Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“I really wish you’d stop apologizing,” she told him. “It’s making me feel a bit weird.”
“Um, yeah. Right. Let’s, um, just get you back to bed. Yeah?” He reached out to take her hand.
Immy had to fight hard to let him. Because she was feeling so weird about all of this. But at the end of the day, Jenner was her best friend and she didn’t want to lose him.
Perhaps this was why she shouldn’t get involved. Why he’d never taken that step with her . . . because he knew it could ruin things between them.
Had she ruined things between them?
Because this was all on her. She’d kissed him. This was all her fault.
So she pushed herself to take his hand and let him lead her upstairs to her bedroom. All of the drapes and blinds were closed like usual. Her bedroom was well lit as he stepped inside and walked her over to the bed.
It was like he was moving automatically, without any real thought as he tucked her into bed and then leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“Jenner?” she whispered as he straightened.
“Yes?”
“We’re okay, right?”
He smiled. “Of course we are, baby. I can’t ever imagine a situation where we wouldn’t be okay. Sleep well.”
He said all the right things. Did the right things.
But she would have felt a lot better if he’d looked her in the eyes as he said that.
21
Something was wrong with Immy.
And Tobias thought it had everything to do with Jenner. They were both acting . . . weird.
Tobias sat at the kitchen island as Immy made dinner. Sampson was sitting next to him, tapping on his phone.
That’s when Jenner walked in. He froze as he saw Immy. He didn’t even seem to notice the two of them.
“Uh, sorry for interrupting,” Jenner said.
“You weren’t interrupting,” Immy replied. “Did you need something? I was just finishing dinner.”
“No, no, I don’t need anything.”
“Good. Good.” She grabbed out a chopping board, putting it on the counter. “Glad you don’t need anything.”
“Are you watching this?” Tobias whispered to Sampson.
“What the fuck is going on with them?” Sampson grumbled. “Jenner has been doing his best to avoid Immy, kind of hard to do when she’s his assistant.”
“Yeah, I think Immy is doing the same.”
Sampson sighed. “Something happened. And both of them are in fucking denial. This is not what we need.”
No. Especially as Immy was getting paler and more worn looking with each day that passed. He was worried about her.
“Shit,” Sampson said quietly before grabbing a dollar out of his pocket and putting it in the swear jar. “Immy doesn’t look good. She been taking her medication?”
“I guess so,” Tobias replied.
“You guess?” Sampson snapped.
“I don’t actually live in the house,” Tobias reminded him.
“Motherfucker,” Sampson muttered without any real heat. Then he got to his feet and walked around to pick up Immy’s pill dispenser. He glanced over at Immy and Jenner who were still doing their ‘talking but not looking at each’ dance.
“Immy, you taken medication today?” Sampson asked.
Immy immediately started shifting her weight from foot to foot. “I think so?”
“You haven’t,” Sampson snapped.
“Immy,” Jenner said in a low, scolding voice. “You need to take your medication. You know that.”
Shit.
Wrong tactic to take, man.
Immy’s gaze narrowed, her face filling with temper. Tobias braced himself for her explosion. Instead, the knife she’d been holding slid through her fingers.
Fuck!
Did she just cut herself?
“Immy!” Jenner cried, jumping forward to grab her around the hips. He picked her up and set her on the counter. Tobias rushed around the island to check on Immy. Jenner was speaking to her in a low, calming voice as he studied her hand. She’d managed to slice the top of her hand open. But it didn’t look that bad.
“Oh, baby. Look what happened,” Jenner crooned. “My poor girl.”
“Hurts,” she whimpered. “I don’t like the blood.”
“I know you don’t. I’m going to get it all cleaned up. Sampson, grab the first-aid kit,” Jenner demanded in a frantic voice.
Hmm. Seemed an overreaction for a small cut.
Tobias fought the urge to push him away and take over. Instead, he studied Immy closely. He saw the way that she stared at Jenner longingly.
Fuck.
He was confident enough to believe that he could make her want him. But would she always have that longing inside her for Jenner?
Jenner finished doctoring her up, then he kissed the top of her hand before freezing. There was a strange look on his face.
One of anguish and fear.
And then he walked out of the kitchen.
“What. The. Fuck! Where does he think he’s going?” Sampson snarled. “Gonna have a word with him.”
“Don’t,” Immy said. “Please, just leave him alone.” Then she slid off the counter and took off as well.
What the fuck was that?
Ten minutes later, Tobias found himself knocking on Immy’s door. He knew that he should likely leave her alone. But he couldn’t stop worrying about her.