I’m so deep in my thoughts I don’t even hear him enter the room until it’s too late. His chest molds to my back so there’s not an inch of space between us, and he reaches above my head to grab the box, every part of him overwhelming my senses. His scent invades my nose. The feel of his length against me sends a shiver down my spine. “Here, let me,” he says as he pulls the box down and places it in my hands.

I turn around to face him but of course he doesn’t give me a damn break and back up. He stays right in my space. A growl rips from my chest and my brows furrow as I slam the cereal box on the counter next to us. “I bet you’re expecting a thank you, but you’re not gonna get one because you know what? If you hadn’t have put the fucking box up there in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to struggle.”

He seems utterly amused with my anger and that just pisses me off even more. “I didn’t mean to put it up there. I’m sorry.” I start sniffing the air, and he looks at me in complete confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Oh me? Nothing, I just smell bullshit.” He cackles at that and throws his hands up in surrender as he takes a couple of steps backward. He crosses his arms across his chest waiting for me to continue. “You’re doing too much and it’s irritating my soul.”

“What am I doing?”

“You call it helping; I call it getting on my fucking nerves! You’re picking up this, bringing me that.”

He chuckles again and as much as I love that sound right now, I want to shove it right back down his throat until he chokes on it. “If I remember correctly, the whole reason I’m here is to help you.”

“But I never asked you to do that, and if I remember correctly, I told you I wanted you out after a week.”

“Why don’t we talk about what’s really bothering you?”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Dismiss what I’m saying. I’m telling you what’s really bothering me and it’s you all up in my space.”

“No, see, I would never dismiss you, Olivia. I’m always listening to you and I hear what you’re saying, but your problem is that you know I’m also hearing what you’re not saying loud and clear.”

I tilt my head to try to process what he’s even saying. “Look, I’m not about to sit here and argue with you. You said yourself my recovery is going well and I really don’t need help anymore, so you can just go pack your stuff and go home.”