Without another word, he disappeared into the kitchen.
Julie chewed on her lip. Maybe she should just let him go. Obviously he was still freaked out about last night and wasn’t looking to repeat it. Maybe if he moved out and they got back to their normal routines, their friendship could come out of this unscathed. But as she listened to him rummage through the refrigerator, she realized she wasn’t ready for him to go. Not yet. She still had too many questions left unanswered, and she needed him here to get those answers.
Unfortunately, he seemed hell-bent on getting out of the house today. How could she get him to stay?
An idea formed, one so manipulative it made her feel totally guilty for even thinking it. She never stooped to such tactics. But he wasn’t going to stay willingly.
Feeling like a heel, but backed into a corner, she waited until she heard his footsteps approach the living room again, then she started to stand. Making it halfway up, she let out a pained, “Oh!” and grabbed her lower back.
A crash sounded behind her, then Tommy was at her side, his hands on her arms. As he helped her sit back down, he crouched by her knees, his worried gaze scanning over her. “Are you okay? Shit. Did I hurt you last night?”
Only my feelings…
The concern pinching his face made guilt slam hard into her, but she shook her head. “Things didn’t get far enough to hurt,” she said drily. She didn’t have to feign a grimace when he ignored her pointed remark.
“No, I just tried to do too much this morning. Help me put my feet up before you go.”
Eyes jerking up to hers, he stared at her like she was nuts. “I’m not going anywhere now.”
“Tommy. It was only a little pinch. I’m okay. I just tried to get up too fast. Please don’t let me stop you from—”
“I said I’m not going anywhere. Let me grab the back ointment and some meds. I’ll be right back.”
As he left the room, she couldn’t stop a small smile. She didn’t normally get that devious, but for a novice, she’d handled that one perfectly. And she’d gotten exactly what she wanted. Tommy was staying.
Even better, he seemed to be somewhat back to his old self.
Maybe now he’d chill out and explain to her what had happened last night. There was no denying he’d wanted her, but she couldn’t come up with an explanation for why he had stopped.
After he returned, he placed the tube on the coffee table and helped her turn over. A shiver went through her as she remembered this was just how it had all started last night. When Tommy had slipped his hand over her butt cheek, she’d been lost.
The repeat performance she was secretly hoping for, however, did not happen. He had that lotion on her and her shirt pulled back down within five seconds. She frowned into the pillow.
She rolled back over and he tried to push a muscle relaxer into her hand. Waving him off, she shook her head. “No. Just the anti-inflammatory.”
He nudged both pills at her. “You need this, too.”
Did he want her knocked out? “I’m fine. I don’t want it,” she said more forcibly.
That muscle went to town in his cheek and she realized he was trying to knock her out. Probably cursing his decision to stay, if she were going to be awake. He really didn’t want to talk.
Ignoring the muscle relaxer, she took the anti-inflammatory, popped it in her mouth, and washed it down with some water. Then an awkward silence fell over the room.
“Would you please sit down?” she said.
He glared at her. Then went and sat on the other end of the couch, his entire body rigid.
Well, the old Tommy had been here all of thirty seconds before the insufferable new one decided to return. She suppressed an exasperated groan. How could a man she’d known for so damn long have this annoying, obstinate… male…inside him and she not be aware of it?
Don’t be stupid, girl.
Fine, she was aware that Tommy could be like this. Just not with her. Not until sex had reared its ugly head between them. And she hated every damn second he shut her out.
When she couldn’t handle any more of his unyielding silence, she ground out, “Are we ever going to talk about last night?”
That’s all it took. He shot off the couch and headed toward the hall.
“Tommy Sparks!” she yelled, furious at his refusal to communicate. “You better stop right where you are if you know what’s good for you.”
His back to her, he halted.
“I’m not someone you can ignore! I’m your best friend. I deserve better than this kind of treatment!”
There was a long pause. “You’re right. You do. I know this, and yet I still treated you just like I do everyone else. Which is exactly why I’m leaving.”