“Yes.”
“And the other woman?”
“The doctor who is offering Bree the chance to see again with a somewhat experimental surgery.”
He let out a long whistle. “Damn, you sure know how to get yourself tangled up in the shit.”
I smirked. “I suppose I do.”
“What does Bree have over the doctor? You seem to be in a bit of a tough situation with Bree. Isn’t that a lot of baggage?”
“No.”
I didn’t see Bree as baggage or damaged goods. She was beautiful and fun, and I loved being with her. There was some drama, but I was confident I could work through it with her. I did understand why she was so insecure now. Austin’s suggestion that she was too much work was exactly what she thought about herself. She didn’t think she was good enough. She worried what others would think, worried people would see her as the burden.
People didn’t see the woman behind the blindness. They only saw her impairment and not the woman that she really was. I wasn’t sure I could protect her from that kind of judgement.
“You’re into her,” Austin stated.
“More than I thought was ever possible.”
“Is this one of those situations where you are drawn to the damaged woman like some women are drawn to the broken men?”
He had no idea just how right I was afraid he was, though I hoped that wasn’t the case. I didn’t feel like it was, but in the back of my mind, it was exactly what I feared.
Chapter Thirteen
Bree
I ROLLED OVER IN BED, not sure I wanted to get out. Yesterday, I had tripped while getting out of the shower. Thankfully, I was alone, and no one witnessed the humiliating experience. I wasn’t hurt—not bad anyway, but my ego was seriously bruised. My ego and my mood. I was embarrassed and frustrated. The depression had set in again and was making it difficult for me to want to do anything.
However, I knew I had to put on a brave face. Luke would be showing up soon and I didn’t want him to see me feeling blue. He worked so hard to keep me happy. I wanted to be happy. damnit, I really did. I groaned, rolling over onto my back and throwing my arms out.
Thankfully, my dad was going to be gone for the weekend again and wouldn’t see me wallowing. I was beginning to suspect my dad was seeing someone. It seemed suspect that he went out of town for the weekends. Who did business on the weekend? I wouldn’t be upset if he was. I would love for him to find someone to spend time with. I would love for him to have someone to spend his life with for that matter.
I raised my arm, testing the stiffness in it after the fall. It was my ass that took the brunt of the impact. My butt and my elbow were a little sore. It could have been so much worse. I was glad I didn’t hit my head. The last thing I needed was another blow to my already damaged brain.
Slowly, I sat up, testing out the rest of my body. I was sore and felt a few more bruises. I had no way of knowing if they were actual, ugly bruises or if they just hurt. Something else I realized would be difficult to deal with moving forward with my unsighted life. Most people could look at a cut and know if it was bad enough to need medical attention. I couldn’t see the hazards coming and when they inevitably did happen, I would have a hard time taking care of an injury.
“Don’t dwell,” I told myself, throwing off the blanket.
I wanted the surgery, but I also was trying to prepare myself for the very possible outcome in the event it didn’t work. Luke and my dad were focused on the idea of it working and my life returning to normal. I had to be a realist. I had to prepare for the very real chance it wouldn’t. I was going to be the one left in the dark for the rest of my days. I had secretly reached out to a facility in Florida. It was essentially a training program for the blind. They would teach me how to live without sight. They boasted they could help me find a job and give me a normal life. If the surgery failed or if the doctor had already changed her mind about doing it, I would go there.
It was something I had to do alone. I would go away, figure out who I was and when I returned, I would get my own place and start my life over. I wasn’t sure if t
hat new life would include Luke, but I hoped it would.
Making my way to the shower, I was being careful about where I stepped. I didn’t want a repeat of the night before. I quickly washed my hair and dressed in a pair of jeans and what my pen reader told me was a light pink shirt.
I smelled both coffee and Luke, two scents I was becoming very used to first thing in the morning. “Good morning,” I greeted him.
“You look beautiful,” Luke answered. “I already poured your coffee.”
“Thank you.” I took my seat and slowly reached for the coffee until I felt the handle of the mug.
“Mel texted me a bit ago. She wants to know if you want to hang out at the beach today.”
I tried to hide my initial reaction. Going to the beach would mean putting on a bathing suit. I didn’t know how big or bad the bruises were. I didn’t want them to see. They would ask me what happened, and I would have to admit to falling on my ass. It was slightly degrading to fall as often as I did now. I felt like a toddler just learning to walk.