Chapter 5
Chapter Five
R iley almost never called in sick, but today she made an exception. Try as she might, she could not get Antony out of her head. Walking away from him felt utterly impossible, at least as long as he was such a mess.
While it was sometimes better to let a person work things out for themselves, Antony was so deep in his hole that he might not survive in order to get better.
She’d almost called Aspen this morning, to let her know about the food and the apartment, but Riley had resisted the urge. If she told Aspen what a mess her brother was in, and that he wasn’t just being a stubborn jerk, the whole clan of Harrison women would be jumping into that disgusting basement and Antony would never break free again.
She eyed him through her peripheral vision as they drove back to his place. His handsome profile was burned in her brain, as was the scowl on his face.But if he started to smile again, it would probably be too late. That ridge he was sporting had to have become a permanent line on his gorgeous face.
Her eyes drifted down toward his hands for the slightest of moments. Everything about him was tense right now, and he kept flexing his right hand. He clearly didn’t like being in her car. In fact, he hadn’t relaxed once since yesterday.
But it was unclear whether he was angry or in genuine pain. The burn scars probably still hurt. And wasn’t it true that burn pain could last for years? But Antony was also just angry in general right now, so which was it?
“Is your hand hurting?”
“What?” Antony’s head whipped in her direction, the crease between his eyes deepening.
Riley sighed. “You keep flexing your hand. Does it hurt? Or are you getting ready to smack me across the head?”
Antony shook his head and grumbled under his breath, refusing to answer her question. But the way he tucked his hand away made it obvious what was going on in his brain.
“You’re still handsome, you know,” she began. “Having a few scars doesn’t mean no one will find you attractive, or that you’ll never date again.” She glanced over, offering him a wide smile. “It’s the scowl I’d be worried about,” she teased. “That drives women away much more than a scar.” The following silence in the car was so thick that it was as if it were choking her.
Why was she such a dunce? They used to tease at work that she could charm a hungry polar bear into sitting still, but put her in front of a person? They were far more likely to eat her.
Clearing her throat, she regripped the wheel. “Sorry. Sometimes I talk too much.”
The only response was a snort.
It was better not to talk at all rather than continue to risk her dignity and sanity, so Riley kept her eyes on the road until she turned into the grocery store parking lot. “Here we are.” She paused before getting out. “I don’t have Griffin’s vest, but I’ve brought him through here before, so they’re aware he’s a working dog.”
“I don’t need a dog,” Antony muttered.
“Well, maybe he needs you,” Riley shot back. “Have you ever thought of that? No?” She huffed. “Maybe you’re not quite as intelligent as you think.” She jerked the door open and stepped out before Antony could respond.
He really was going to smack her upside the head if she wasn’t careful. At this point she should just start counting how many buttons she pushed and how short her life span was becoming.
“Come on, boy.” Riley opened the back door and grabbed Griffin’s leash. He dutifully followed, stepping around to follow her every lead. She brought him around to Antony just as he hefted himself out of the passenger seat. “He could help you with that, you know.”
“I don’t need his help.”
“Yeah.” Riley sighed. “You say that a lot.” She held out the leash. “Here.”
Antony set his jaw and shook his head. “I can’t take the dog and push a cart.”
“I’m pushing the cart,” Riley responded. “You take the dog. Let him get to know you.”
“I thought I wasn't intelligent enough to handle him?” Antony said with false sweetness.
“You’re not.” Riley smiled back with just as much sincerity. “That’s why I’m here.” It turned genuine when he looked away and muttered under his breath. “Your mama would wash your mouth out with soap if you spoke like that in front of her.”
Antony glared from under his thick lashes. “I have,” he retorted. “And fresh linen is delectable.”
Riley laughed so hard that she snorted, and that ridiculous blush rushed into her cheeks faster than she could catch her breath. “I wish I’d seen that,” she said through the last of her giggles.
Antony eyed her as if she had two heads but didn’t speak. Finally, he reached out and took the dog, looping the end of the leash around his wrist and settling onto his crutch. “Let’s go.”
