before you fall. And then tell me what on earth is going on here. You wait this long, throw the check in my face and tell me to take my money to hell with me and now youâve changed your mind? Are you crazy?â
To his utter surprise, she slumped down onto one of the small chairs that accompanied the two person table in the kitchen and buried her face in her hands. To his further dismay, her shoulders shook and quiet sobs erupted from her bowed head.
For a moment he stood there, unsure what to do. Heâd never been able to stand it when she cried. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach and he dropped down to one knee to gently pry her hands from her face.
She looked away, seemingly discomfited by the fact he was witnessing her breakdown.
âWhatâs wrong, Kelly?â he asked gently.
âI lost my job,â she choked out. âBecause of you.â
He reared back. âBecause of me? What the hell did I do?â
She whipped her head up, her eyes flashing. âYour standard line. What did I do? Of course you did nothing wrong. Iâm sure this was all my fault, like everything else that went wrong in our relationship. Just give me the check and get out. You wonât ever have to be bothered with me again.â
He stared incredulously at her. âDo you honestly expect me to just walk away now? â He shoved the check back into his pocket, his lips thin as he controlled the urge to lash out at her as she had done to him. âWe have a hell of a lot to work out, Kelly. Iâm not going anywhere and neither are you. The very first thing weâre going to do is go to the doctor so you can get a decent checkup. You donât look well. I canât be any more blunt than that.â
She slowly stood and stared him in the eye. âIâm not going anywhere with you. If you wonât give me the check, then get out. We have nothing more to discuss. Ever.â
He fingered the paper in his pocket and then lifted his gaze to meet hers once more. âWeâll discuss the check after we go to the doctor.â
Disgust flared in her eyes. âResorting to blackmail now, Ryan?â
âIf thatâs what you want to call it. I really donât care. Youâre going to the doctor with me. If he gives you a clean bill of health, then Iâll hand over the check and walk out of here.â
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. âJust like that.â
He nodded, not bothering to tell her that there wasnât a doctor in this world who could possibly give her a clean bill of health. She was dead on her feet. She was pale and very likely significantly underweight.
She nibbled at her lip for a long while as if decidingwhether or not to acquiesce. Then finally she closed her eyes and let out her breath in a long exhale.
âAll right, Ryan. Iâll go to the doctor with you. After he verifies that Iâm perfectly fine, I donât want to see you again.â
â If he says youâre okay, then youâll get your wish.â
She lowered herself back into the chair, clearly exhausted. He bit back a curse. Was she blind or just that heavily into denial? She needed someone to take care of her. Make sure she ate three good meals a day. Someone to make her put her feet up and rest.
He checked his watch. âWe should be going. Your appointment is in half an hour and I donât know how bad traffic will be.â
Defeat crept over her face, but then she hardened her expression and rose once more. She retrieved her purse from the recliner and started for the door, leaving him to follow.
Â
Kelly stared sightlessly out the window as Ryan maneuvered through traffic. She was mentally exhausted from her confrontation with Ryan. She just wanted him gone. She couldnât even look at him without all the hurt from the past crashing through her and turning her inside out.
He parked in the garage of a downtown medical clinic and ushered her inside