her? At this point, she didn't know. She
settled for, "Neighbor."
"Boyfriend," Ben corrected with a frown for her
this time, the word making her heart skip. Boyfriend. She didn't know if enforced intimacy of a medical
nature qualified as a relationship, but. . .
They'd come back to that when she was stronger. For now she
looked to Jeff—the one most likely to cause trouble—and ignored the
wide-eyed looks passing between Mia, Derrick and Greg. "You saw him at the
party on New Year's."
Drawing himself up, Jeff scanned Ben from the top of his
disheveled hair to the bottom of his big bare feet. "Huh," he said.
"I most certainly did not." Then, taking in Ben's size and shape,
recognition dawned in his eyes. "Wait. The Hagrid wannabe?"
Allison rolled her eyes, and Ben's jaw visibly clenched, but
he didn't rise to the bait. Mia hurried into the tense silence, probably to
keep Jeff from speaking further.
"Alli, what happened?" she asked, worry crinkling
her forehead.
Explaining made her tired, and thirsty, but she got through
it. Derrick and Greg shook hands with Ben, and Mia hugged him tightly, though
Jeff remained aloof. Once the initial tension eased, Allison was able to
breathe more fully.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, even
though she thought she knew.
Mia confirmed her suspicions. "Your mom called Jeff,
who called me all in a dither, saying you were on your death bed and some
strange man was staying with you. I tried to explain, but he hung up on me, so
Derrick and I raced over here to keep him from ripping Ben's head off."
She cast an apologetic glance at Ben before continuing. "It's nice to
finally meet you, by the way." Facing Allison again, she said, "I do
want to know why none of us even knew you were sick, but luckily, we all got
here at the same time. Crisis averted."
Greg said, "I'm just along for the show," with a
wink for Ben.
Obviously bewildered, Ben spread his hands before him.
"I don't understand. I spoke with Helen myself, everything seemed
fine."
Jeff tcha' d
indignantly. "Of course she wouldn't let on how worried she was to you . Does she know you? No, she does not. Allison's her
baby girl, you could have been an axe murderer for all she knew."
"Oh, my Lord," Allison said under her breath. Mia
elbowed her gently in the side.
Thrusting his cell phone at Allison, his face turned
dramatically away from her, Jeff said, "Call your mother before she
harasses me into an early grave. You can explain to Helen why, in your moment
of need, you turned to a s tranger instead
of your own mother or your best friends in the world."
Wincing, Allison reached out to take the phone, but Derrick
snatched it from Jeff's grasp. "I'll do it," he said to Allison.
"You're in no condition to deal with her."
Glaring at Jeff, who crossed his arms and turned pointedly
away, Derrick took the phone and left the room. The words, "Helen? She's
fine. No, I'm here now," floated back to the crowded bedroom as he walked
down the hall toward the kitchen.
An awkward silence fell over the group. Standing up, Mia
held out a hand to Allison and offered to help her shower, so with one cautious
glance between Ben and Jeff, Allison agreed. Jeff pushed in front of Ben and
swept her into his arms to carry her into the bathroom, but she mouthed a
silent, "Thank you," to Ben over Jeff's shoulder, which seemed to
ease the look in his eyes. Greg gave her a shooing wave of his hand to indicate
they'd be fine.
In the bathroom, Jeff deposited her on the closed toilet
seat, then crouched in front of her, his hands on her cheeks. "Are you
really all right, honey?" he asked.
Nodding, Allison placed her forehead to rest against his.
"I am now. I'm sorry you were worried."
He hugged her gently, then kissed the top of her head.
"What's a little sheer terror between friends? Next time, call us, though,
okay?"
"There better not be a next time," she muttered.
"Just feel better, sweet pea. I love you."
Hugging him again, Allison closed her
settled for, "Neighbor."
"Boyfriend," Ben corrected with a frown for her
this time, the word making her heart skip. Boyfriend. She didn't know if enforced intimacy of a medical
nature qualified as a relationship, but. . .
They'd come back to that when she was stronger. For now she
looked to Jeff—the one most likely to cause trouble—and ignored the
wide-eyed looks passing between Mia, Derrick and Greg. "You saw him at the
party on New Year's."
Drawing himself up, Jeff scanned Ben from the top of his
disheveled hair to the bottom of his big bare feet. "Huh," he said.
"I most certainly did not." Then, taking in Ben's size and shape,
recognition dawned in his eyes. "Wait. The Hagrid wannabe?"
Allison rolled her eyes, and Ben's jaw visibly clenched, but
he didn't rise to the bait. Mia hurried into the tense silence, probably to
keep Jeff from speaking further.
"Alli, what happened?" she asked, worry crinkling
her forehead.
Explaining made her tired, and thirsty, but she got through
it. Derrick and Greg shook hands with Ben, and Mia hugged him tightly, though
Jeff remained aloof. Once the initial tension eased, Allison was able to
breathe more fully.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, even
though she thought she knew.
Mia confirmed her suspicions. "Your mom called Jeff,
who called me all in a dither, saying you were on your death bed and some
strange man was staying with you. I tried to explain, but he hung up on me, so
Derrick and I raced over here to keep him from ripping Ben's head off."
She cast an apologetic glance at Ben before continuing. "It's nice to
finally meet you, by the way." Facing Allison again, she said, "I do
want to know why none of us even knew you were sick, but luckily, we all got
here at the same time. Crisis averted."
Greg said, "I'm just along for the show," with a
wink for Ben.
Obviously bewildered, Ben spread his hands before him.
"I don't understand. I spoke with Helen myself, everything seemed
fine."
Jeff tcha' d
indignantly. "Of course she wouldn't let on how worried she was to you . Does she know you? No, she does not. Allison's her
baby girl, you could have been an axe murderer for all she knew."
"Oh, my Lord," Allison said under her breath. Mia
elbowed her gently in the side.
Thrusting his cell phone at Allison, his face turned
dramatically away from her, Jeff said, "Call your mother before she
harasses me into an early grave. You can explain to Helen why, in your moment
of need, you turned to a s tranger instead
of your own mother or your best friends in the world."
Wincing, Allison reached out to take the phone, but Derrick
snatched it from Jeff's grasp. "I'll do it," he said to Allison.
"You're in no condition to deal with her."
Glaring at Jeff, who crossed his arms and turned pointedly
away, Derrick took the phone and left the room. The words, "Helen? She's
fine. No, I'm here now," floated back to the crowded bedroom as he walked
down the hall toward the kitchen.
An awkward silence fell over the group. Standing up, Mia
held out a hand to Allison and offered to help her shower, so with one cautious
glance between Ben and Jeff, Allison agreed. Jeff pushed in front of Ben and
swept her into his arms to carry her into the bathroom, but she mouthed a
silent, "Thank you," to Ben over Jeff's shoulder, which seemed to
ease the look in his eyes. Greg gave her a shooing wave of his hand to indicate
they'd be fine.
In the bathroom, Jeff deposited her on the closed toilet
seat, then crouched in front of her, his hands on her cheeks. "Are you
really all right, honey?" he asked.
Nodding, Allison placed her forehead to rest against his.
"I am now. I'm sorry you were worried."
He hugged her gently, then kissed the top of her head.
"What's a little sheer terror between friends? Next time, call us, though,
okay?"
"There better not be a next time," she muttered.
"Just feel better, sweet pea. I love you."
Hugging him again, Allison closed her
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