Page 20 of The Recovery Coach
“Don’t fucking sound so excited about it, asshole.”Hazy threw a balled-up napkin at Lover, who caught it before it could hit him and shot it like a basketball into the trash can.
“You should have let your mom come baby you.She loves that shit,” Lover said.
“You just want her to feed you every night for the next three months.If she comes over here, she’ll never leave.”
“It’s weird you don’t like your mom,” Beanie said.“She’s your number one fan and dotes on you, and you don’t appreciate it.”
Guilt surfaced and ate at Hazy’s stomach.Beanie’s mom had disowned him when he’d taken in his sister during her teen pregnancy.There hadn’t been room for mistakes in his family.All things considered, his own mom was pretty awesome.
“I do appreciate my mom.She’s just...a lot.Her expectations can be all-consuming.And I won’t be able to heal if she gets disappointed by every inevitable setback.”
“Okay, man,” Beanie said, his hands raised in surrender.“All I’m saying is, if she offered to help, you should let her help.”
“Plus,” Lover said, “her cookingisfantastic.I’d kill for her apple crumble.”
He had a point.Her apple crumble was delicious.
“She can send the recipe.It can’t be thathard.”
Beanie snickered.“You don’t own a mixing bowl.And you can’t stand.How would you make dessert?”
“I could figure it out, but I have bigger concerns.Now I have to ask Livy for help.”
Another knock came at the door, and the woman of the hour stuck her head in.Lover and Beanie took that as a cue to head out, and both men gave Hazy awkward hugs and pats on the shoulder before they left.They were no fucking help.
Chapter 7
Olivia
ValentineandBeanieshuffledout of Connor’s room, leaving Olivia alone with him for the first time since his injury.She’d forced herself to keep her distance throughout her workday.
Olivia waited for the door to shut behind the other Connors before she took a seat next to his bed.
“Why was that nurse so fucking mean to you last night?”
Based on the texting she’d been doing with his mom that day, that was not the question she’d expected to come out of his mouth.Olivia hesitated.Connor had a protective streak a mile long.If he found out how shitty her coworkers were being to her after her split with Lance, he would insist on helping.
If he fussed about their poor treatment, it could backfire.Olivia had overheard all about how she’d been cheating on Lance with Connor.She assumed that’s how he turned people against her and didn’t need to give the gossipy bitches anything else to run with.
“Amanda and I don’t get along.”There.The vague answer should suffice.He would understand workplace tiffs.
“But why?She forced you out when I needed you.”
Olivia’s stomach flipped, and she scolded herself.He was upset and wanted something—anything—familiar.She wasn’t special.“It’s not you.Amanda did what she thought was best for your care,” she fibbed.
Amanda had a right to kick her out, but itwasConnor.Amanda could be a bitch, but she was never cold to normal patients.She had a chip on her shoulder about Olivia’s supposed infidelity toward Lance.Oh, the irony.
Connor leaned his head back against his pillows, staring at the ceiling while he spoke, a telltale sign of his annoyance.“She was too mean to you.”
“She was doing her job.”
Connor jutted his bottom lip out like a petulant child before turning his pout into a brilliant grin and meeting her eyes.“I’m glad you’re here now, though.You’re way nicer.”
Olivia rolled her eyes.“You’re a little biased.”
“Oh, I’m a lot biased.But I am entitled to my opinion.”
Standing and gathering the coffee cups and burrito wrappers that had accumulated during the Connors’ visit, she said, “I’m glad you ate something.”
