by Jessa York
I should feel relieved. I should feel happy that Paige was gone. Instead I felt like a huge piece of garbage. In my defense, if she was better at calculus then it would have been more difficult to scare her off. Paige’s lack of knowledge made her a pretty easy target.
Still, an unfamiliar heaviness weighed on me during the rest of the class. Once our time was up, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. A few students tried to stop me and ask questions. I made up lame excuses, putting them off until tomorrow.
Yanking my keys out of my case, I reveled in the warm sun shining down on me once I was blissfully out and away from the hubbub. I should go prepare for my next class and eat something. All I wanted to do was flee.
Slowing my pace, I gazed around the park-like surroundings. People were gathered here and there. Footballs were tossed, music played, circles of students eating, laughing, and generally chilling out. I remembered those times. Quite frankly, right now I’d trade my left nut to go back.
This whole being an adult thing was complete crap sometimes.
Chucking my stuff into the backseat, I slid into my Jeep, taking a deep breath. I stuck my keys in, turning just enough to open the windows. Sitting back, I had no idea what to do next. Something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A woman, leg up on the bench, wiping her face constantly.
My stomach plummeted. It couldn’t be. Was it? Damn. Paige. My heart hurt for the obvious emotional assault I’d handed her the last two days. No matter how pissed I still was that she’d played me, guilt and disappointment sagged through me. My arms suddenly felt leaden. They wouldn’t move.
I’d been a major dick.
For some reason I was unable to tear my eyes away. Gathering her bag, she moved to stand up.
Paige took two steps, nearly falling on the sidewalk in the process. Damn. Catching herself before she went down, somehow she managed to hop back to the bench. This time she crossed her hurt ankle over her knee, rubbing it as she wiped her face.
Good great God damn. She was in some serious pain. Throwing my head back to my headrest, I groaned loudly. Angry at myself and how I’d acted. So what if she’d played me? I’d done the same thing multiple times to get out of—or into situations.
Hitting the steering wheel with my hand, I sucked up my pride—which took a while—and stalked toward the weeping woman whose hurt feelings and possible broken foot were all my fault.
19
Paige
Why was I such a baby? Running out of class like a frightened little child? A real adult wouldn’t have acted like that. A real adult would have slugged it out, paid their dues, and taken whatever Professor Jerk Face handed out.
My phone beeped with an incoming text.
Alex: Girl, where you at? I waited but you never came out of your class?
I turned my phone around, texting him back quickly.
Me: Sorry! My foot is killing me so I’m going home.
Alex: Going to the doc? I’ll drive ya.
Me: I’m not sure yet. Thanks for the offer, though.
Alex: Message me later, Okay?
Me: Yeah.
Alex: Good luck and go to the doc already. Get that swollen mess X-rayed.
Me: TTYL
His messages made me cry even harder. I couldn’t even get through three days of classes before bursting into tears. Good grief.
“Paige.” I heard my name called. Peering up through my clouded vision I saw him. Freaking Jake. My stomach sunk at the sight of him.
“I left my quiz in the classroom somewhere,” I said right away, assuming that’s what he was here for. He probably wanted to frame it and hang it in his office so everyone who stopped by could point and laugh.
“I don’t care about the quiz. How’s your foot?” he asked, stepping closer to the bench, his eyes on the monstrosity that was now my ankle.
“Fine,” I snapped, wondering why he was even here pretending to care.
He bent down on his haunches, placing his hands on my leg making me flinch. “Doesn’t look fine,” he said, looking up at me, his eyes filled with something I hadn’t seen since we were—together.
“I didn’t realize you were a doctor,” I said, ripping my leg out of his hand, crossing it over my knee. The swift movement made me cry out a little in pain.
Standing, he put his hand out. “I’ll take you to the doctor.”
“I went. She said it’s fine, just a little sprain.”
