The Arrangement 16 by H.M. Ward

Author:H.M. Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: New Adult Romance
Publisher: H.M. Ward Press
Published: 2014-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Sean stirs in the early morning, coherent and swearing. He stops, suddenly still. “Avery?”

I’m groggy from lying awake all night, pouring my soul out to him. He’d smile and drift off, happy I was there, but I doubt he recalls a word or any of the gentle kisses we shared. “Good morning, Sean.” Pushing up on my elbow, I sit up on the side of the bed. “That four o’clock nurse was mean.”

He’s on autopilot and his voice sounds cautious. “You’re just saying that because she tried to throw you out.”

I go from sleepily rubbing my eyes to sitting straight up and gaping at him. How does he remember that? The entire night should be a blur. I try to hide my fear and cover it with a stretch. Sean doesn’t notice, or at least I don’t think he does. I laugh it off. “Lucky guess. Everyone is going to try to throw me out once the shift changes, so I better go. Besides, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

He’s lucid with his jaw clenched and his shoulders held tightly in place, but his deep blue eyes are unreadable. “Avery, you need to steer clear of me for a while. They shouldn’t have let you in last night.”

“It figures you remember that part.” Folding my arms over my chest, I look down at him. “What else do you remember, Mr. Jones?”

“Only that I said things I shouldn’t have. This isn’t truth serum.” His hackles are rising as he points at the IV bags. Something he said has him worried. Or maybe he has no idea what he said at all.

“I won’t tell your secrets.”

“I don’t want you to know everything.”

“What? Where’d that come from? Coherent Sean is saying something forthright?” I laugh, trying to lighten the mood, but he doesn’t bite.

“I mean it. There are things you shouldn’t know. Ignorance protects you. Some people were made to walk alone. I’m one of them.”

That’s it. I’ve had it with his wall and I won’t be pushed away again. “Bullshit. Last night you said you loved me.” Sean looks away, his eyes searching desperately, avoiding my gaze. “You told me a lot of things and I told you a lot of things. I have no idea what you heard either. That’s what this is about, right? That you don’t know what you said? Well, the facts are that I don’t know what you remember and I said things that I normally wouldn’t have said to you, so we’re even.”

Sean’s hand grips the switch and he presses the call button. The intercom clicks on, “Yes?”

“I’d like to be alone. Please escort this woman out and don’t let her come back up. I need to rest.” Sean says the words flatly, watching me.

My mind flashes to last night, to the pain I caused him and I wonder if this is part of that.

“Certainly, Mr. Ferro. Someone will be there in a moment.” The static clicks off and I know no one is listening.

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