#Chapter 17 - Miss

“I’m sorry. I-I was ju—” “Not following doctor’s orders? Are you really attempting to seduce an injured man?” “No! I thought you were sleeping!” He raises his eyebrow. “And that makes it better?” “No!” The longer he stares at me, the more tongue-tied I become. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you!” “Then what were you doing?” He looks at me with genuine curiosity, and once again I feel foolish. I can’t tell him the real reason is that I can’t stop thinking about how much tonight reminded me of how bad things could get. I want to lie, but the truth beats me to it. “You used to be so sick,” I whisper. His eyes widen, and I look away. “When I saw you tonight, it reminded me of then.” “I’m fine,” he says, but the lines of his face tighten. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not that same weak boy. I don’t need you to lose sleep over me. I came here for discretion, not for pity. I’ve been injured worse than this, and I’ve taken care of myself just fine.” A lump formed in my throat, and