Irreplaceable Read Online Free Page A

and I can’t hear you?”
    Was he really justifying leaving the door open enough to
listen while I used the restroom?
    “Shut the damn door, Logan, or I swear to God—”
    “Is everything all right in here?” I heard Marilyn, the
day nurse, ask, and relief flooded me. She was the sweetest but toughest nurse
I had—always the one to force me out of bed to walk up and down the hall, with
her at my side, to keep the muscles in my legs strong.
    “Yes, can you please shut the door for me?”
    The next thing I knew, the door was closed, and I heard
the muffled voices of a conversation between Logan and the middle-aged redhead.
The woman was ruthless; she would lay into him. I smiled at the image.
    Quickly, I was able to focus on the task at hand. I’d
never peed so fast in my life. After I finished my business, I heard the voices
quiet. I struggled to lean forward enough to reach the sink and wash my hands
in record time, then called for Marilyn.
    “You ready?” she asked and, when I gave a quick yes, the
door opened to reveal her laughing at something Logan was saying, her hand on
his shoulder. He looked me over, as if I might’ve gotten hurt during the sixty
seconds I’d been in there.
    In two long strides, he was in front of me, smiling.
    “Feel better?”
    I rolled my eyes, snubbing him. I’d hoped Marilyn would
be there to help me up, but Logan scooped me back into his arms. His scent was
all I could focus on, committed to not making a scene. A part of me missed his
natural scent: so masculine and clean. So Logan.
    “It’s safer if she walks,” Marilyn complained, but he
continued until he was beside my bed, placing me back down gently.
    “Was that really necessary?” I sneered, not bothering to
look his way as I smoothed the blanket back out over my legs. I swatted his
hand away when he tried to help.
    Marilyn laughed, earning her a sneer too, which she only
shrugged at. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, and left the room.
    Back in place, I was ready for sleep to end my mortifying
torture of the day’s events—even if that meant enduring another nightmare.
    I looked up at him. “Seriously, you can go. I’m sure
Oliver and Julia will be back any minute, and I don’t plan on having anything
else humiliating for you to witness before then.” I focused my gaze on the
opposite wall, waiting for some wisecrack on his part.
    Instead, his hand caught my chin, pulling my attention
back to him very slowly. The moment my eyes met his, he released my face. I sat
frozen from the agony written over his expression.
    “I’m not leaving until you listen to me—until you
understand that I’m never going to walk away from you again.” His hand came
back, his pointer finger running over my cheek briefly, but it only added to
the agony on his features. His fingers withdrew as though they’d been burnt.
    “I fucked up, Cassandra. I hate myself for it and I can’t
take it back, but I will spend every day and every night proving I can be the
man you need me to be.”
    His eyes were so soft, voice so sincere, but I couldn’t
let it get through my defenses. I couldn’t go there again. The pain was too
much. He didn’t really want me—it was only guilt he felt.
    “Logan, I—”
    He silenced me with a single tear that lingered in his
clouded blue eyes before falling to his cheek.
    His eyes closed for a moment then opened, begging me to
hear him out. “Don’t. Don’t tell me no, or that it’s too late. I’m already
aware of that, but I won’t give up. I just need you to know…I’m never letting
you walk away from me again.”
    “I got Jell-Os and found blueberry muffins!”
    I swallowed the fresh tears brewing and mammoth emotions
buzzing in my gut, and smiled at Oliver walking in as though everything was
always rainbows and sunshine. I wished it were so easy.
    “Thanks,” I said, pulling on a forced smile.
    Logan backed away so Oliver could hand me the small plate
and plastic