Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3) (14 page)

“Sorry, that was
a bad way of phrasing it. I was referring to few months ago when you said if a
man couldn’t appreciate me, then to hell with him, get a good vibrator and
glass of wine.”

I could see when
recognition of her own advice dawned on her. “Ah. I take it things aren’t going
well with Colby?”

I told her
briefly about me calling him on his date. “Maybe now isn’t the right time.
Maybe it’s like you and Brian, and we need to continue to be friends a while
longer.”

“You need a
break from the feelings, don’t you?”

I knew she’d
understand. “Yeah. I do. Because do you know what the definition of insanity
is?”

She shook her
head, probably thinking I was crazy at the moment for my random question.

“It’s the
continuation of doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different
results each time.”

“What is?” Colby
questioned, coming into my room with my brother. With coffees in hand, they’d
obviously heard the tail end.

I decided the
truth would do. “The definition of insanity.”

“How’d that come
up?”

His green eyes
were laser focused on mine as if he knew I was talking about him. “Take your
pick, but I’m tired of the cycle. That’s why I can’t wait for my internship.
Oh, shit. I’ll still be able to do it despite this, right?” I motioned to my
ankle and wrist.

Brian sighed.
“We’ll talk to your doctor and go from there. Okay?”

***

Later in the
afternoon when my doctor came in to speak to me, he unfortunately didn’t have
good news. Sasha squeezed my good hand while Brian asked a bunch of questions.
Colby stood to the side, his expression unreadable. I tuned out after he’d
started talking about weeks of recovery time, which included physical therapy
and not being able to drive. Hell, I wouldn’t be able to do much of anything
since both my right hand and foot were injured.

I watched numbly
as the doctor walked out with my brother, discussing what time I could be
discharged.

When Brian came
back in, his eyes were sympathetic. “I could call this record producer and ask
him if there’s any chance he’d postpone or maybe he could make some sort of
allowance?”

My voice was
resigned, and it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. “Thanks,
but there’s no way they’ll do that. There were a thousand other people who applied
for this job who can start on Monday. Making an exception when I’d be of no use
to anyone is too much to ask. I can’t even drive myself there, so I’ll call the
HR lady tomorrow and tell her the news.”

 “I’m sorry, sis.
I know it meant a lot to you.”

It was as if I’d
found a hole in the life raft I’d been clinging to after my mother had sunk the
big ship. “I, um, I’m gonna call the nurse and get more pain meds, then take a
nap.” I needed a moment to get my emotions together without totally breaking
down in front of everyone.

“Okay, we’ll let
you get some sleep.”

Colby appeared
hesitant to leave but finally walked out when the nurse came in to give me the
narcotic. I breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him.

“Boyfriend,
honey?” Nurse Charlotte asked.

I was grateful
for her continued presence. “Nope. Just, a friend.” To my embarrassment, that
statement seemed to break the dam of tears. In general, I was a positive person
making the most of bad situations, yet this latest twist had completely
defeated me.

“Aw, I’m sure
it’s overwhelming now, but there’s a lot to feel grateful for. You’re getting
out of here tonight, and your injuries could’ve been a whole lot worse.”

I sniffed,
wiping my eyes with the tissue she handed me. “You’re right, and this pity
party needs to stop, but I have no idea how to get beyond the fact that, at the
moment, my life sucks.”

She smiled
kindly. “Sometimes life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself too much, do you know what I do?”

“What’s that?” I
welcomed the advice.

“I head on down
to the Children’s Hospital to volunteer. Some of those kids are there for
months and months battling cancer yet manage to keep smiling. I go home and
ball my eyes out for what they’re facing. But it certainly helps put things
into perspective to give back to people who are in a worse situation than you
are.”

“What types of
things do you do when you volunteer?”

“You could help
pass out gifts or play games. Or if only you sang, because with your long blond
hair, you’d make a heck of Disney princess. People dress up as superheroes or
Disney characters, and the kids especially love that.”

“I do sing.” And
for some reason, the thought of performing in front of kids wasn’t giving me
the same heart palpitations that singing in front a crowd normally did.