The muscle by his jaw flexed as he swallowed. “Would you stop lying? Your ankle’s getting worse instead of better. I’d bet my car you haven’t seen anyone about it.” His eyes were stormy as he skewered me with an unflinching gaze.
“Whatever.”
He took a deep breath then said in a low, controlled voice, “Let’s go, come on. I know a clinic around here.” He stood there, unmoving.
A sadistic laugh shot out of me as my anger bubbled up and out. “Yeah, Jake, that’s exactly what I want—you to take me to a clinic. Will you mock me some more?” I rasped, my throat going dry. “Please? Because I didn’t quite get enough in your class today.” Without warning, a loud sob tore out, completely out of my control. That had never happened to me before. Covering my eyes with my hands, I cried inconsolably.
“Damn it, I’m sorry, okay? I was out of line today and yesterday. I shouldn’t have singled you out like that. It was an asshole move on my part.”
Dropping my hands, I opened my eyes, staring at him to make sure he was the same jerk who’d publicly shamed me. Yep. Still him. “Why did you do it?”
“I’m not discussing this out here with you. We can talk on the way.”
Snorting, I said, “You can’t actually think I’d get in a vehicle with you right now, can you? Are you that dense?”
Twisting his head from side to side, he moved directly in front of me. “You don’t have a choice. Now get up or I’m going to pick you up.”
I gasped out loud. “You wouldn’t.”
“Are you walking or am I carrying you?” He leveled a glowering look right at me.
When I didn’t reply, he slid one hand under my knees and one around my back. And lifted. “What the hell are you doing? Put me down, you—you—” I stammered, unable to think of quite a bad enough word to call him.
“Hush,” he growled, bending back down, hooking my backpack with his hand. “You want me to lose my job because of your stubbornness?”
Right at this moment in time I didn’t care. “Then put me down, you big—”
“I’m not kidding. You need to shut your trap,” he retorted, walking across the grass rather quickly. The smell of his cologne hit me, filling my senses with memories of our night together. His heat surrounded me and I had to stop the warm, fuzzy emotions threatening to emerge.
I would not fall for his crap again.
“You are unbelievable,” I mumbled, feeling more than pouty at the moment. I mean the jerk was right—I couldn’t walk. I’d been trying to get to my car for the better part of an hour without any luck. But still, having Jake Richter help me was the last thing in the world I wanted.
He turned his head to me. “Yeah, I know. You said that quite a few times at my house.”
His words stopped my heart on a dime. The jerk. I saw his Jeep now, just a few cars away. “My car is in the student parking lot. If you can drive me there that would be a big help.”
“Ha, not too darn likely, lady.” He snorted, waltzing around to the passenger door. I heard a click, then he said, “Open the door, will ya? I’ve got my hands full.” His grip squeezed even tighter on my body, making me tense up even more.
I did what he said, only because I knew I could talk him into taking me to my car. Once the door was opened, he dumped me in the seat, reaching over me to throw my stuff in the back. Then he backed up, I thought to close the door. I was wrong.
He pulled the seat belt out then around me, grazing my breasts with his chest. “I know how to put my own seat belt on, thank you very much,” I spat ou
t at him.
“It’s more fun this way.” He smirked at me before slamming the door.
I inhaled swiftly, my nipples hardening despite my better judgment. What a jerk. After he got in and started up the vehicle, I pointed to the lot where my car was. “I’m over there, Lot M12.”
“That’s nice,” he said, whipping his own belt around his body in no time then backing up. Before I knew it, we were zooming out of the lot and down toward the main drag.
Nearly speechless, I didn’t know what to do. Obviously he was intent on taking me to the doctor. Now I just needed to figure out how the heck I would get out of it.
“I don’t understand you. One minute you’re embarrassing me in front of the entire lecture hall, making me hobble down the stairs. Then the next you’re forcing me to go to the doctor.”
He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, not bothering to even look at me. “Jake, would you listen? I can take myself to the clinic.”
