His frown stayed intact. If someone would have told me that a mere facial expression could hurt my feelings so much, I might not have believed them. I believed now. Harper’s angry expressions just made me want to cry.
Studying me for another scrutinizing second, he sighed, recognition filtering his eyes. “You’ve been all by yourself, huh? Toughing it out alone this whole time?”
I nodded, a tear escaping and a hiss of breath leaving him as he huffed a resigned sigh, “Okay. Tell you what. Make me a deal, okay?”
“A deal?”
“Mhmm,” he started. “Let’s get you settled first and see what we can do about a doctor, then you can ask me anything you want, yeah?”
“Anything?” I asked.
A knuckle slipped along my cheek to dry my one fallen tear. “Anything, Boss. If it’ll put that pretty smile back on your face, then consider it answered alright? But only after we take care of you. Can we make that deal?”
That fast, I felt better. I sniffled and leaned into his warm hand again. “Why are we always communicating in deals?”
He smiled, though it was weak and didn’t quite reach his eyes as he shrugged. “Guess it’s in our roots.”
Roots.
For a second, I was filled by the word. The prospect that the twoof us could have roots meant that we were a formed entity now. But a feeling akin to a deflating balloon took over my heart soon after.
If that was the case though, weren’t our roots all screwed up? Harper and my origin story seemed more like a gimmick rather than something planted in deep soil.
“Guess so,” I agreed, feeling just as miserable as before. The reminder that the only reason he and I were anything at all was because of a negotiated deal cut at me for the first time since we made it. At first, it was fun and exciting, but all at once the realization that he would never come near me in other circumstances wasn’t quite so easy to swallow.
“Alright.” he said, barely noticing my mood. Giving that thermometer way too much credit, he barely managed to part ways with it to set it on the counter as he stood. “Shower time, Boss.”
I hated him.
My teeth chattered as cool water hit me like pellets of rain. I wasn’t even naked, a warning given by the man holding me hostage in this cool shower made sure of that. I had trusted him, even when he told me to leave my sleep shorts and long sleeve on as I stepped into the tub. Even when he held my shoulders and gave me the most sympathetic look I’d ever seen on him. Even as he told me outright, “Don’t hate me after this sweetheart. It’s not gonna be fun,” I still didn’t think it would be that bad.
He had warned me, and yet I still hated him.
“Can I get out now?” I shivered.
“Two more minutes,” he said
“I’ve been in here for two hours,” I breathed.
“You’ve been in for three minutes, Boss. Tamp the dramaticsand suck it up,” he said it like he was making a joke, but I was beginning to think he wasn’t. I was beginning to think I was finally seeing a grumpy Harper.
Or was this even Harper at all?
“I don’t like this side of you,” I pouted.
“I don’t like you with a one hundred and two fever and asking nobody for help. We all have our grievances,” he grumbled.
I sighed. It turned into a shiver and I felt my knees start to wobble beneath me. “Gus?”
He was looking at his watch, timing this frozen hell to the very minute, but the use of my least favorite name of his snapped his gaze up to me.
“Shit,” he hissed just as I began to tumble. A second later, I was against his chest. Soaking wet, he lifted me out of the shower and carried me over to the vanity where he sat me down.
“Towels?” he asked, hands on my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered.
“C-closet,” I gestured with my chin to the linen closet in the corner of the bathroom and he peeked over his shoulder to locate it.
He didn’t let me go. His hands rubbed up and down my shoulders in soothing motions as he stared into my eyes, commanding me with just a look alone. “Stay up right, you hear me? Don’t fucking fall.”
