Page 21 of Shattered

His tone was so matter-of-fact, so devoid of judgment, that it somehow made everything worse. Like my disaster was so obvious it didn’t even need commentary.

“You can’t just break into my house?—”

“Daniel asked me to check on you.”

“Daniel doesn’t get to make decisions about my life.”

“He’s just worried.”

“He’s overreacting! You all are!” I grabbed my phone, hobbled to my bedroom area for privacy, and hit Daniel’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Delia—”

“Did you send Axel to babysit me?”

A pause. “I asked him to check on you. There’s a difference.”

“No, there isn’t! I’m not a child who needs supervision!”

“You fractured your ankle dancing alone in an empty studio.” His voice was gentle but firm. That doctor voice that made everything sound reasonable even when it wasn’t. “You’re barely eating. You won’t answer my calls half the time. You’re shutting everyone out. Even Sarah. So I’m allowed to be concerned.”

“So you sent your best friend to spy on me?”

“I sent someone who cares about you to make sure you’re okay. Someone who has the time and resources to actually help.”

“I don’t need help!” I shout. “And he doesn’t care about me. Hepitiesme. I don’t need pity.”

“Delia.” He sighed, and I could hear the exhaustion in it. “I can’t be there. I have Mom to take care of, Aunt Maria needs support managing her care. Axel volunteered.”

“Volunteered,” I repeated, flat as concrete. “Daniel, do you really expect me to believe that a robot in a suit volunteered to help me out of the kindness of his heart? You must have him confused with an actual human being.”

“Yes.” He ignored me. “He came to your house because he knew you’d never go to his. He’s being charitable, and you’re being difficult.”

The words stabbed my heart with hurt. “Charitable.”

“That’s not—I didn’t mean it like that.” Daniel’s voice softened. “I mean he’s trying to help. And you’re making it harder than it needs to be.”

“Because I don’t want people hovering over me like I’m a mess!”

“You’re not a mess. You’re recovering.” He paused. “Please. Just let him help. For me. I need to know you’re okay so I can focus on Mom without worrying about you too.”

The guilt landed exactly where he knew it would. Daniel was trying to manage Mom’s declining health, his demanding career, and apparently me. And here I was making it worse by being stubborn.

“Fine,” I said through my teeth. “But I’m setting boundaries.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

I hung up before he could say anything else that made me feel like a petulant child.

When I hobbled back out, Axel was still unpacking groceries like he owned the place.

“Okay,” I said. “Daniel guilt-tripped me. You can stay. But there are rules. Only one, actually. If you’re staying, you sleep on the couch.”

“Alright.”

Why did he agree so easily to that? This was not how I thought his reaction would be.

“No pity. No hovering. And absolutely no telling Daniel every detail of my life.” I continued.