Page 102 of On the Double

“That way,” I pointed to my right.

“Does it hurt?”

“Everything hurts,” I grumbled. “But I finally got a fish out of it.”

“High price to pay for a fucking fish. You could have just asked me for one. You didn’t have to take such drastic measures.”

“No pain, no gain,” I said as he slid his hand under my body and wrapped the other around me.

Gently, he shifted my weight. I wasn’t going to lie, I held my breath and closed my eyes for most of it, but when it was over, relief flooded me.

“Better?”

“Lots.” Except, now I had to pee. Fuck. “Um…I need you to roll me back.”

“But you just had me move you.”

“And now I need you to roll me back.”

He shot me an irritated glare. “Harper.”

“I need to pee, okay?”

“Then just say so,” he grumbled. “Do you think I don’t know that people other than me urinate?”

“I know you know, but we don’t know each other like that, and I never want you to know me so well that you know my pee schedule.”

“You have an actual schedule?” he asked, grinning at me.

“I could.”

“Lock would love you.”

He helped me to sit up, then got me to my feet. I sucked in a breath as the massive bruising on my side burned, but tried to hide how bad it hurt. The last thing I wanted was Edu to see me at my worst. Iwanted him to still see the woman he talked dirty to in bed. This was killing any fantasy he had of me. Soon, he would leave me for someone who didn’t have a sewn-up hole in her arm.

“You okay?”

“Of course I am,” I smiled.

“Why are you grimacing then?”

Was I? “It’s because I have to look at your face.”

“Wow,” he chuckled. “You’re kind of mean when you’re in pain.”

“I’m not in pain. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Is that why you needed help rolling over? Or why you’re trying to smile at me?”

“I’m not trying anything. And the only reason I needed help rolling over is because my arm doesn’t work.”

“Whatever you say, Pookie.”

I made it to the bathroom on shaky legs, and didn’t want to admit how relieved I was to sit on the toilet. I was way too tired to ever want to get up again, but I would push through it if it meant ensuring Edu wouldn’t see me as incapable of doing anything.

“Are you doing okay in there?”

“Geez, I’m just peeing. I’m fine!” I shouted, wincing as I held my side. Fuck, that really hurt.