Chapter 15
“Do you and my sister play naughty nurse and bad patient?”
Ace opened his eyes and sliced them towards the direction the voice had come from. Simone was seated beside the bed. Her arms and legs were crossed. He didn’t have to be a body language expert to see that she was in a defensive pose.
“Sorry I woke you up.” Her sarcastic tone indicated that the apology wasn’t sincere. “I don’t know how long my sister is going to be gone and I have some questions I want answered.”
“Did she get called in to work?” When he’d fallen asleep, she’d been in his arms. Waking up with her gone felt wrong.
“No. She had to go see Scott. I was here doing laundry when she got the call and she told me to check on you before I leave.”
“I’m okay.” He didn’t think that was actually what she was doing and if it was, her bedside manner left a lot to be desired.
“Good, but that’s not why I’m in here.”
“Okay.” He figured they might as well cut to the chase. “You have questions.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“I’m not sure I have answers.” He didn’t kiss and tell, but even if he did there was no way in hell he would have that conversation with Stephanie’s little sister.
Undeterred by his reluctance, Simone clapped her hands in front of her enthusiastically. “Yes. You do have answers and I want them. First off, are you using my sister?”
Glancing at the clock he saw that it had been over twenty-four hours since he’d taken his last pain pill, but his head still felt like he was under the influence. He wasn’t thinking clearly. His mind felt blurry. If he could reschedule this Q&A he would, but judging from Simone’s demeanor, he didn’t think that was an option. His best bet was to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Using her for what?”
“I don’t know. You tell me,” she demanded.
He still wasn’t sure where this line of questioning was going, but it didn’t change his answer. “I’m not using her.”
“Really?” Stephanie’s head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed. “Then what are you doing in her bed. Letting her wait on you hand and foot?”
Good point.
She leaned forward and pointed her finger in accusation. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m watching you. None of this adds up.”
He was honestly trying to follow along, but he wasn’t having much luck. Either his brain was still mush from medication or she wasn’t making any sense. If it were anyone else sitting next to him, hurling vague accusations in his direction, he’d be done with this conversation. But Simone was too important to Stephanie for him to simply dismiss it.
In an attempt for clarity he asked, “What exactly are you accusing me of?”
“That’s my point.” Her hands flew up in the air. “I don’t even know. All I know are the facts aren’t adding up. I come home from school for a visit after only being gone a month. You’ve moved in next door. My sister swears she doesn’t know you. That you’re virtual strangers. You turn down every woman in the town, including me. You and my sister do your best Dirty Dancing remake at the reopening. You guys hook up. The next morning you’re gone. You don’t come back for weeks. Then, I come home again and you’re in my sister’s bed and Mason said you threatened to kill him last night.”
Ace pushed to a seated position. “Mason was here?”
“What?” Her brow creased as if he’d totally missed the point in her rant. “No. Lori told me.”
“Who’s Lori?”
“She works at the gas station on Main.”
Small towns.
“I saw her this morning and she said Mason went in there last night saying that you threatened to kill him and that he was going to call the police because he was scared for Stephanie’s safety.”
“Bullshit.” There was no way Stephanie’s ex was actually scared for her safety. And if he was actually scared and he left her with the man he feared would hurt her, he was a pussy.
“So you didn’t threaten to kill him?”
“He pushed your sister and I told him that if he ever laid hands on her again it would be the last thing he ever did.”