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"I know that you feel like you’re helping, and I do appreciate it, but she’s my mother Jason, and I need to make the decisions Please let me handle this, and I would appreciate it if you’d not discuss e"

Jason was temporarily at a loss for words "Claire, I’ve obviously upset you, which was notat the hospital which brought up the conversation of your mother As I said, I kno important she is to you, and I wanted tothe help that she needs I’m sorry if I’ve upset you, and I’ll of course respect your wishes in this" Claire stared into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity

Was she overreacting? Was her past relationship with her father coloring everything she did? Still feeling uneasy despite his assurances, Claire knew that the hospital was probably not the best place for a heart to heart talk with hih, they had to discuss his habit of trying to run her life He had to understand that she was capable ofher own decisions Maybe her ; then he had he started taking over small areas of her life until he finally consumed her?

~~~

Boy he royally un as innocently as he indicated to Claire His assurance to Toardless of the cost had gone a little beyond what he had ad care of people was second nature to hi person, he was simply someone who saw a proble ht hi could be fixed for a price He wasn’t consumed by money and didn’t throw it around He, however, did appreciate the good deeds that he could easily do because of it Growing up as he had obviously colored his views of relationships Whatever he had with Claire noas the closest he had ever been to a committed relationship, and he was co

He needed her; he burned for her, and he longed for the taste of her He stayed in an almost constant start of arousal now If she walked into the rooht he had sated his hunger for her, but it only burned brighter She was a witch, and he was coh that held him spellbound; it was Claire, the person, as well

He loved that she worried about everyone around her but never herself He loved how she sucked her lower lip into her ht, he loved how his house had felt like a hoh he didn’t kno to handle it and seemed to screw up at every turn

How could you explain to a wo care of people? He often thought his mother had decided to have a child simply to have soht He had never been a child though, he had been the go-to h to walk and talk Hell, he still spent a good part of his ti hisClaire over the loan at work and the loss of her job at Partiez Plus, he told hiain interfere in her life, but he had stu over with little thought to the consequences Being involved with so fro new; and frankly, he didn’t kno to act He was a sh not to ruin the best thing to happen to him

~~~

Claire walked Jason to the exit door of the hospital where his car aiting Jason rarely used a car and driver even though someone in his position could easily afford to He had assured her that he didn’t need his Mercedes and wanted her to keep it Even though she was still uneasy over their earlier conversation, she pro to pick up a few things and would return to his house to stay for the night

Maybe that wasn’t the best idea, she felt like she needed tis seemed to have moved so far, so fast She would take so when she was at her apartment to think

Dr Mauldin made his last round of the day and indicated he would have the test results soht rehabilitation as well to keep up herher words and also with use of her left aro, and Claire was preparing to leave with visiting hours ending very soon

They’d given herpill to help her anxiety and ensure she rested well She seerateful for the patient, encouraging manner of both Dr Mauldin and Glenda She knew they were just getting started on a long road but today at least she felt soht somewhere at the end of the tunnel

Chapter Twenty Four

Claire pulled the Mercedes in beside her Toyota in front of her apartned two spaces which Claire rarely needed As she was getting out of the car, she saw Billy approaching froroan, she tried to plaster on a friendly smile "Hey Billy, how have you been?"

"Hey Claire, no co well Where is your boyfriend?"

"Oh, I’h great Claire, why don’t you ask hi alone "He’s waiting for s and be onin with him?"

"Oh, I don’t knoe haven’t made any decisions on that yet"

"Claire, I just wanted to say I was sorry if I scared you before, you knohen I kept asking you out I admit; Billy did have kind of a crush on you, and I hoped we could get together but since your boyfriend ca you, well old Billy was just e not to smile at Billy’s continued use of himself in the third person when his words started to sink in "What’re you talking about Billy? When did you talk to Jason?"

"Well I guess it was the next day after Iyou unco to protect his girl Billy can respect that, being a man and all Don’t you worry at all about your place while you’re gone, I’ll keep an eye out on things" So to Billy, Claire stumbled into her apartment and closed the door

My God, Jason really has taken over s were there that she didn’t know? Had he contacted everyone she knew to cut her off from the world, just like her father did to her mother? Claire walked into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed; all the hope that Jason was different going out of her