Of course. He was rich. He could do that. Why had she felt the need to help him? “That was mean! You’re a...a jerk!” she yelled from partway between their two dwellings. “An...insensitive person!”

He didn’t even break his stride. “If those are the worst things you ever call me, I’ll be happy,” he yelled back.

She would’ve called him worse, but she couldn’t think of what would be appropriate. He hadn’t really done anything wrong, except see what she hadn’t wanted him to see. He was the first person, besides her doctor, to know how extensive Tia Beckett’s scars really were. What could she call him for that?

“You arrogant, stubborn, overly assertive...ass!” she yelled, unwilling to go any farther.

She could hear him laughing. “Be careful, or I might think you like me,” he said.

“I don’t like you! I hate you!”

When her voice broke on a sob, he finally stopped and turned around, and she was surprised by the compassion on his face. Although he’d been laughing a moment earlier, he was perfectly serious now. “That’s fine,” he said. “You can hate me all you want. But I just did you a favor. Now you won’t have to mess with those bandages when you come over every day, because there’s nothing to hide. I’ve already seen your face, up close, and it’s no big deal.”

She couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “It is a big deal. I look like a monster!”

“No,” he said. “Nothing could destroy the beauty of your eyes.”

The compliment made her feel slightly better. He sounded sincere, as though he wasn’t just saying that to be nice. But she wasn’t going to let him know how much those words meant to her. She was still too mad at him. “Whether or not you saw my face should’ve been my choice!” she insisted.

“And you’re the one who made that choice,” he said.

With a sniff, she wiped her eyes. “You’re an ass,” she said again, but this time even she could hear that her voice was more subdued.

Apparently he was done being serious, because he grinned at her. “You’re probably not the only one who thinks so. Anyway, you can thank me later.”