His head snapped in my direction. “I’m sure you can but you haven’t, have you? It’s been over a week since you fell and you’re limping around worse than when it first happened.”
Yikes. Jake was pissed right off, and I had not one clue why? I crossed my arms, settling back into the seat. I gave up the ghost. There was no way I’d win this argument. Once we got to the doctor’s office he’d understand why I didn’t go.
20
Jake
It was official. This woman was driving me crazy. I could not for the life of me understand why she was avoiding the doctor. Was she scared?
One look at that ankle of hers and I was pretty damn frightened, too. It had ballooned up to twice its normal size. At least. Any sane person would have gone to get it checked out.
Which may explain things…
I gritted my teeth as I thought about how stubborn I’d been. My damn, stupid pride had gotten in the way. My stomach sank when I counted back how many days she’d been suffering now because of me.
“Just drop me at the front doors. You can wait in the Jeep.”
I gazed over at her wondering if she thought I was really that stupid. Not answering, I pulled up to the front doors of the clinic, stopping illegally. Shifting into park, I undid my seat belt then said, “Wait here.”
Jogging to the doors, I was more than grateful to see a wheelchair in the entryway as the automatic doors swooshed open. Tagging it, I turned, rolling it quickly back to the Jeep.
Paige had already decided to open her door, sticking one foot out like she was going to step on it. “Stop,” I hollered, making her lift her foot back up. When I got closer to the door, I said, “You can’t listen for one minute?”
Slipping my hands under her knees and around her curvy waist, I lifted her. Even though she had more than ticked me off, having her this close to me made my cock jump. The delicious smell of coconut invaded my nose, making me take one more inhale as I set her in the chair. Leaning back into the Jeep, I tugged her backpack from behind the seat.
“This is not necessary, I can walk,” she complained bitterly, crossing her arms, narrowing her eyes at me as I hung her bag on the handles of the wheelchair.
“Yeah, honey, you can walk real well. That’s why you were stuck on the bench for God only knows how long.” Now even more frustrated—at Paige and myself—I pushed her through the sliding doors, up to the front desk. “I’ll be right back.” I told her, turning around to run back out.
“No, Jake. I’ll deal with this.” Her eyes looked up at me, almost pleading. What the hell was she trying to pull? “I’ll come out when I’m done.”
Not saying another word, I rushed back to the Jeep, hoping nobody had given me a ticket. After I finally found a spot, I took my time strolling back to Paige. It was midday at a doctor’s office. Most likely the wait was going to be awful.
Once I stepped back inside, I scanned the waiting room looking for Paige. There she was over in the corner, looking at her phone. No clipboard with a dozen forms to fill out. Suspicious, I meandered to the desk, taking a gander at the sign in sheet.
Mmm, hmm, just as I suspected. “Hi,” I said to one of the admins working behind the desk. “My, uh, girlfriend over there needs the forms to fill out, please.” Nodding at Paige, still unaware I had entered the office.
“Oh certainly, sir. Is she the one in the wheelchair?” the woman asked. When I nodded, she said, “I tried to give her these a few minutes ago but she refused?” Handing me the clipboard, I gave her a smile.
“Thanks, I think she was just waiting for me to park our vehicle.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my temper. What I wanted to do was ask her what the hell she was trying to pull.
Navigating my way through the waiting room, she finally looked up at me, surprise written all over her face. It would be cute if I didn’t feel like paddling her round ass with this damn clipboard. “You forgot these,” I said, passing the pages of forms to her.
Mouth open wide, she recovered quickly. “Umm, I already filled those out. Can you go wait for me in the car? I’m not really comfortable having you here.” Her head shook back and forth.
“Do you ever tell the truth?” I snapped right back at her, continuing to shove the papers at her.
Her face frowned, like I was the one who should feel bad. “Excuse me?”
“Cut the crap, Paige. You’re not signed in and you most certainly did not fill out all this paperwork in the four minutes since I dropped you off.” I unhooked her backpack from the chair then unceremoniously set it in her lap. I guessed her wallet and ID would be somewhere in there. Sitting down in a huff, I closed my eyes, resting my head back against the wall.