“Before you
leave, I’ll write down the contact information of a colleague of mine who works
there. By the way, when I was searching for your phone, I went ahead and tucked
your other, uh, purchase in the side pocket in case you didn’t want anyone else
to see it.”

My cheeks
flamed, and then I giggled, remembering my little vibrator. “Thanks for
preventing a potentially awkward moment if my brother were to go through my
purse. You’re a lifesaver, Charlotte.”

“You’re welcome,
honey. By the way, your friend is back.”

Glancing towards
the door, I spotted Colby coming in, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I wiped
my tears the best I could but knew he’d seen them.

“Your brother
and Sasha headed back to my place to get some sleep and take showers.”

“That’s good.
They’ve gotta be tired. You’re probably exhausted, too.”

“I’m fine, but I
have something to talk to you about.”

I started to
feel the fuzziness from my meds take hold. “Okay, but fair warning, you have
about five minutes before I pass out.”

“With all of
your doctor appointments and then physical therapy, you’ll need someone to
drive you, plus a place to recover.”

I let out a
breath, hardly believing I was about to say this out loud. “I know. That’s why
when I wake up, I’m calling my mother to tell her I’m moving home.”

Colby looked
like he couldn’t believe those words had come out of my mouth. Hell, neither
could I.

“You don’t want
to move home, Kenz.”

“No, I don’t,
but I’m smart enough to recognize when it’s time to admit defeat.”

“You can’t. I
won’t let you.”

“Don’t you see?
I put it out there that I was hell-bent on becoming independent, and the
universe answered by hitting me with a fucking Toyota Corolla. I can’t think of
a more obvious sign than that.”

His PDG was off
the charts. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

I sighed, trying
not to get distracted. “It’s only temporary until I can literally get on my
feet and figure out what to do next.”

He shook his
head. “You can move in with me. I already discussed it with your brother.”

Were
hallucinations a side effect of the drugs? Because I thought he’d said I could
move in with him. “What?”

“I said you can stay
with me.”

“No way.” I was
no expert, but I was reasonably sure
Tips To Get Over a Guy
didn’t
include this as an effective strategy.

He appeared
mildly offended. “Why not?”

I swallowed
hard, not wishing to sound ungrateful, but it wasn’t like I could tell him the
truth. “I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, but the last thing I want is for
you to have to take care of me.”

“It’s only for a
few weeks; then you’ll be up and around.”

It would be
absolute torture to live with the man, seeing as I couldn’t get thoughts of our
last kiss out of my head. “What did Brian have to say?”

“He thought
you’d rather stay with me temporarily out here in LA than move back to
Charlotte with him.”

That was true.
The thought of having to travel across the country and move in with my brother,
who was trying to manage a long distance relationship with his girlfriend,
sounded even less appealing than residing temporarily with Colby.

 “It’s not like
I don’t have the space.”

I sighed, aware
he had a four-bedroom mansion in Santa Monica. “You have your company to run.”

“I have
flexibility to work from home for a few days plus I’ll ensure you have a driver
for those times I’m unable to take you for appointments.” His voice sounded
hopeful.

“Wouldn’t I
cramp your nighttime activities?”

He shook his
head. “I don’t have parties at my house any longer. Too much work to set up and
clean up.”

“I didn’t mean
parties, I meant your dates. Won’t having a girl living with you, uh, interrupt
your plans?” Because it would absolutely kill me if he brought a woman home to
his bedroom with me in the house.

He looked
uncomfortable. “I don’t bring women back to my house. Anyhow, I’ll get the
master bedroom ready for you as it’s on the main floor, and you’d have a
bathroom that’s easily accessible.”

“But I don’t
want to—”

He held up a
hand as if knowing I was going to finish the sentence with ‘be a burden.’ “You
wouldn’t be. Please say yes. I’ve gotta be better than living at home with your
mother.”

He had a point. As
far as getting over him, I could still try with baby steps, right? “Okay. For a
couple of weeks until I get through the initial appointments.”