Riley’s smile wasn’t going away any time soon. Try as he might, she was winning these battles, and it was starting to make her think that he didn’t really want to win. If he’d done more than simply growl at her last night, she would have walked away, hard as it would have been.
But he’d been all bark and no bite. He could’ve called the police. He could’ve talked to his landlord. He could’ve threatened Riley with all sorts of things. After all, he knew pretty much every embarrassing moment she’d ever had. That was the curse and blessing of growing up in small towns. Instead, he growled, grunted, and scowled but let her do exactly what she’d set out to do.
Her feet were light as they worked their way through the store, occasionally plopping things in the cart. Even the squeaky front wheel didn’t bother her, though it seemed to bother Antony, from the look on his face.
Scratch that, everything bothered Antony from the look on his face.
“Ramen. Really?” she asked.
Antony shrugged. “It’s easy.”
“It’s a heart attack in a bowl,” she countered.
Antony rolled his eyes upward and shook his head.
“You’re not a college kid, anymore,” she teased but didn’t remove the food. If it made him feel better, fine. But she was actually pretty sure he’d never eaten ramen, even in college. Antony had always been far too conscious of staying in shape. “Always took you for a protein shake type of guy.”
Antony cast her another sideways glance. “I suppose I was.”
“Was?” she challenged. “Not anymore?”
His lips thinned, and he turned away, rolling the shoulder under his crutch. “Are we about done here?”
Riley hid a sigh. Yeah, she needed to just be quiet. She’d already ruined so much between them, and though he probably thought she was going to walk away after getting him home, Riley had other ideas.
She couldn't walk away until seeing this through, and at the rate things were going, it would be a long while yet.
You’re still handsome, you know?
I love my family.
Normally, when he walked through the grocery store, Antony spent the entire time hiding behind his hair and pretending he didn’t notice the stares and whispered conversations that went on around him.
But today, his mind was too caught up in everything that Riley had been saying. Did she realize how those words sounded? Yeah, he was part of the Harrison family, and Riley had been friends with them since they were little, but there was something in her tone. Something that said it was more personal than that.
That she actually liked him , not just the family.
“What about these?”
Antony came to a stop, his inner mumblings quieting as he turned to Riley’s expectant face. “What?”
She pointed to the cart where a pack of protein shakes was lying in the bottom.
Antony frowned. “Who are those for?”
“You, of course.” Riley shrugged and smiled in that casual way of hers. Did she ever get depressed? She got rigidly stubborn, yes, but never cruel or angry. Why? How did she manage it? Was her life just that easy?
He huffed. With as beautiful as she was and her ability with animals and kindness in helping others, yeah…her life was probably pretty good.
Nothing like his disastrous one.
A cool hand landed on his scarred arm, and Antony automatically jerked away. Not that it hurt, but he didn’t want to see anyone’s reaction when they felt the ridges in his skin.
“Sorry,” Riley said too quickly. “Did I hurt you?” Her green eyes were wide, and worried and Antony shook his head.
“Uh, no. Just…I don’t like to be touched there.” He shifted uncomfortably on his crutch. He really should have brought the wheelchair. His armpit was getting tired as was his leg. What was he th inking? Even the stupid electric chairs that old people used were looking better and better.
He was thinking that he hated being lower than everyone else. It just added to the feeling that he was worth less than dirt now. If all he had was his pride, he was going to hold on with everything he had.
Riley frowned and tilted her head, the wheels clearly spinning, and it was clear she was seeing too much.
He shifted back, trying to break the tension building between them. He wasn’t some stray she’d taken in and needed to fix. All he needed was some groceries, and they could go back to his apartment, then she could leave forever.
Griffin whined and leaned into Antony’s good leg, Antony’s hand automatically dropping to rest on the dog’s head. He hated how much he was enjoying the quiet company of the dog. If Riley knew, Antony would never hear the end of it.
“Just…don’t freak out, okay?” Riley said softly, stepping closer.
