Wry humor colors his voice. “Fair enough.” He pauses. “You’ll see and hear from me tomorrow, then, Tot.”

He hangs up before I can reply. Bastard. Always getting in the last word.

God, I truly am twisted. I should dread going back and facing him. Instead, I find myself driving a little faster.

I never could resist a challenge.

CHAPTER NINE

Macon

I hang up on Delilah before I do something ridiculous like try to chat with her as she drives back home. She’s made it clear I need to go away and leave her be. I’m more than willing to do so; it’s not as though I want to face her right now. I wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye.

With a grunt, I maneuver my ass off the wheelchair and attempt to lower myself to the floor. It all goes wrong, and I land hard on my hip. Pain sparks and shoots like fireworks. Something seeps into the back of my pants. Great. I’m on my dinner.

North walks in as I’m reaching around me to pick up shards of a plate.

“Well, this is a sight.”

I don’t bother glancing up. “You need something?”

“No. But it looks like you do.” He crouches next to me and starts putting some of the mess on the dented tray. I bite back the request for him to go. He’s almost as stubborn as Delilah, and the fight has gone out of me.

“What the hell was all that?” he asks.

Wincing, I lift my thumb to my mouth and find a sliver of glass stuck in my skin. “Guess you heard.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard it in Orange County.” North pushes my chair back and slings an arm under my shoulders. No asking with him. Just action. And though it chafes to get help from anyone, I’m no longer in the position to bitch about it.

He gets me in the chair. “Shower time.”

“Fucking hell.” Yeah, I’m not being mature about this. But I’m not having a good time adjusting to the fact that I cannot get my ass in the shower without assistance. My balance is off. With busted ribs and wrist on one side and a busted leg on the other, I can’t get into a steady position without massive pain right now.

North has been helping. I should hire a professional nurse, but my level of trust is near zero, and though I don’t like the situation, North has a matter-of-fact, deadpan way of dealing with me that makes it bearable.

Pride is a strange beast. We tend to think of it as doing things for ourselves, not leaning on others. Was it my pride or my ego that made me run Delilah off when she tried to help? An itchy, tight twist in my gut makes me think that maybe true pride is more about being able to accept a situation for what it is with grace.

Whatever the case, my respect for those who have had to readjust their way of life and work it out with dignity and grace has increased tenfold.