What Endures Read Online Free Page B

her adjustment to Jason’s new reality all that much harder. She couldn’t move forward if she was always glancing back.
    "Look, Jason, I’m not gonna use something you gave to me in trust and lo-" She caught herself just in time and feigned a cough to cover it up. "You gave me your power of attorney in trust and friendship and I’m not gonna abuse that, but I’m not gonna let you have your way when I know that my way is better for you."
    "Wow, that sounds so much like the speech my mother gave me when I was 7."
    "Sarcasm does not help this situation."
    He shot her an annoyed look. "Well, what am I supposed to do? You clearly hold all the cards. Sarcasm is about the only thing I have left."
    "That and your unique ability to drive people away?” she asked. "At the rate you’re going, I will run out of willing nurses and agencies soon. That is if word hasn’t already spread and the home health care community hasn’t blacklisted you."
    He shrugged. "That would be a real shame."
    She gave him a knowing look. "You’re going to keep driving them away aren’t you?"
    He looked at her, and she could see him trying to figure out how best to work this situation. "Depends."
    She decided to play along. "On?"
    "I’ll agree to a nurse only when you can’t be here."
    "Jason," she said with a sigh. "First of all, I never agreed to be the one to stay here with you. And second of all, you need a nurse for even when whoever isn’t here."
    "And you still haven’t given me a reason why you won’t stay here.”
    "Why is that important? I told you I can’t. That should be enough for you."
    He studied her for several minutes, not saying anything and she felt unnerved, even as she told herself that Jason didn’t know her anymore and couldn’t possibly read her like he used to. Still, she had to force herself to act calm under his scrutiny which was harder than she thought it’d be. “What?” she blurted out, unable to take it any longer.
    "I’m just trying to figure it out," he said with a nonchalant shrug.
    "What?"
    "What’s going on with you," he said. "Why you’re so resistant to helping me out even though we’re friends. Close friends. Or so you tell me."
    "We are."
    "That’s it?"
    "What else?"
    "Like we didn’t have a torrid affair or something? Something that makes you uncomfortable with the thought of being in the same house with me? Even though said house is large enough to house two average sized families comfortably?"
    She forced herself not to react. To keep her face blank. "You should stick to ESPN," she said, keeping her voice neutral. "Daytime soaps aren’t good for your overactive imagination."
    He grinned. "Looks like I might have struck a nerve."
    She stood up abruptly. "You didn’t. And you are still getting a nurse."
    "Fine," he said in a voice that indicated it was anything but ‘fine.’
    She sighed. "Jason, please do not keep driving these nurses away."
    He didn’t respond but attempted to reach for the remote, which she had tossed down on the table out of his reach. "Mind grabbing that remote for me?"
    "Jason."
    "A little help with the remote, please?"
    She stared at him. He was seemingly intent on retrieving the remote, but she knew better. This argument wasn’t over, and she definitely did not hold all the cards in this. She inhaled before sitting back down. "Tell you what. Let’s compromise."
    He stopped trying to reach for the remote and leaned back in the couch, taking a few seconds to get comfortable before turning to her. "What do you mean by compromise?"
    "You’ll get a nurse, for part of the day and in exchange for you not being an as-. . .” She caught herself and cleared her throat. She ignored the smug smile on his face. Stay focused, she told herself. “For you to not be a difficult patient, someone else will come here and stay with you for the rest of the time. At least until you’re back on your feet."
    "Who would that other person be?" he asked, with a smile at her.
    "Jason, I