The Broken Soldier She Fell For (Book 2 of Something Series)

Chapter 12

Kanen set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe me; I could tell, and I had no idea how to prove it to him.

I sighed and shook my head before I cleared my throat. "So, do you want to help set it up?" I asked again and raised an eyebrow. "I will be able to show you what you can do with the set up, or you can just hold stuff or whatever."

"No," Kanen said and shook his head. "I don't want to help. Now, can you leave?" He gestured toward the door. "I don't need your help."

I bit back a sigh before I nodded, too tired to argue with him. "Ok," I said. I cleared my throat and pressed my lips into a thin line while I gestured for him to move out of my way. "Now, if you will excuse me, you need to get back into your room so that I can do what you want."

Kanen rolled his eyes but did what I said and moved out of my way. "Who is going to help me change?" he asked while I started to walk out of the bathroom. "Or are you going to do it?"

I shrugged and made sure to keep a straight face. "Are you wanting me to help?" I asked, not knowing if I should feel uncomfortable or not. "It's not like I've done it before, but that's up to you."

"I would like some men to help," he said, and I nodded.

"I'll have José and some other men to help you after that and help put you to bed," I said and walked to the door. "They won't mind helping you."

He nodded and followed me to the door with his wheelchair, and for some reason, he made sure not to get too close as if he didn't want to hurt me or run me over with his wheelchair.

"I take it that after they do that you'll check on me?" he asked, and I nodded. "Why? I don't want you to."

I held back an eye roll and bit back a sigh. "Again, it's my job," I said. "I'll check on almost everyone here anyway at night before I go to bed as well as the horses. It's no problem."

"You do realize that I sleep with a machine hooked up to me, right?" Kanen asked and raised an eyebrow.

I nodded in confirmation.

"Aren't you scared?"

I bit back a scoff and rolled my eyes while I scowled. "About what?" I asked and raised an eyebrow while I looked at him. "You being hooked up to a machine, and how you would look on it? Please, don't flatter yourself, Kanen."

He narrowed his eyes and set his jaw while he scowled. "I am not flattering myself, Emily," he said coldly. "What do you mean?" he asked.

I shrugged. "But anyway, I wouldn't be scared of seeing you attached to a machine," I said, changing the subject back to what we were talking about. "You aren't nervous about me seeing you, are you?"

Kanen pressed his lips into a thin line and looked down, not meeting my gaze. He didn't say a word, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"Seriously, Kanen?" I asked while I narrowed my eyes and scowled. "Are you nervous about me seeing you hook up to a machine?"

He sighed and moved a hand through his hair before he shook his head. "A bit," he admitted before he cleared his throat and shifted a little. "I don't want you to think any differently..." he mumbled softly.

I held back an eye roll and bit back a sigh, even though my heart broke for him. "It won't make me think of you any differently," I replied. "I think you are a grumpy ass jerkwad, and I'm pretty sure when you are connected to your breathing machine, then you'll just be a grumpy ass jerkwad hooked up to a breathing machine, nothing more and nothing less."

Kanen bit back a small snort, looking amused and a little relieved that I wouldn't think any differently of him. He sighed a little and leaned back in his chair before he cleared his throat. "And why do you say that I am a grumpy ass jerkwad?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Because you are," I replied and shrugged. "You are grumpy and rude and all of that stuff. You don't even want to do anything, which is fine, even though I think you should really start seeing the stuff that we have to offer."

Kanen scowled and narrowed his eyes. "And w-"

"A lot of stuff if you put your mind to it and stop being grumpy," I said, interrupting him. "I'm not going to push you to do anything, but you never know unless you try. I don't think you should stay here in the room and mope, but again, that's not my place to tell you."

"And what would you have me do?" he asked and raised an eyebrow, not bothering to yell at me for interrupting him. "Or do you even know?"

I pulled my phone out of my pocket when it vibrated and went ding, indicating that I had a text, and I pursed my lips in annoyance to see that Crystal was texting me, wondering where I was at.

"Well?" Kanen asked when I sighed and shook my head before I sent her a text telling her that I was going to be on my way shortly. "What is it?"

"I need to get stuff ready for the barbeque," I said. "That's something that you can help us with, but, of course, you can't because you are stuck in a wheelchair and are paralyzed." I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"I am, though," he said. "I am stuck in a wheelchair. I can't do anything."

"But what if you can?" I asked. "Would you still do nothing?" I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head while I studied him.

Kanen didn't say a word and looked down while he pressed his lips in a thin line.

I bit back a sigh and shook my head. "Never mind," I said. "If you want to come help, you can. If not, then that is ok too. I am sure you will be able to close the door one way or another, so I'm going to keep it open."

And with that, I opened the door and walked out, leaving him alone to decide what he wanted to do and praying that he would choose to follow me.