Page 17 of Nothing to Tell

“My girlfriend?”

No way his mom would believe it, but, as far as he knew, he didn’t have one.

The voice in the speaker hesitated again.“Yes, her sister called to say she’s in the ER,” Tina said.“She was mugged.”

And, still, he drew a blank.“My girlfriend?”

“Bastian…” his mom warned.

His hand wasn’t in the cookie jar, he’d swear it in front of a judge.

“Mom, I promise you—”

“Harper,” Tina interrupted.“Her name is Harper.Is that right?”

Bastian was already out of his chair.“I’m on my way.”

SEVEN

“THIS IS THE MOST embarrassing moment of my life,” Harper muttered when Bastian walked into the ER exam room.

Perfect, just as she remembered him.He didn’t disappoint.So few men had that quality.That was something, right?She should have at least one nice memory before she combusted in humiliation.

A woman entered behind him.Older.Shorter.Reeking of sophistication.

Not that Bastian noticed the others in the room.She, seated on the end of the hospital bed, got his complete focus.

Purpose sped his gait until he stopped in front of her.“Look at me.”

They only had a private room because Adara insisted on it.What a fuss for nothing.Talk about unnecessary.She’d expected her sister and Carnell to come back into the room alone.Bastian?Really?Bastian?How had that happened?She’d murder her beloved sibling for this.

Since they arrived, Carnell sported a permanent frown, much like the one Bastian was wearing too.Adara had been teary and apologetic.Drama?No.There was no need for all the emotion.This was one big misunderstanding.A purposeless palaver.

The sooner she could get out of there, the better.

“No,” she said.Bastian didn’t hear her or he didn’t care.He cupped her face and brought it up against her will, forcing her to meet his eye.“I’m fine.Don’t fuss.”

“We’ll give you guys a minute,” Carnell said and left with an arm around Adara.

“Where are the police?”Bastian asked.“What happened?”

Her gaze darted around.Something else, something else, anything else, the ceiling, the cabinet, oh, a sharps container.How interesting.

“Nothing happened,” Harper said because, unfortunately, she couldn’t avoid his question forever.“Don’t fuss.”

The entitlement of his touch suggested he wasn’t afflicted with the same awareness that zipped through her whenever they touched.

“Where’s your doctor?”

“Bastian,” she whined.“This is mortifying.”

Nope, nothing got through.

The woman who’d arrived with him slunk over to crowd in beside them.“Are you going to introduce us?”

“I told you to stay in the car,” Bastian said to the woman, without losing his focus.

He pushed the hair from her temple, uncovering the bruised graze that hid there.His jaw twitched and strengthened, clamping tight.