Infraction Read Online Free Page A

rubbed at the back
     of his neck.
    My stomach rumbled, and Sarah snapped up to her feet. “Lila’s hungry!” We all turned
     to look at her, but she didn’t seem to care that she sounded a bit psychotic in her
     outburst. “Come, Nathan, let’s go get her some good cuisine, not the yucky hospital
     food. You remember how bad that was. Let’s allow the two of them to get caught up
     without any interference from us.”
    “But I just got here,” he protested.
    “Now, Nathan.” It wasn’t a request; it was a demand from his mother. He couldn’t disobey
     that.
    “I’ll be back,” he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead again before following Sarah
     out the door. I stared after them for a moment, then turned back to Teresa.
    “All right, what in the world is going on between you two?”
    I sighed as best I could, cringing a little before charging into our sordid tale.
     I began with him coming to work, the office romp, the growing feelings, and topped
     it off with the demise of “us” and ended with his declaration two days prior.
    “Wow.” She sat back in awe once I was finished. “That’s quite a history you two have.”
     I nodded in agreement. “What now?”
    “I…I don’t know. I just don’t know.”  Even I could hear the sadness in my voice. I
     didn’t have a response. My heart still hurt so much, and I couldn’t trust him. I was
     angry with his declaration. Why couldn’t he have told me two weeks prior? Why did
     he now have a sudden epiphany and need to be with me?
    “We’ve got Italian!” Nathan smiled as he walked back into the room carrying two bags,
     Sarah trailing behind with another bag, and Caroline bringing up the rear. “Oh, and
     we found Caroline.”
    “Hi!” Her tone was bright as she walked over to give me a small hug. “Hi, sweetie.
     How are you feeling?”
    I groaned.
    She let out a small chuckle. “I don’t think that’s a word. Can you use it in a sentence?”
    “That would take more brain power than I have at the moment.”
    Sarah, Teresa, and Nathan were chatting as they unloaded the bags and divided up the
     contents. I stared at them…well, him…and the way he interacted with them. There was
     an ease about him I wasn’t used to. Almost as if some cloud had been lifted from him,
     still guarded but somehow free.
    He held two containers in his hands as he walked toward me, setting them both down
     on the table beside me and going back to get another object along with some utensils.
    “I got you some lasagna. I figured it would be easier for you to eat,” he said, popping
     the lid off the containers.
    The smell hit me and my stomach growled in want. He smirked, holding a fork up to
     my mouth. I reached for the fork and he pulled back.
    “Give it to me. I can feed myself. Just set the container on my lap.” I waited, but
     he didn’t move, the fork still an inch from my mouth.
    “First off,” he began, “the container is too hot to sit on your lap. Second, you can’t
     use your left arm, and you think I can’t see your right arm is stiff today? You pulled
     some muscles, so even if I moved the table in front of you, it would be difficult.
     And how are you going to cut it? Third, I’m just as fucking stubborn as you are, so
     open your damn mouth.”  I set my jaw despite the pain, unwilling to do as he requested,
     and glared up at him. His hard eyes softened and he sighed. “Please, let me help you
     do this. I just want to help you.”
    I looked over to Teresa; she was urging me with her gaze and mouthing words to me.
     With great reluctance my mouth crept open, and he slid the fork between my lips.
    I moaned when the flavor hit my taste buds, my eyes rolling back. Two days with little
     food, hospital food at that, made the bite heaven and my stomach happy. My greedy
     mouth devoured the whole lasagna, my stomach more than full once done. Somehow, I
     still had room for the mini cannoli he placed at my lips; the sweetness was the