haven't slept in a week, and you can barely walk.”
“I can walk,” he started to say immediately though he was still shaking, and Jeanine flicked her glasses off in one contemptuous move.
“I know you don't like to talk about yourself, but is it something with your family?” She crossed her arms, and for the smallest moment Charlie had the feeling he was being interrogated. He raised his chin. “Your love life?”
“I don't— ” Charlie shut his mouth but had to break her gaze. He felt his mouth twist down, but he managed to keep his voice level. “I don't have a love life.”
“And whose fault is that?” Jeanine snapped at him, and Charlie bit back the words that sprang to mind. His eyes were still on the ground, and he moved his hand from his hip to gesture at himself. Jeanine made a noise. “If you say your hip I will seriously consider strangling you.”
Charlie looked up, his mouth open before he recalled himself enough to close it. Beyond that he was frozen, staring down at her determined face, and then there was a new flush of heat at his cheeks. She'd wanted to say that for a while.
“Which would be nowhere near the ass-kicking you need to get moving.” Jeanine put her hands on her hips. She looked uncomfortable and defiant at the same time. Charlie breathed hard for a moment and then shook his head.
“I don't want... . You don't need to fuss over me. It'll be fine.”
“How about if I drive you home?” Jeanine wasn't as reassured as his sisters would have been at his firm words. The heat under his skin had nothing to do with the weather, but when Jeanine sighed and ran a hand through her hair, he looked away.
It was the middle of the day. There would be almost no traffic. The drive should be easy.
“I'm fine,” he answered, but he kept his eyes away while he dug out his keys. Jeanine made that noise again, and Charlie glanced back at her. “I don't want to bother you.”
“Really, Charlie, just let me make a call.” She stepped back into his space, and Charlie's fingers slipped on the keys before he found the alarm button to unlock the doors. He gritted his teeth and then had to shuffle to one side to open the door. He couldn't hide the quick way he stepped back in and tightened his hold on the car door, not with her right there, but he heard his voice rising.
“I'm fine .” He spoke through the pain. “I just need to catch up on my sleep.”
“Funny how you keep saying that.” Jeanine was calm, her eyebrows up as though she knew everything, when she didn't know a single thing about what this was like. As though everything was easy and he was just looking at it wrong. As though all it would take was some light comment or confession to make it all better. What did she want him to say, that he was in no shape to drive? That he was tired from his pathetically sleepless nights and couldn't hold back his anxiety at the thought of driving? What good would it do to admit that?
“Damn it,” he swore under his breath, but Jeanine heard it.
“Yes?” Her whole attitude said she wanted to hear all about how quiet his apartment was, how full it had seemed with someone like Will in it, and how stupid Charlie had been to kick him out. She even sounded eager like Will, as though what he said now mattered. “Something to say, Charlie?”
He looked at her again, into her face, and opened his mouth.
“Jeanine... just... .” He paused, not moving, and then lifted his head. His breathing was loud, shocking him before the words were out. “Shut up.”
He didn't feel the tight line at his forehead ease, barely felt the burn of standing in one position for too long. He should apologize, he knew that, part of him not believing that he'd actually said that out loud. But Jeanine didn't look close to tears; she didn't even look mad.
“Well,” she said finally, settling back on her heels. “I didn't know you had a temper.”
“Of course I do.” The snap in his own voice shouldn't have
“I can walk,” he started to say immediately though he was still shaking, and Jeanine flicked her glasses off in one contemptuous move.
“I know you don't like to talk about yourself, but is it something with your family?” She crossed her arms, and for the smallest moment Charlie had the feeling he was being interrogated. He raised his chin. “Your love life?”
“I don't— ” Charlie shut his mouth but had to break her gaze. He felt his mouth twist down, but he managed to keep his voice level. “I don't have a love life.”
“And whose fault is that?” Jeanine snapped at him, and Charlie bit back the words that sprang to mind. His eyes were still on the ground, and he moved his hand from his hip to gesture at himself. Jeanine made a noise. “If you say your hip I will seriously consider strangling you.”
Charlie looked up, his mouth open before he recalled himself enough to close it. Beyond that he was frozen, staring down at her determined face, and then there was a new flush of heat at his cheeks. She'd wanted to say that for a while.
“Which would be nowhere near the ass-kicking you need to get moving.” Jeanine put her hands on her hips. She looked uncomfortable and defiant at the same time. Charlie breathed hard for a moment and then shook his head.
“I don't want... . You don't need to fuss over me. It'll be fine.”
“How about if I drive you home?” Jeanine wasn't as reassured as his sisters would have been at his firm words. The heat under his skin had nothing to do with the weather, but when Jeanine sighed and ran a hand through her hair, he looked away.
It was the middle of the day. There would be almost no traffic. The drive should be easy.
“I'm fine,” he answered, but he kept his eyes away while he dug out his keys. Jeanine made that noise again, and Charlie glanced back at her. “I don't want to bother you.”
“Really, Charlie, just let me make a call.” She stepped back into his space, and Charlie's fingers slipped on the keys before he found the alarm button to unlock the doors. He gritted his teeth and then had to shuffle to one side to open the door. He couldn't hide the quick way he stepped back in and tightened his hold on the car door, not with her right there, but he heard his voice rising.
“I'm fine .” He spoke through the pain. “I just need to catch up on my sleep.”
“Funny how you keep saying that.” Jeanine was calm, her eyebrows up as though she knew everything, when she didn't know a single thing about what this was like. As though everything was easy and he was just looking at it wrong. As though all it would take was some light comment or confession to make it all better. What did she want him to say, that he was in no shape to drive? That he was tired from his pathetically sleepless nights and couldn't hold back his anxiety at the thought of driving? What good would it do to admit that?
“Damn it,” he swore under his breath, but Jeanine heard it.
“Yes?” Her whole attitude said she wanted to hear all about how quiet his apartment was, how full it had seemed with someone like Will in it, and how stupid Charlie had been to kick him out. She even sounded eager like Will, as though what he said now mattered. “Something to say, Charlie?”
He looked at her again, into her face, and opened his mouth.
“Jeanine... just... .” He paused, not moving, and then lifted his head. His breathing was loud, shocking him before the words were out. “Shut up.”
He didn't feel the tight line at his forehead ease, barely felt the burn of standing in one position for too long. He should apologize, he knew that, part of him not believing that he'd actually said that out loud. But Jeanine didn't look close to tears; she didn't even look mad.
“Well,” she said finally, settling back on her heels. “I didn't know you had a temper.”
“Of course I do.” The snap in his own voice shouldn't have
Similar Books
