Chapter 2
I feel my jaw drop as she leaves me standing there with an eye roll. I never thought I’d see the day where little Sloane Callahan would roll her eyes at me. I can’t say I knew what to expect from her, given I haven’t seen her in years. I can definitely say I was not expecting an eye roll, though.
Or for her to look so, so . . . grown up.
She has grown quite a bit since the last time I was in the same room with her, over seven years ago.
I’d say if she’s not eye to eye with my six-foot-one-inch frame, she’s not far from it, and it’s all shapely legs.
I have to admit, she grew up to be a gorgeous woman, with all that long dark-brown hair.
She’s gorgeous, and wicked smart, from what Ronan has been saying about her over the years. Not that I didn’t already know that.
“You coming in, Liam, or you just gonna stand there?” Ronan asks, giving me a look I can’t decipher. Shit, I don’t even see Sloane anymore. How long have I been standing here not moving?
Awkwardly closing the door behind me, I hobble my way into the living room, trying to hide my wince at every step I take.
Sitting in the car for an extended period of time was not a good idea.
My leg is throbbing and the scars are pulling like they never have before at every step. I need my pills and a bed.
I make my way further into the house and my jaw drops as I take in the dozens upon dozens of plants littering every wall, window, and available space in the living room, taking my mind off my pain for a split second.
“She might have a slight obsession,” Cassie explains. “Your room is down the hall. And before you ask, yes, it has plants. Just go with it.”
There’s no way in hell I’m living in a room full of plants.
Leading me down the hall at a slow pace, past what looks like a home office, a bathroom, and what I’m assuming is Sloane’s bedroom, Cassie pushes open the last door on the right . . .
You have got to be fucking kidding me. The kid has plants everywhere. She’d better not expect me to take care of these, and she better not expect to be allowed in my room—
She better come get these out of here—now.
I hate having people in my space. It’s bad enough I have to live with her, but there are going to have to be boundaries set somewhere, and this will be one of them.
“You have got to be fucken kidding me,” I mumble to myself, taking a slow turn, observing my new room.
“Got a problem?” I hear from behind me. Turning to look at the door, I see Sloane leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over her chest with a raised eyebrow challenging me to complain about the room.
“Don’t expect me to take care of these. And don’t expect to be allowed in here to care for them. You might as well take them out right now,” I say in a gruff voice.
Instead of being mad, or telling me to get the fuck out of her house, she laughs. And for some reason, her laughter pisses me off more than it should. Turning away from her, I feel my jaw tighten.
“Yeah, okay,” she finally says. “My house, my rules, buddy. You’d best remember that I’m the one doing you a favor here, so if I want to water my plants, I will water my plants.”
Buddy? Who the hell does she think she is calling me buddy? And she’s not doing me a favor? She’s doing this for her brother. And I’m paying her rent, so she can calm down on her house rules. She’s not allowed in here.
Who cares if she might look like my fantasy come to life, and all I can think about is wrapping my hand around her hair as I plunge my cock down her throat, fucking the sass right out of her . . .
“Fuck,” I mumble out loud, again, before giving my head a good shake, making me sway on my crutches. Where did that thought come from?
“Don’t shake too hard, you don’t want to give yourself a brain injury on top of everything else.
” Turning, I see Ronan is now leaning against the door frame, taking his sister—his younger sister’s—spot.
If he knew the thoughts that had just crossed my mind, he’d definitely be giving me a brain injury.
Shaking my head again, I turn to face him.
“Have you texted your sibling group chat to let them know you arrived safe and sound?” he asks.
“Not yet, no.”
“Well, you do that. Cassie just put away your groceries, brought your toiletries to the bathroom, and here’s your duffle bag.
We’re going to head out in a few minutes.
We have a long drive ahead of us and Cassie has a few patient appointments tomorrow that she couldn’t move.
If it wasn’t for that we would stay the night, but we’re going to have to hit the road in the next few minutes so we don’t get home too late. ”
He feels bad for not staying longer, it’s written all over his face, but he shouldn’t.
He’s done so much for me already. I have five siblings and two hovering parents, yet he took care of everything.
My parents have been travelling a lot, thanks to my younger brother, Levi.
They were in town when the accident happened and they offered to cancel their upcoming trip but I couldn’t ruin that for them.
They deserve the adventure and freedom after raising the five of us and having my siblings scattered all over the country—the world really.
My best bet was to put Ronan down as my emergency contact.
I never thought he would have to act on it, but here we are.
He did it all, from scheduling appointments, setting up my physiotherapy, taking time off, spending nights with me at the hospital, even making his younger sister let me move in for the next few months.
And I know she doesn’t want me living here.
Not after what happened the last time I saw her.
“It’s fine. You—both of you, have done enough already. More than enough,” I say, hobbling the few steps until I’m in front of him, offering him my hand.
He looks down at my hand as if it bit him, before shaking his head at me with a small laugh as he pulls me in for a hug, not caring that my crutches are digging into both of us.
“Don’t worry about it. I know you’d do the same for me or Cassie or Sloane if anything were ever to happen to any of us.
Anyhow, we’ll be back in a few weeks. Cassie was able to get a few days off so we’re gonna be coming here for a few days. ”
With a nod of my head, I turn my back to him, facing the pristine white bed with a few viney plants hanging above it.