The Price of Inertia (The Seven Sins #4) - Lily Zante Page 0,128
but I don't remember each day clearly, or each week. I know of two events, when my mom died, and the day of her funeral.
And now I am supposed to somehow get back to normality, only I don't know what normality is.
Jamie is as kind and as accommodating as ever, but in some far corner of my mind, when I get a few moments of clarity, when the fog lifts temporarily, I can’t stay here like this forever. I need to get another apartment, and a job. I also need to take care of my mother's affairs, go back to the nursing home and get all her belongings. I have to see how much money I have.
I can't rely on Jamie's good nature.
He tells me he needs to go grocery shopping, and I manage to get out of bed and to rise to standing. Lying around in bed all the time has wasted my muscles and killed any strength I had.
“I'll go.” I stand up, but the look in his eyes--fraught with worry and concern--tells me more than if I looked in a mirror.
I smooth down my t-shirt, try to pull the hem down so that it will reach further instead of hovering just below my panties. I should put some more clothes on, but I still haven't gone to Ward's to get the rest of my belongings and I've gone through the few clothes I had. They're all lying in a dirty pile in a corner of the room.
“I should go,” I tell him, standing up straighter, trying to convince him that I am capable.
He walks over to me and sits me down, then he crouches on the floor. “I'm worried about you.”
“I'm fine. I'm going to be fine. I'm going to make plans.”
He shakes his head. “You haven't had breakfast. You haven’t had lunch.”
“I'm not hungry.”
“And that's why I'm worried.”
I bite my lip. “I'm not hungry because I'm lying around in bed all day. I can go shopping. I can be of use.”
“Not now.”
“I need to do something.”
He stands up. “Fine. But let me go shopping, and when I get back you can cook.”
“Deal.”
I reach for my purse which is on the bedside table. “Let me pay for this.”
“No.”
“Please,” I beg.
“You can do it when you get yourself back up on your feet. When you've got a job. When you are able. There’s no rush.”
“Okay, fine. Have it your way. But I’m cooking.”
“And I’m looking forward to it. I'll be back soon.”
I collapse back on the bed when I hear the front door close. I have to start looking for work again. Someone from Danny's place arranged an interview for me but I couldn't go. It was the week of my mom's funeral and I forgot to email to let them know. Danny says they weren't too happy about it. He explained the situation to them, and they said they'd get in touch again but they haven't, so I need to chase that up again.
I also need to get my belongings from Ward's place. I might just go with Jamie sometime in the next few days and make sure I get everything.
I lie back on the bed, then pull the covers over me. This is all I can handle for now.
The doorbell rings, and I don't move. When it rings again, I groan and get up. Jamie gets a lot of parcels delivered. He’s a typical guy always ordering his tech gadgets. It's the one thing I can help him with, being his personal parcel receiver. I rush to the door, before the mailman disappears, but when I pull open the door, Ward's eyes stare back at me.
Dark and hypnotic, they make my insides jump. From shock, maybe, or maybe from surprise. Unlike the last time he came, when he looked so rough, like he’d barely slept, this time he looks so much sharper. His hair is neatly cut, he hasn't shaved, but there's that light dusting of hairs around his jaw that I once used to love.
I open my mouth to say something, but his eyes start to dip down the length of my body, until he quickly manages to bring them back up to my face again.
Old habits die hard.
The old familiar heat begins to snake inside my belly.
“I waited for you to get your stuff, but ...” he starts. It's then that I notice the bag at his feet.
My belongings. “There's another one in my car, I wasn't sure you