Love Me True (Love Me Book 2)

Chapter 6

Chloe dropped Faye off at her back gate and she fumbled a bit with the key because her relaxed fingers refused to work. She looked down at them and flexed them before trying again and winning the battle. She tuned to wave at Chloe, who was waiting for her to get inside safely. She could hear her car drive away as she closed the gate to the world. Faye had to admit that she was surprised that Chloe hadn't taken the chance to see Dr. DeGraff.

She locked the gate and then turned to start the climb up the steps, but her toe caught the uneven bricks on the first step and she fell with a muffled curse as she felt the sting from the brick where it scraped at her palms and knees. She hadn't skinned her knees since she was a kid and she had forgotten how badly it hurt. She rolled over onto her bottom and examined them, wincing as her elbow caught the wall next to her. She had skinned that as well.

She leaned back on the steps with a groan and covered her eyes with her arms. She was a mess.

"Are you alright?" Dr. DeGraff's deep voice asked from above her.

"No, I can't even get drunk right!" she groaned.

"You seem to be doing just fine to me," he said with all seriousness.

"I only had one beer!" she held up her finger to emphasize the number. "I'm what they call a cheap date."

"I disagree, the medical bills after two beers would probably be anything but cheap," he pointed out, reaching for her arm and pulling her up and towards him. She was too upset with herself to be amused by the jokes he was making, but his sense of humor seemed to be set off by herself falling down drunk, and it was disheartening, to say the least.

"Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?" he asked, taking her hands and looking at her scraped up palms. She tried to pull her hands away from his but he held them fast, ignoring the hint that he should release her.

"Upstairs in the kitchen, I can look after myself, thank you." She tried to pull her hands away once more.

"You had better let me take a look, you might miss a spot since your drunk," he pointed out with his unfailing logic.

"Unfortunately, I'm no longer drunk," she insisted and this time when she pulled her hands away from his he released them. "Thank you," she said, turning to go up the stairs, but she turned to quickly and had to grab the handrail to catch her balance.

"Stone cold sober," Dr. DeGraff said drily from behind her as he took her arm and escorted her up the stairs.

"Are you one of those people who are only funny at other people's expense?" she asked hotly as she slowly made her way up the stairs.

"I'm only funny when something amuses me," he admitted.

"I amuse you!" she almost shrieked.

"Right at this moment, yes, you amuse me." He nodded, a smile playing around his lips.

"It must be because I'm a charming drunk, just liked I'm a charming innocent," she ground out as she tried to get her key in the backdoor.

"Actually, right this moment you are adorably charming in every way," he said as he watched her fight with the key, she was so focused on what she was doing she didn't hear him.

She stomped her foot then tried again, missing again.

"May I be of some help?" he asked, taking the key from her weak fingers before she could object.

He unlocked the door and ushered her into the kitchen and towards a chair at the table. Once she was safely seated, he followed her pointing finger to the first aid box on top of the fridge. Then he pulled out a chair and sat across from her, his massive body filling up the small room as he sorted through the first aid kit while Faye watched him boldly.