Over it

Connor~

The moment I said those words, I regretted them. She stood there in the bathroom, the gauze still in her hand. Her face went still. No anger. Just that quiet look that said she was thinking hard about every damn thing that had happened today.

She stayed silent for a while. Long enough that I started reaching for more bandages on the counter just to have something to do with my hands.

Then she asked it flat out. “You think I’m still not over Tyler?”

I sighed and looked away from her. Kept my eyes on the kit like the answer was in there somewhere. “I don’t know what I think right now.”

Before I could grab what I needed, Claire dragged me back by the arm to make me sit on the toilet lid again. The yank hit the wound wrong and a sharp groan ripped out of me before I could bite it down.

She let go fast. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean to pull that hard.”

“It’s nothing,” I said, voice rough. “Silver just makes everything harder than it should be.”

She stepped back half a foot and crossed her arms. The silence that dropped between us right now felt thick. And awkward as hell.

I broke the silence first because letting it stretch any longer was going to make me say something else I’d regret.

“You should go rest. We’re not leaving today anymore. Two guys will be here in the morning to pick us up instead. Safer that way. No driving ourselves while this shit is still fresh.”

Claire frowned. That little line on her forehead showed up between her brows, the one that always showed up when she thought I was being bossy. She didn’t argue. Just turned on her heel like she was done with the conversation and was about to head for the door.

I caught her hand before she could take two steps. My fingers wrapped around her wrist, not hard, just enough to stop her. She turned back at once.

“I didn’t mean what I said earlier,” I told her straight up. “About you still having a soft spot for Tyler. It came out wrong. It’s not my place to decide how you feel or how fast you move on from three years with someone. I have no right telling you what your emotions should look like. I’m sorry. I was out of line. I’m just looking out for you. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to watch you get dragged back into that mess again.”

She didn’t pull her hand away. Just stood there letting me hold it while the words settled. I could feel the warmth of her skin.

Claire let out a slow breath and spoke.“Wow. Big bad surgeon Connor admitting he was wrong twice in one night? Should I mark the calendar or just take a picture for proof?”

A short laugh slipped out of me despite the pull in my side. “Don’t push it.”

She stepped closer instead of pulling back. Her free hand came up and rested lightly on my good shoulder. “You’re an idiot sometimes, you know that? You shoot a guy’s hand to protect me, then turn around and apologize for caring too much. Make up your mind, Connor. Are you my overprotective guard dog or my best friend who lets me handle my own shit?”

“Both,” I said. Low and honest. “And I’m still figuring out how to do either one without pissing you off.”

She studied my face for a long second then said. “You were right about one thing. I do still have some feelings for Tyler. Three years doesn’t just vanish because he turned out to be a lying piece of shit who was screwing my father behind my back. I can’t flip a switch and make it disappear. But I’m not going back to him. I meant that. I just… I couldn’t stand there and watch you put him in the ground right in front of me. Not like that. So I’m sorry for stepping in and for making it worse.”

I kept her hand in mine and used the other to pull her a little closer until she stood between my knees. The position put her at eye level with me while I sat. Her body was warm.

“It doesn’t matter what you still feel,” I told her. “As long as you don’t go back to that asshole. I’ll support whatever you decide. You want space? You got it. You want to talk about it? I’ll listen. You want me to stay out of it completely? I’ll try. But I’m not going to stand by while he or your father tries to drag you back into their bullshit. That part isn’t up for debate.”

Claire’s mouth curved into a small, tired smile. “There’s the guard dog again. I knew he was in there somewhere.”

I tugged her the rest of the way in until she had to brace her hands on my shoulders to keep her balance.

“I hate that you got shot because of me,” she said quietly.

“Not because of you. Because of them. There’s a difference.”

Claire pulled back enough to look at me. Her eyes searched mine like she was checking for bullshit and not finding any. “You really mean it? You would have back off if I ask you to?”

“I’ll try,” I said. “Can’t promise I’ll be good at it. But I’ll try.”

She gave a short laugh that sounded more like relief than humor. “Good enough for now.” Her hands slid down from my shoulders to my chest, careful around the bandage. “You should probably get off this toilet lid before your legs go numb.”

I stood up slowly, letting her help steady me even though I didn’t really need it. We made it out of the bathroom and into the main living space of the penthouse.

Claire grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over my lap after I sat. Then she sat down beside me.

“So,” she said after another stretch of silence. “You said tomorrow two guys will pick us up.”

I leaned my head back against the couch then opened my mouth to answer her, but she cut me off—

“Are you going to tell me now who’s Hudson and Mason?”