Page 80 of Hurry Up And Wait
“Well, if that’s all, I’ll just be going,” I smiled. I slowly shut the door, then leaned back against it, letting out a whoosh of air. “That was close.”
“Do you think we fooled them?”
I rolled my eyes at her, knowing we hadn’t come close. Then there was a knock on the door. “So close.”
Turning, I swung the door open and smiled brightly at Kavanaugh. “Are you really going to pretend like you didn’t just bash my head in and send me flying off the roof?”
“That depends. Are you really going to pretend you weren’t creeping around up there without a simple phone call first to let me know you were here?”
“Touché. I could really use an ice pack.”
I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside. “Good, because I could really use a drink.”
I dragged him back to the kitchen and pushed him down in a chair, then walked over to the freezer and grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables. I plopped it on his head, ignoring the wince as the frozen objects hit his massive bruise.
“Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome,” I said in a sweet voice. “Would you like to tell me why you were on my roof?”
He sighed heavily and Riley cleared her throat. “Well, I think this is a good time for me to make my exit. It was nice seeing you,Kavanaugh. Hope your face isn’t too bashed in. It would be a shame to mar that beauty.”
As she walked away, I turned back to Kavanaugh questioningly.
“I came home to see you.”
“Okay.”
“And I thought I should check the perimeter first. After everything you’d been through, I wanted to be able to walk through the door and tell you everything was safe. So, I started checking things out and I noticed something on the roof.”
“And you thought you’d check it out.”
“Well…yeah. I’m a guy. That’s what I do.”
I nodded, not any more satisfied with his answer.
“So…anyway, I climbed up there and—” He winced, shifting in his seat. “I sort of threw out my back.”
Okay, that wasn’t what I thought he would say.
He chuckled under his breath. “Yeah, you heard me right. God, it was so fucking embarrassing. Luckily, when you hit me and tossed me off the roof, it corrected whatever was wrong.”
“I’m sorry, did you say I threw you off the roof?”
“When I tell people about what happened, I’m going to say exactly that.”
“Isn’t it a little embarrassing to say a woman threw you?”
“Isn’t it a little more embarrassing to say I stumbled and fell after you hit me?”
My lips twitched in amusement. “I can’t believe you didn’t call me first.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise. I’m regretting that decision now.”
“So, why did you rush back to see me?”
“Well, when IKE informed me that you insisted on going home before the house was finished and that you said you didn’t need him anymore?—”
“Because I don’t.”