***

By the time I
was discharged, it was late in the afternoon. With both my brother and Sasha in
the car, Colby drove us all in his Land Rover to his house in Santa Monica.
Exhaustion from the short trip started to set in, so I was thankful once we
pulled in front of his gated driveway.

I’d only been to
his house a couple of times over the last few years, but it didn’t fail to
impress every time. It was sleek and modern with a large garage that I knew
boasted some of the toys he liked to drive.

Brian was about
to help me out of the car with my crutch; however Colby didn’t hesitate in
scooping me up into his arms.

My gaze traveled
to Sasha’s face, where she raised a brow at the action as I tried to hide the
blush at being carried intimately in his arms. But, in glancing at my brother,
he didn’t seem to think anything was out of the ordinary when Colby strode
through his spacious living room with me tucked against him.

Looking around,
I noticed the furniture throughout the house was chrome and modern. The type
that most likely cost a fortune but was probably uncomfortable. Once in his
master bedroom, however, the style changed to something more practical.

When he put me
in the middle of his massive king-sized bed, I started to feel the painkiller
I’d swallowed in the car take effect. I glanced around the large room with the
deep blue and gray hues, appreciating the masculine, yet soothing, ambiance.

My eyes felt
heavy while my brother’s voice was starting to penetrate my fuzzy brain.
“What?” I was starting to fade.

“What do you
need from your apartment? Sasha and I are heading there now to get your stuff, then
we’ll go pick up your car.”

“Clean laundry
is in the basket on the couch and my suitcase is in my bedroom. My laptop and
phone charger are on my desk. That’s all I can think of for now.”

“It’s okay. We
can always go back for anything we missed.”

“All right.” The
answer sounded thick on my tongue as I let myself succumb to the beautiful
abyss that was Vicodin.

***

Immediate pain
in my ankle and wrist hit me when I opened my eyes in the darkened bedroom. It
took a moment before I remembered where I was. Colby’s house. Colby’s bedroom.
Colby’s bed.

Turning my head
into the pillow, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, nearly groaning with his
scent. Jesus, it smelled delicious, just like him. Oh, yeah, getting over him
was going exceedingly well thus far. I swear I’d have more luck giving up
sarcasm, which spoke volumes considering how attached I was to that particular
form of expression.

“Are you in
pain?” came the voice of the object of my thoughts.

My eyes snapped
open, and I was glad for the semidarkness that hid my flush.

He was seated in
a chair as if he’d been waiting on me to wake up.

“Uh, I’m okay.
What time is it?”

“After eight
o’clock. You made a noise. Are you positive you’re feeling all right?” He stood
up, stretching as though he’d been cramped up in the chair while I’d been
napping.

When his shirt
rode up, he revealed his taut abs. Unfortunately, that vision caused another
involuntary sound from me. The universe obviously wasn’t done screwing with me
yet.

He crossed over
to the bed in a hurry. “You are in pain. Hold on, I’ll get you some more
pills.”

I was in agony
all right, but not the kind a pill could cure. “Uh, no, they make me pass out.
I have Motrin, though, which should dull the ache; then I can at least eat
something. Are Brian and Sasha back?”

“Yeah, they
returned about an hour ago. Your car is parked at your apartment, and your
suitcase is on the other side of the bed.” He leaned down, putting his hand to
my forehead. “You feel a little warm.”

My face heated
even further. No, no, no. I refused to sit here pathetically turned on by his
hand on my forehead. Time to get up and splash cold water on my face or
something. “I’m good. Can you hand me my crutch?” Unfortunately, with the one
bum hand, I could only use a single crutch to get around.

He frowned
slightly while handing it to me. “What are you doing?”

“I, um, need to
use the bathroom.”

“Oh, right.
Sorry. Do you want some help?”

I stood, not
sure how to answer his question.

“I, uh, I meant
I could get Sasha. You know what, I’ll make sure you’re good on your feet, then
leave you to some privacy. What sounds good for dinner? You prefer pizza,
Chinese, Thai?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking embarrassed.

“No, I’m fine,
thanks. As for food, I’m good with whatever.”

A short time
later when I came out into the living room, I found three people hovering over
me instantly. I finally laughed.

