"
I took a tentative step closer. "Yeah, Sugar. Now open up and let me take care of you." I meant that in more than one way. I wanted to tend to every single one of Harper's needs, and I wanted her to want me to.
"Okay." Her response was whisper-soft, and I would've missed it if she hadn't stepped aside to allow me entry.
There was no question that having me in her space made her nervous. That was evident by the way she was tightly hugging herself. She'd refused to go to bed and leave me alone in her kitchen, so now she was sitting on one of the dining room chairs that I'd brought in for her, watching me closely.
"What's this?" She asked when I placed the hot brew in front of her.
"Lemon and ginger tea. It will help with that sore throat."
She reached for the cup and just before she brought it to her lips, my hands curled over hers to stop her. "You have to blow on it first, Sugar." Maybe there was something wrong with me, but I got a hell of a kick out of the way her eyes widened, and her breath hitched when I leaned in to cool the hot liquid down by gently blowing over it.
Knowing it was safer, I moved back to the counter to prepare toast and fruit for her. My back was turned to Harper, but I felt her questioning gaze on me. I prayed like hell that she didn't voice any of them because I didn't have answers.
When I was done, I placed the minimal spread in front of her. Her lips lifted into a soft smile as she eyed the food on the table. There weren't too many options when cooking for a sick person, so I settled on buttered toast and a small bowl of sliced fruit with apple juice.
I felt my own smile grow when she eagerly tucked into the food. It might've been my imagination, but I could've sworn the color returned to her cheeks with every bite she took.
When her plates were empty, I made the mistake of escorting her back to bed. Once she was safely tucked in and the pale yellow comforter pulled up to her chin, I had to resist the urge to climb in next to her and just hold her until she drifted off into a peaceful slumber. But when her eyes grew heavy and shut, I couldn't resist brushing my knuckles over her cheek.
Just as I turned to leave Harper called my name. Pausing at the door, I looked over my shoulder. Never had a woman looked so vulnerable.
"Yeah?" I rasped out.
"Thank you."
I couldn't answer her, that ache in my chest was back. Instead, I offered her a tight nod before stalking out of her house. Outside, I tilted my head to the open sky and released the breath I was holding.
My dad was right—you felt it in your bones.
I woke up with a start, and at once a cold sweat started at the base of my neck and rolled down my spine. It had nothing to do with being sick. In need of something to ground me, I hugged the comforter closer to my chest and willed my heart to slow down from its wild gallop.
How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have let Logan in that morning, and definitely shouldn't have allowed him to take care of me—even if it was just for a couple of hours. There was something about the way he was with me that tugged so deep at my heart, it hurt.
His presence scraped at a wound that I'd rather have left closed. Despite having Flynn, I was lonely. Having Logan in my space when I didn't have the strength to put on my armor was absolutely disconcerting. It was whisper-soft, but I felt his fingers brush over my skin and for a stupid second, I wanted to turn my face into his touch.
Pushing into a seated position, I eyed my open bedroom door cautiously. I'd been sleeping most of the morning, so I had no idea if Logan came back or not. What I did know for sure was that I couldn't have him in my space.
Not now, maybe not ever.
When I was satisfied that I was alone in the house, I padded to the living room on my bare feet. I swear I could still smell his scent in the air. Or maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me?
I hated how that man had crawled under my skin. Hated how he'd made me see all the things Flynn was missing out on. A sound from the door trapped my breath in my throat. I stood stock-still as I waited to see who was entering my home.
Relief blew over my lips when Flynn came charging toward me. It took me a moment to realize that I'd been sleeping almost the whole day.
"How was school?" I stooped and picked my boy up, planting a kiss on his cheek. Most of his mile-a-minute dialogue went straight over my groggy head, but judging by the huge smile on his face, he was happy.
"I brought you some soup," Lizzy said from the door holding up a brown bag. "Chicken nuggets and fries for Flynn."
"Yay!" Flynn's excited squeal brought a smile to both mine and Lizzy's lips.
"Go wash up," I told him when his feet touched the ground, he didn't waste any time, sprinting out of the living room without another word.
Lizzy squinted as I moved toward her to retrieve the food. "You okay?"
