Marriage Of Convenience: A BWWM Billionaire Love Story Read Free Page B

pushed her back down, ignoring
the pain in her leg.
    “ Lay
down mama, I’m fine. I’m just gonna fix you some soup
okay. Would you like some?” Leila said striving like hell to
distract her mother who was still looking distressed.
    “ Are
you sure you’re okay Leila?” she asked.
    “ I’m
fine. I promise mama. Now lie back so I can get you that soup,”
she said straightening up to glare at Jonathon before striving to
walk out without limping. She was concentrating so hard she didn’t
realize that Jonathon was not with her until she was halfway down the
hall. She looked back at the open door of her mother’s room,
expecting that he would appear at any moment but nobody did. She
hesitated between going to the kitchen to warm up some soup or going
back and dragging Jonathon out of her mother’s room. In the
end, she went with the soup; she didn’t think Jonathon would hurt her mother…
    *****
    Jonathon sat down on
the chair next to Leila’s mother, taking in the oxygen tank and
the labored breathing and the general weakness of the woman before
him.
    “ Is
it lung cancer?” he asked.
    She glared at him as if
he’d done something really wrong so Jonathon went over his
words, searching for the faux pas.
    “ What?”
he said at last when he couldn’t find it. Leila’s mother
dislodged her oxygen mask.
    “ You
go around asking total strangers what’s ailing them all the
time boy?” she asked.
    Jonathon straightened
up. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Hi. My name is
Jonathon Leary. Pleasure to meet you. And you are?”
    “ Raychelle
Masters. What are you doing here boy?” she asked and then put
her mask back on so she could breath.
    “ Hello
Raychelle. I thought I’d sit here with you since your daughter
seems more worried about your health than her own. We hit her bike,
not hard, but she did fall down. We wanted to take her to the
hospital but she insisted on coming here instead…to see you I
guess. Do you have a nurse or something? Or are you all alone?”
    Raychelle glared,
moving her oxygen mask. “What would I need a nurse for? I can
take perfectly good care of myself!”
    Jonathon smiled, “I
see where your daughter gets it.”
    Raychelle gave him the
thousand yard stare but chose to save her breath rather than ask the
obvious question. They sat in curiously companionable silence until
Leila limped back into the room with a tray of soup and bread as well
as a cup of fresh juice. She glared at Jonathon just on principle
before setting the tray down on the bedside table and perching on the
side of the bed.
    “ Can
you eat a little?” she asked her mother.
    Raychelle moved the
mask off her face and nodded, reaching out for the bowl. Leila beat
her to it. She spooned some of the soup up and held it out to her mom
who glared at her before opening her mouth.
    “ I
can feed myself,” she growled raspily.
    “ Sure
you can mama; still it’d really make me feel better if you let
me feed you,” Leila said soothingly as she cut a piece of bread
off and dipped it in the soup until it was nice and soggy. She held
it out to her mother who opened her mouth obediently.
    When the meal was
finished, Leila glanced at Jonathon who was still sitting in the
chair, staring at them. She lifted her brow inquiringly, wondering
why he was still here.
    “ Can
we take you to the hospital now?” he asked. Leila sighed
tiredly as her mother turned to glare at her.
    “ Go
Leila,” she whispered.
    “ I
can’t leave you alone like this,” Leila said.
    “ Call
Sheila then; or Carlyle from next door. I’m sure I heard him
playing his loud music this morning. He must be back from touring.”
    Leila hesitated;
Carlyle was friendly enough; he worked as a roadie for a rock band
and when they weren’t on tour he was a bartender at a club.
Which meant he was home during the day. Still Leila hated to disturb
him; he would come if asked and sit with Raychelle but that meant he
wasn’t resting or whatever he did before