“Look, guys, I’m
okay. I appreciate everything, I really do, but I just want to sit down to
relax and have you guys talk about something other than the accident or what
you can get me.”

***

Brian and Sasha
stayed two more days before heading home. I could tell my brother was hesitant
to leave me, but Colby assured him I was in good hands.

My brother and I
disagreed somewhat about letting my mom at least know about my accident, however
as fate would have it, she’d left on the day I’d come home from the hospital to
visit her sister in Toronto, which meant I had at least another week’s
reprieve. I certainly didn’t want to ruin her visit or, more to the point, take
a chance that she’d be on the next flight out here where she’d make me crazy.

My call with the
HR lady about my internship went as expected. She sounded more than sympathetic
about my accident, yet it was clear the job wasn’t one which could wait nor
would it be appropriate for someone who was injured.

It was tough news
to swallow, but taking a page from Nurse Charlotte, I called her colleague and
started to make some plans for volunteering at the Children’s Hospital. In
addition to helping me not feel sorry for myself and giving me a way to spend
my summer once I was mobile again, it gave me something meaningful to look
forward to.

Colby chose to
work from home the entire first week of my convalescence, which made me feel
guilty, but he refused to discuss it. Instead, he ensured I took my medications
and stayed off my feet. He also drove me to my follow-up appointments,
including the casting of my ankle.

We spent hours
watching movies and talking, however the most interesting thing by far during
the week was the fact that every night when I let the drugs take over, I’d feel
him climb into bed, snuggling close to me.

The first night,
I thought I’d dreamt it. The second one, I thought perhaps it was the drugs.
But by the third night, I realized I did, in fact, have a hot male body next to
me in the middle of the night. He didn’t speak of it, and I didn’t have the
heart to bring it up for fear of him putting a stop to it. It was our own
personal
Don’t ask, don’t tell
arrangement which was pretty much
negating any thoughts of getting over him on a nightly basis
.

By day seven I’d
grown tired of sponge bathing myself and absolutely needed to wash my hair. Dry
shampoo could only go so far. I went to search in Colby’s kitchen for plastic
bags to put over both my ankle and wrist while he’d gone out for groceries. I’d
settled on a couple of trash bags and had found some rubber bands to go with
them when he came through the front door, grocery bags in hand.

“What are you
doing with those?”

“Attempting to
take a real shower. If I don’t wash my hair, I’m going to go crazy.”

He set down the
groceries on the counter. “Give me a few minutes to put the frozen stuff away,
and I’ll help you.”

Had he just
suggested he help me? In the shower? Where I’d be naked? “Come again?”

“You can put on
a swimsuit, and I’ll do the same. That way I can wash your hair. Tell me when
you’re ready.”

Right: in
swimsuits. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

He tossed me the
same annoyed look as all the other times I’d posed that particular question
this week. “Stop asking, and go get your butt changed.”

“Okie dokie.”

I was far too
excited to have a clean head of hair to feel self-conscious about letting him
wash it for me. It took me longer than I’d anticipated to both put on my
two-piece and affix plastic bags around my casts. Thankfully, I’d at least
shaved yesterday. By the time I opened the door to the bedroom, he was already
changed into swim trunks and waiting on me.

Shit, he looked
really hot.
I would not gape at his chest, I would not stare at his package
which his swim trunks didn’t hide as well as they probably should, and under no
circumstances would I check out his amazing ass.
Nope, I kept my eyes on
his face, which ended up being a miscalculation on my part because when he
flashed his dimples, I felt my nipples harden in response.

“Uh, I’m going
to start the water before I freeze,” I mumbled, noting his gaze had zeroed in
on the evidence of my desire and needing to blame it on something else.

His shower was
huge. Plenty of room for two people, with its dual showerheads and water
streaming from bars on the sides, too. Yet the moment the glass door shut, the
space seemed to close in. The hot steam didn’t help keep my mind from wandering
to an X-rated version of this scenario. Damn. I wondered if he’d notice if I
turned the water on ice cold in order to calm my raging libido.

“These bottles
are yours?” he asked, holding up my shampoo and conditioner.