rest of the ride down. When the doors opened, he sighed. “You’re right. I don’t know if you’ve got anyone here.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we made our way out of the elevator. “But if you do have someone here, or a million someones, they can’t be very good friends. I haven’t seen a single one here checking on you.”
Why the hell couldn’t he just back off and leave it alone? Why did he have to question everything? Why— why —did Henry Callahan still get under my skin when he shouldn’t get under or around or through anything of mine anymore?
“Changing the subject,” I said, giving him a warning look.
“And what if I don’t want to change the subject?”
I resisted the urge to shove him—mainly because I was still too weak to execute a proper shove. “And what if you don’t want me to bolt away from you this instant?”
“Bolt? I don’t think you’re in bolting shape.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more exasperated . . . “Could you do me a favor and just drop the subject? Please? I appreciate the offer, but I can’t come home with you—on a private jet or not—quite yet. I’m not ready.” I still have to dish out a little payback to a son of a bitch.
“Sure, I’ll drop the subject,” Henry answered. “Once you tell me why.”
The sliding doors opened, and we stepped into the courtyard. The fresh air and sunshine assaulted me, and I got too caught up in basking in them to let my irritation with Henry grow. “I have to stay because I haven’t finished what I came here for yet.”
“And you came here to finish what?”
“I could tell you . . . but I’d have to—”
“Kill me?” he guessed.
I shrugged. “Or cut off your tongue so you couldn’t speak and your hands so you couldn’t write.”
Henry smiled as we made our way to our bench in the center of the courtyard. “Good thing I’ve been practicing typing with my toes then. You know a tech guy like me needs to have a back-up plan.”
“Fine, I’d have to cut off your toes as well,” I said with an eye roll.
“Then it’s just as good a thing Callahan Industries has been working on an artificial intelligence that can decipher thoughts. You know, because a tech guy needs more than just one back-up plan.”
“Oh my god. Enough already,” I groaned, elbowing him.
After helping me maneuver my stiff, bruised body onto the bench, he sat beside me. “So nothing I can say, do, bargain with, or bribe you with will get you to fly back with me tonight?”
I closed my eyes and inclined my face toward the sky. The sun and fresh air were just as healing as the therapy and meds they were doling out inside the hospital walls. “There’s absolutely nothing. I started something here, and I’m going to finish it.”
“Yeah, when you say cryptic things like that, I’m not convinced you’ll be okay if I leave you by yourself.”
“You of all people should know I can take care of myself. I was good at it back when we were together, and I’ve only gotten better in the years since.” I soaked in a bit more sunshine before opening my eyes.
“You’ve always been good at taking care of yourself, that’s for sure.” Henry nudged me, looking not quite, but almost, sad.
“I had to be. The first half of our time together, I was checking over my shoulder for some hit man to take me out, and the second half I was waiting for your mom’s hands to reach for my neck,” I said dryly.
“My mom just takes a while to warm up to people. Her only son’s girlfriends especially.”
I huffed. “As long as you and I were together, your mom never warmed up half a degree to me. In fact, I’m positive she went from icy to frigid when it came to her feelings for me.”
Mrs. Callahan had had no qualms about making sure I knew I wasn’t welcome in her home, her life, or most importantly, her son’s life. That was part of the reason Henry and I rarely visited his home, a.k.a. the Callahan
Why the hell couldn’t he just back off and leave it alone? Why did he have to question everything? Why— why —did Henry Callahan still get under my skin when he shouldn’t get under or around or through anything of mine anymore?
“Changing the subject,” I said, giving him a warning look.
“And what if I don’t want to change the subject?”
I resisted the urge to shove him—mainly because I was still too weak to execute a proper shove. “And what if you don’t want me to bolt away from you this instant?”
“Bolt? I don’t think you’re in bolting shape.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t get any more exasperated . . . “Could you do me a favor and just drop the subject? Please? I appreciate the offer, but I can’t come home with you—on a private jet or not—quite yet. I’m not ready.” I still have to dish out a little payback to a son of a bitch.
“Sure, I’ll drop the subject,” Henry answered. “Once you tell me why.”
The sliding doors opened, and we stepped into the courtyard. The fresh air and sunshine assaulted me, and I got too caught up in basking in them to let my irritation with Henry grow. “I have to stay because I haven’t finished what I came here for yet.”
“And you came here to finish what?”
“I could tell you . . . but I’d have to—”
“Kill me?” he guessed.
I shrugged. “Or cut off your tongue so you couldn’t speak and your hands so you couldn’t write.”
Henry smiled as we made our way to our bench in the center of the courtyard. “Good thing I’ve been practicing typing with my toes then. You know a tech guy like me needs to have a back-up plan.”
“Fine, I’d have to cut off your toes as well,” I said with an eye roll.
“Then it’s just as good a thing Callahan Industries has been working on an artificial intelligence that can decipher thoughts. You know, because a tech guy needs more than just one back-up plan.”
“Oh my god. Enough already,” I groaned, elbowing him.
After helping me maneuver my stiff, bruised body onto the bench, he sat beside me. “So nothing I can say, do, bargain with, or bribe you with will get you to fly back with me tonight?”
I closed my eyes and inclined my face toward the sky. The sun and fresh air were just as healing as the therapy and meds they were doling out inside the hospital walls. “There’s absolutely nothing. I started something here, and I’m going to finish it.”
“Yeah, when you say cryptic things like that, I’m not convinced you’ll be okay if I leave you by yourself.”
“You of all people should know I can take care of myself. I was good at it back when we were together, and I’ve only gotten better in the years since.” I soaked in a bit more sunshine before opening my eyes.
“You’ve always been good at taking care of yourself, that’s for sure.” Henry nudged me, looking not quite, but almost, sad.
“I had to be. The first half of our time together, I was checking over my shoulder for some hit man to take me out, and the second half I was waiting for your mom’s hands to reach for my neck,” I said dryly.
“My mom just takes a while to warm up to people. Her only son’s girlfriends especially.”
I huffed. “As long as you and I were together, your mom never warmed up half a degree to me. In fact, I’m positive she went from icy to frigid when it came to her feelings for me.”
Mrs. Callahan had had no qualms about making sure I knew I wasn’t welcome in her home, her life, or most importantly, her son’s life. That was part of the reason Henry and I rarely visited his home, a.k.a. the Callahan
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