Page 100 of As They Are
“Is it not obvious?”
“All of that could have been for the cameras. And it’ll make a great scene.”
“I care about you,” I said firmly. “I care about your safety. Your happiness. If you ever fall like that again, I don’t care where you’re at, I’ll come running.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re—”The woman I wanna break rules for. The first thing I think of when I wake up.“My ... friend. One of my closest ones.” The words were so wrong, but I knew she didn’t want any of my real thoughts. She couldn’t.
“A friend, huh? You do a lot for your friends, then.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s you I’d do a lot for.”
But then I remembered myself and stepped away.
“Let me take you back to the farmhouse. I’ll get you set up with ice, and you have torest.Doctor’s orders.”
“Who can argue with orders?” The words gave me pause. Was I ordering her around? “Thank you for taking care of me. Do you have any crutches? I can try to walk.”
That made me lose my train of thought. “I’ll carry you.”
“I can just walk on my good ankle.”
“Not an option.” If it meant I got to have her in my arms again, I would do anything. “Let me go get my car and we’ll head out.”
It was only a short walk, and I avoided everything to do with the set while I was out. Wren was still on the exam table when I got back. I picked her up and took her to my car, helping her into the passenger seat. I’d need to get her truck to her, but what was most important now was making sure she was taken care of.
When I got into the driver’s seat, she was looking over every inch of the interior of the car.
“It’s just a Honda. I promise there’s nothing I’m hiding in here.”
“You have CDs,” she said, pointing to where they were folded into my visor.
“Oh, yeah. Sometimes I like to completely disconnect when I’m not in the mood for a podcast. CDs are easier. I know what to expect.”
“Did Spotify shuffle play the wrong song?”
I laughed. “I like to enjoy it as the artist intended it. And not have a distraction while I do it.”
She hummed. “I bet it’s nice to slow down every once in a while.”
“It’s how I stay sane.”
Wren nodded and leaned her head against the window. Her eyes closed and we lapsed into silence. She had to be exhausted after falling off a ladder. It was normal for it to hit after the adrenaline faded.
I didn’t mind the silence. It gave me time to think about how I’d slipped today, how I’d ordered her around because I was so worried about her. I needed to be the Henry she wanted, not the one I hid.
We pulled into the farmhouse and there wasn’t a car in sight.
“Wren,” I said softly. “We’re here. Do you have a key?”
“Yeah.” She reached into her pocket. She handed them to me and opened her door. I was at her side in a second. “I wanna walk. Just help me do it.”
“Fine. But only because I have to unlock the door.”
She put her good arm around my shoulder and we slowly made our way inside. She didn’t protest as I carried her up the stairs, and she led me to the guest room, where she fell on the bed with a sigh.
“I forgot how nice being indoors is when it’s hot.”