“Fine.” Almost immediately I heard her pen scratching away, making a hollow sound on the board beneath. Curiosity got the better of me as I opened my eyes, peering over her shoulder to see what she was writing down.
The first thing I saw was her age. My stomach clenched as the numbers verified, I had indeed slept with an eighteen year old. Looking up at the ceiling I blew out a puff of air. I really needed a drink.
Ten minutes later, her chair started to move. I knew this because it hit mine. “Oops,” she said, balancing the clipboard on her lap while pushing the wheels.
“I got you,” I said, jumping up to push her to the desk.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go by myself.” Her hands locked onto the wheels making it impossible for me to move the chair.
“Uh huh, I bet. Let go, Paige. I’m not above making a scene. I’ve about had it with your BS,” I said, reaching down, clamping onto her wrists, moving them up and onto her lap. Surprisingly, she allowed me to do it.
Defeated, she leaned her head on her hand, elbow resting on the arm of the chair.
As soon as she handed in her information, they asked for her insurance card. Pulling it out of her wallet, she gave it to the woman. “Thanks, dear. I’ll be right back.”
After an awkward silence, I said, “You’ll be fine, you know that, right?”
Her shoulders seemed to fall even more as she refused to acknowledge my question. “Paige, it’s probably just a sprain but you need to get it looked at.” She didn’t even look up at me. Great, the silent treatment.
“Your insurance requires a deductible amount as I’m sure you already know,” the admin assistant said, finding the portable card machine as she kept talking. “How will you be paying?” she asked, smiling at Paige.
“I keep asking myself that same question as well,” she said dryly, shrugging both shoulders. “I’m sorry for having wasted your time.” Paige turned her head to me, still not looking me in the eyes. “Can you push me back to the Jeep, please?”
My stomach fell for her. She didn’t have the money. Pulling out my wallet, I handed the woman my card. “Use mine, please.”
“Thank you, sir,” the admin said, swiping my card.
“Jake, no, I—”
“Hush,” I said, gazing down at her. For one brief moment I saw her eyes filled with embarrassment staring st
raight back at me.
The admin handed the machine back to approve the purchase. I nearly choked when I saw the amount. Paige’s insurance was complete garbage. This had to be the highest deductible I’d seen. “Thank you,” I said, trading the machine for my card.
“Just follow me through these doors.” A nurse stepped in front, ready to guide us to the back. I grabbed the handles of the wheelchair so tight I thought they might snap right off. I’d never had to worry about money a day in my life. Here Paige was unable to even pay for a doctor’s visit.
I glanced down to look at her mood ring. Black.
Once we were in the room, the nurse left, closing the door behind her. “Can you go?”
“No.”
“Jake, please, leave.”
“No.”
“I can’t pay you back for this visit.”
“That’s nice.”
“You are impossible,” she said, clenching her fists beside her legs.
“If you wanted to, you could probably sue me.”
“Right now, I’d love to.”
“I’m serious. You fell in my home. I’m responsible for you.”
She dragged her eyes to mine. “No, you’re not. I fell because I’m a klutz and I stood on your bathroom counter.”
“Yeah, naked,” I said, smiling as I imagined her climbing up there in all her glory.
“Good afternoon.” The doctor walked in, likely hearing the last of our exchange. Paige’s cheeks darkened as she shook hands with him. I tried not to laugh as she told him the story of how she’d fallen. I really did.
“Which pharmacy do you use?” I asked Paige after loading her into the passenger side of my Jeep.
“I’ll fill those later. I want to go home now,” she said, looking out the window.
“Nope, I’m not dropping you off until you have these pain pills,” I said, backing up to pull out of the parking lot.
“I’m not taking them.”
Ready to hit my head against the steering wheel, I asked, “Why? You’re in pain. Take the damn pills.”