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“He took care of me and there aren’t many people ould do that for someone they barely know He knew I didn’t have anyone else to call, so he bought a thermometer and quite possibly all the cold and flu medicine the pharmacy had on hand He slept in an armchair in my room so he could keep an eye on me”

Sloan looked shocked “He stayed with you?”

“Yes He had work to do, of course But he did it froood to me when I had no one else Pretty pathetic on my part, huh?”

He clenched his jaw and looked away “You should have been able to call me”

“I didn’t tell you to uilty” She just wanted hiuy

She figured she’d ainst the wall, she didn’t have a headboard

“I suppose if you’re going to insist on all these changes—”

“I am,” he said firmly

“We could go to your place while everything happens But I’ht take me a while” She bit her lip

He hesitated, looking like he was about to say so

“What is it?” she asked Now that they’d hashed things out, she felt exhausted She just wanted to get to Sloan’s place, crawl into bed, and sleep

“About these debts”

She sighed “I know I should have told you” She pulled at a thread on her faded bedspread She wasn’t certain if it had once been yellow or green, but she called the color it was now puke-brown “But I was ashamed of how much of an idiot I’d been It was ure it out on my own”

“But you’re not on our o, are you?” He placed one hand over hers, stilling her nervous movements He used his other hand to tilt up her chin “How bad is it?”

“Bad,” she admitted “Do we have to talk about it now?”