Read Online Accidentally in Love by Jane Davitt, Alexa Snow - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jane Davitt, Alexa Snow
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after me again.”
“I hope not. I don’t know what the hell they were playing at.”
“Maybe that’s what it is.” The pain reminded Cal of his previous flash of insight. “The way Rico copes with dating a possessive ape. He can handle it so long, and then he has to take a break with someone like me, just to prove to himself that it’s his choice to go back to the psycho. It isn’t; he just can’t admit that.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tom said with the dry humor Cal was starting to like. “I just saw you go down and get kicked with an asshole watching it happen. Analyzing their motivations wasn’t top of my to-do list.”
“No, mine either. Jesus.” The enormity of what could have happened was starting to catch up with him, and he was silent until they pulled into the driveway. He probably would have fallen going up the front steps, but Tom was right there beside him and caught his elbow when he tripped, helping him get his balance. “Thanks.”
“Easy there.” Tom unlocked the door and guided Cal inside. “You should go to bed, I think.”
“Too far,” Cal said, heading for the couch. They’d cleaned him up some at the hospital, so he didn’t think there was much danger of him bleeding on Tom’s furniture, and right then he just wanted to get off his feet. Standing was too much effort. Whatever energy had kept him going until now had fled, and he was trembling.
“Here, let me help.” Tom grabbed a couple of pillows and punched them down so Cal could lie back against them. He lay there, shaking, until Tom came back with a fresh ice pack and a blanket. The first was laid gently over his face, the second spread to cover the rest of him. After that, Tom sat on the coffee table, looking concerned.
“I’m okay,” Cal said. “Well…”
“Well, what?”
“I’d be better if I knew I didn’t need to start looking for a place to live. Please? I know I suck, but give me one more chance.” He didn’t feel very guilty taking advantage of the fact that he must look like shit.
Tom sighed. “Okay.”
“Just like that?” Cal was startled by how easy it had been. “You mean it?”
“I feel sorry for you right now,” Tom said with devastating simplicity. “Unlike that guy outside the bar, I don’t tend to kick people when they’re down. You want to stay, you can, and you can bring people back, just…keep it down.”
“That’s not going to be an issue for a while.” Cal gestured at what could be seen of his face. “I’m going to be scary-looking.”
Tom stood. “You’re still pretty; don’t worry,” he said with a small grin. “Under the blood, the swelling, and the black eyes, you’re gorgeous.”
“If I had the energy, I’d throw something at you.”
“Well, I’m going to take a shower, so hold that thought,” Tom said. “Yell if you need anything.”
Cal waited until he’d heard the shower start running before he got up in search of the bottle of painkillers they’d gotten at the pharmacy and took a second one. He wasn’t an idiot, and he didn’t want to be unconscious for the next twenty-four hours. He also didn’t want to be lying around in pain for the next few hours, because chances were all he’d be doing was thinking, and he’d done enough of that today.
He’d hurt Tom, and he didn’t want to do that again. Tom was a nice guy, a really, deep-down nice guy, and he deserved better.
What Tom really deserved was a boyfriend who would appreciate him.
Cal decided he was going to be the one to help Tom find that boyfriend.
By the time Tom came back from his shower, hair still wet and dressed in flannel sleep pants that looked very soft and a worn T-shirt, Cal was well on his way to stoned. In fact, that was the first thing he said when he saw Tom. “I’m really stoned.”
Tom hesitated, then smiled tentatively. “You are?”
“I took another pill when you went into the shower.” He was surprised to hear
“I hope not. I don’t know what the hell they were playing at.”
“Maybe that’s what it is.” The pain reminded Cal of his previous flash of insight. “The way Rico copes with dating a possessive ape. He can handle it so long, and then he has to take a break with someone like me, just to prove to himself that it’s his choice to go back to the psycho. It isn’t; he just can’t admit that.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tom said with the dry humor Cal was starting to like. “I just saw you go down and get kicked with an asshole watching it happen. Analyzing their motivations wasn’t top of my to-do list.”
“No, mine either. Jesus.” The enormity of what could have happened was starting to catch up with him, and he was silent until they pulled into the driveway. He probably would have fallen going up the front steps, but Tom was right there beside him and caught his elbow when he tripped, helping him get his balance. “Thanks.”
“Easy there.” Tom unlocked the door and guided Cal inside. “You should go to bed, I think.”
“Too far,” Cal said, heading for the couch. They’d cleaned him up some at the hospital, so he didn’t think there was much danger of him bleeding on Tom’s furniture, and right then he just wanted to get off his feet. Standing was too much effort. Whatever energy had kept him going until now had fled, and he was trembling.
“Here, let me help.” Tom grabbed a couple of pillows and punched them down so Cal could lie back against them. He lay there, shaking, until Tom came back with a fresh ice pack and a blanket. The first was laid gently over his face, the second spread to cover the rest of him. After that, Tom sat on the coffee table, looking concerned.
“I’m okay,” Cal said. “Well…”
“Well, what?”
“I’d be better if I knew I didn’t need to start looking for a place to live. Please? I know I suck, but give me one more chance.” He didn’t feel very guilty taking advantage of the fact that he must look like shit.
Tom sighed. “Okay.”
“Just like that?” Cal was startled by how easy it had been. “You mean it?”
“I feel sorry for you right now,” Tom said with devastating simplicity. “Unlike that guy outside the bar, I don’t tend to kick people when they’re down. You want to stay, you can, and you can bring people back, just…keep it down.”
“That’s not going to be an issue for a while.” Cal gestured at what could be seen of his face. “I’m going to be scary-looking.”
Tom stood. “You’re still pretty; don’t worry,” he said with a small grin. “Under the blood, the swelling, and the black eyes, you’re gorgeous.”
“If I had the energy, I’d throw something at you.”
“Well, I’m going to take a shower, so hold that thought,” Tom said. “Yell if you need anything.”
Cal waited until he’d heard the shower start running before he got up in search of the bottle of painkillers they’d gotten at the pharmacy and took a second one. He wasn’t an idiot, and he didn’t want to be unconscious for the next twenty-four hours. He also didn’t want to be lying around in pain for the next few hours, because chances were all he’d be doing was thinking, and he’d done enough of that today.
He’d hurt Tom, and he didn’t want to do that again. Tom was a nice guy, a really, deep-down nice guy, and he deserved better.
What Tom really deserved was a boyfriend who would appreciate him.
Cal decided he was going to be the one to help Tom find that boyfriend.
By the time Tom came back from his shower, hair still wet and dressed in flannel sleep pants that looked very soft and a worn T-shirt, Cal was well on his way to stoned. In fact, that was the first thing he said when he saw Tom. “I’m really stoned.”
Tom hesitated, then smiled tentatively. “You are?”
“I took another pill when you went into the shower.” He was surprised to hear
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