Antony felt his eyes widen as his heart leapt into his throat. “W-what?” He backed up again, his heels hitting the shelves behind him. He winced, waiting for something to fall and hit him in the head, but he didn’t dare move because Riley was still coming closer.
She didn’t do anything until she was toe to toe with him, then her hand rose, trembling slightly.
Antony tried to turn away, to use his hair to block her, but her other hand came up as well.
“Antony,” Riley said in that same soothing tone from yesterday. With her right hand, she tucked his hair behind his ear, then cupped his face, one hand on either side.
Didn’t she feel the difference between the two? The back half of his right cheek was a shredded mess. Why was she touching it? Every time he looked in the mirror, it was a constant physical reminder that he wasn’t whole. Large mirrors showed his missing leg, but even small handheld mirrors showed his face. A face that girls had once swooned over. Now it made them duck their heads and scurry to the other side of the aisle .
“We’re in a grocery store,” he rasped, his voice harsh and low.
Riley nodded, her smile trembling like her fingers, but she stayed put. “I know.” Slowly, her thumb on her left hand began to caress his skin, rubbing gently over the scarring.
Antony’s breath stalled in his lungs. So few people had touched him after he’d escaped the hospital. His mother offered the occasional hug, and his sisters wanted to do the same, but Antony’s anger had kept them all at bay.
This, however, didn’t feel like being touched by a sister or a mother. It made Antony want to close his eyes and focus solely on the sensation. His scars were sensitive, but her touch was so soft that it was sending pleasurable shivers down his spine.
Griffin’s weight shifted again, and he huffed, the tiny movement shaking Antony free of the stupor that Riley had put him under.
Shaking his head, he stepped forward, forcing Riley back. “Leave it, Ri,” he grunted. “I need to get back.”
She opened her mouth, looking as if she would argue, but ultimately dropped the subject, that same smile popping back on her face. “So…do you want the protein shakes? For old time’s sake?”
Antony didn’t have the mental capacity to argue with her right now. Instead, he headed toward the cashiers. He jerked his head enough that his hair came out from behind his ear, blocking much of his face from the public.
Checking out was always the worst, since he couldn’t just turn away from the person working at the register.
“Hello, young Mister Harrison,” the elderly woman said with a small smile. Her eyes darted up several times, not quite meeting Antony’s own eyes.
“Hey,” he grunted. Turning around, he waited until Riley pushed the cart up enough that he could begin unloading his groceries, setting aside the stuff Riley had picked up for herself.
“How are you Ms. Evers?” Riley called over Antony’s head.
He worked to ignore the building conversation. No one wanted to talk to him anyway, and he was alright with that .
“What do you think, Antony?”
He paused, lifting his head just enough to look at Riley. “What?”
She laughed softly. “We were just discussing the merits of wet dog food versus dry.” Tilting her head playfully, Riley raised her eyebrows. “What do you think?”
Antony scowled, shook his head and looked back down at the conveyor belt. Who debated dog food?
“I use wet when I’ve got a female with a litter,” Riley continued as if Antony hadn’t just been incredibly rude. “Otherwise, I’m pretty content with the dry. Besides…” She shrugged. “I’m just grateful we have enough donations that I have supplies at all.”
Antony glanced up from under his hair to see Ms. Evers nodding sagely.
“One day you’ll have to tell me the craziest animal you’ve ever had at that shelter,” the woman said with a grin. “I’m sure you’ve got a few good stories.” She pushed a bag to the side. “All done, Antony.”
He nodded and began to pay, but his ears were perked. Riley probably did have good stories, and he was curious.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Riley said leaning over the conveyor belt as if she was imparting a great secret. “Second weirdest was the service monkey.”
Antony tried to hide his surprise, but he wasn’t sure he did a good job. Who the heck had a monkey as a service animal? He glanced down at Griffin, who wagged his tail and seemed to grin up at Antony. Antony rubbed the dog’s head.
“Second?” Mrs. Evers stammered. “What was the first?”
Riley’s smile widened. “The weirdest animal any of us deal with, Ms. Evers, is always people.”