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“Bronx.” The slight whine in her voice tells me she’s about to argue with me.
“I’m not going anywhere until you get in this bed,” I tell her with finality.
She huffs, jutting out her bottom lip in a disapproving pout. Regardless, she crawls into bed with me, laying her head on my chest.
“Get some rest, Finch,” I say, stroking her hair, her signature vanilla scent surrounding me like a warm blanket.
She snuggles into my chest and closes her eyes. She falls asleep quickly, but I wait an hour to make sure she stays asleep, her breathing deep and even.
Watching her sleep, I realize, is the best fucking thing in the world. She looks so soft and peaceful, and the little snores from her stuffed-up nose are surprisingly adorable.
Reluctantly, when the clock strikes midnight, I slowly move out from under her and crawl out of bed, being extremely careful not to wake her. I’d stay the night with her in a heartbeat, but I’m not sure how her parents would feel about finding me in her bed the next morning. I feel like I’m in a really good place with them right now, and I don’t want to fuck that up.
Before I leave I make sure she’s comfortable and situated one last time. Kissing her forehead, I turn off her bedside lamp and slip on my shoes before climbing out the window and heading back to Chase’s truck.
Twenty-six
Nap
Friday morning, I walk down the hall of the science building after my biology class. I pass the room where Olivia teaches Professor Cooper’s lab and instinctively look inside, stopping in my tracks when I spot her.
The classroom is empty as she sits on top of the front lab bench cross-legged, consumed by the binder resting on her lap as she munches on a granola bar. She must have just finished teaching her class—even though I told her she should stay home another day to rest. But a part of me knew she wouldn’t listen.
Thankfully, she followed doctor’s orders yesterday and stayed home. Delilah and I made sure of it with Mission: Make Sure Olivia Doesn’t Dare Step Foot on Campus. We made a pact that if either of us saw her in any of her classes yesterday we’d send her ass right back home to rest.
Frowning, I walk into the classroom, and she looks up at me from her binder, giving me a half smile, half grimace. She knows my stance on her coming to classes today.
“I thought you were skipping today?” I say, coming to stand in front of her. I rest my hands on the counter on each side of her, bracketing her legs.
“I was going to, but the other TA said she couldn’t fill in for me. I couldn’t just leave the class hanging this close to finals,” she explains.
“So what I’m hearing are excuses,” I say, a teasing lilt to my voice. “Did you talk to Professor Cooper about it?”
“No, I didn’t want to bother her,” she says lamely, refusing to meet my gaze because she knows it’s a bad excuse, and that I’m not going to let her off that easily.
“Finch,” I groan, exasperated.
I gently grab her chin, making her tilt her head up to look at me. I examine her face; her soft features are livelier than they were the other day. The bags under her eyes have noticeably reduced and she has more color to her complexion, but I can tell she’s still not 100 percent. Looking at her, getting lost in her eyes, I almost forget what I’m mad at her for. Almost.
“You have to take care of yourself,” I remind her. “I’m sure Professor Cooper could have scrounged up another TA to teach in your place.”
“But—”
“No buts,” I cut her off.
I hear a slight crinkling noise and look down to spot the granola bar in her hand. I pluck it from her grasp, finding the generic honey and oats bar only half eaten.
“What’s this?” I ask, flashing her the wrapper.
“Uh, breakfast?” she says, confused.
I lean to my left and spot the trash can on the floor at the end of the lab bench, and toss the granola bar inside.
“Hey,” Olivia whines, a cute little pout forming on her face.
“Come on, Finch,” I say, leaning over to grab her backpack. “You need real breakfast, not that junk.”
I grab the binder in her lap and pack it away inside her bag. Despite her protests I pick her up off the counter and set her on her feet before grabbing her hand and leading her to the truck.
