Page 3 of Reckless Kisses
“Don’t be silly, darling,” Mom said.“Amy texted to ask me if your dad or I needed anything else, so I told her.”
“Know what?”Dad said.“We’ve been here long enough.Let’s all go.Knox needs his rest, and we can see him again in the morning.”
Mom nodded.“Sure.”Then she looked at me.“You need to get some sleep, dear.Let your body heal.”
“Oh no, don’t leave on my account,” Amy said.“Oh my gosh, I didn’t want to bother you all.I just figured...”She swallowed hard, running her hand through her hair.
She did that when she wasn’t sure what to say.I took her in as she stood in the cramped room.Amy had always been attractive, but she’d become sexier over the years.Her blonde hair was even longer than usual, and it suited her.
“It’s not because you’re here, Amy,” Dad assured her.“But it’s not good for Knox to have so many visitors at once, and we’ve been here long enough.It’s your turn now.”He looked at me.“Son, will you let us know if we can help with anything?”
I nodded once, not wanting to move my head too much.“Sure, Dad.Don’t worry, I’ll convince the doctor to let me go home tonight.”
“Ha ha.Fat chance,” Finn said.“That woman is sexy as hell and looks like the friendliest person on the planet, but...”His smile dropped.“She’s not.I tried to persuade her to let us in earlier, and she refused.”
I chuckled.“Good to know she’s not only resisting my charm but yours too.I was starting to think the accident had affected my flirting skills.”
“Well, not to be a downer, Knox, but that shiner you’re sporting is gonna get worse in time,” Finn said with a wince.
“Enough of this,” Dad said.“Let’s all head out.”
It was bizarre to see my dad as the head of the family again.He and Mom had divorced when we were kids, but now they’d gotten back together—not married, but living in the same house.Some days, I still couldn’t wrap my head around that.Judging by Finn’s reluctant expression, neither could he.
Amy stood by as they all left the room.As soon as we were alone, she asked, “They’re not leaving on my account, are they?Maybe I should go too.”
“Have you met the Sterlings before?”I joked.“They don’t do anything on anyone else’s behalf.”She laughed, and I said, “Stay awhile.I’m waiting to hear some test results, so you’ll help make the time go by.”
She rushed to the side of my bed, sitting down on it.“Okay, then.How are you feeling?”
I didn’t want to lie to her.Amy and I had been very close friends in college, but lately, we hadn’t seen each other much.It had been pure happenstance that I’d run into her this morning at my parents’.
“I’m okay, but not perfect.My vision’s swimming when I read.And if I move too much, I feel a little dizzy.”
“That sucks.”Her phone beeped just then.She glanced at it quickly before putting it in her bag.
“Need to go?”
“No, no.That was just my date.”
Fuck!I’d forgotten about her date.This morning, I’d asked her to spend the afternoon together, and she said she couldn’t make it because she had plans.They must’ve been out when she heard about my accident and rushed here.
“How did that go?”I asked.
She shrugged.“Boring as hell.Honestly, I was looking for an excuse to leave early, and when I found out about the accident after I’d texted your mom, I seized the chance and left.”She then told me where they’d gone, and I could see why she wanted to get away.That bar used to be popular, but now it’s a dump.
“Good to know my being in a hospital is an acceptable excuse to ditch your date.”I winked at her, and she blushed.Actuallyblushed!
“It sounds terrible when you put it like that.”
I felt victorious!Which surprised me.What the hell?Amy and I had known each other for about eleven years, and we’d always been friends.Justfriends.I’d wanted to cross the line more than once, but I’d always kept my distance because Amy wasn’t like me.She wanted different things in life.
So why was I happy that she’d abandoned her date?
“I guess I should have taken you up on your offer to spend the afternoon together.That way you wouldn’t have gotten into an accident.”
“And you wouldn’t have had a bad date.”
“That’s debatable,” she teased.“Who said you’d be good company?”
