Page 73 of There Once was a Dancer
“I told him to forget me…forget whatever we had in the past. That’s gone now.”
His expression filled with anger. “You cold bastard.” He pointed toward the door. “That kid is sitting alone every day crying over you, and you don’t even give a shit. You just sent him away, knowing he was in love with you.”
I grabbed the wheels of the chair and turned away from him. “Well, you’re right about one thing.” I heard his boots stomp closer as he moved until he was in front of me. I craned my neck to look up at him as I made a show of looking him up and down with disgust.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“He’s a kid.”
He nodded slowly, blowing out a long, slow breath. “You have no idea what you’re doing to him and now, after this—” He waved a hand between us. “I know you never returned his feelings, Monroe.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. As much as I wanted to deny the connection I’d felt with Cachi from our very first meeting, I resented Marcello coming in and telling me how much he was hurting. “You don’t know how I feel.”
“Well, I know this…you’re not capable of loving him you bitter, old fucker.”
I swallowed down my rage as another thought occurred to me. “You want Cachi for yourself? Is that what this is all about? I know I ain’t much competition in my current state, but I cansure as hell think of a thousand guys who’d be better for him than you!”
“Dating Cachi isn’t what this is about,” he said with a hateful glare. “But if it was, I’d be lucky to have a man like him. He’s a wonderful, warm, kindhearted person.” He shook his head, waving a hand at me. “And look what he wants. He’s better off without you, Monroe.”
“Which is what I told him.” I pointed to his face as the bitter words slid off my lips. “So, you done your duty. You gave me his message. Go back there and tell him I want nothin’ to do with him anymore. Maybe if you’re honest with him, he’ll accept that we’re over.”
His features darkened. “Fuck you, Monroe.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Don’t contact Cachi again. Stay away from him after you get out and if I even hear of you coming near him again, I’ll make it my life’s work to kick your ass, wheelchair or not.” With that, he spun on his heel and stomped to the door, throwing it open, and bolting outside. He slammed the door with a bang and the room grew silent.
I swallowed hard, feeling my lower lip tremble as tears filled my eyes. It was for the best. I was going home soon to start getting used to living my life alone, but it would be without Cachi at my side. I knew it was the right thing to do.
So why did it hurt so goddamned bad?
Chapter Eighteen
REX
Two weeks after Biagi’s visit, I was finally released from the hospital. I was still in the wheelchair but after ten long weeks, the VA had finally upgraded me to an electric version. It felt amazing to buzz down the corridor, wishing my nurses and therapists goodbye. Theo walked out from behind the nurse’s station and came over. She stopped in front of me and grinned, then bent down to give me a tight hug. I held her slender body close and thanked her for all the work she’d put into my recovery. Such as it was. I didn’t want to make her feel bad because she was a genuinely nice person.
“Keep up with your exercises, Rex.” She lightly kicked at one of the wheels as she screwed up her face. “I wish they’d have sent you home with the other chair.” She pulled out a couple of stretchy resistance bands, handing them to me. “These will help work your upper body, but there’s nothing like that chair for a cardio workout.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “They never did have to put in a requisition for the electric chair, did they? They had it all along.”
She smiled innocently. “Is that what I told you?”
“Yeah, the same day you brought me that damned dinosaur from the basement.”
“Oops.”
“Bitch.”
She laughed. “Bastard.” She leaned forward and squeezed one of my biceps. “Look at it this way. You’re one buff dude now.”
“I was buff before,” I grumbled.
She laughed, leaning over and hugging me again. She pointed at me as she straightened. “I expect to see you back here at least three times a week.” She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “You’ve already got appointments for the first month. Don’t miss any, Rex. They’re really important since I won’t be riding your ass every day.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “I could think of better things to ride.”
She threw her head back and laughed. The expression made her eyes twinkle. “See you back here on Wednesday, Rex.”
