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Mav placed the tray on my lap. “Eat what you can, baby,” he urged when he saw the face I made at the sight of the food. “I know you’re feeling bad right now, but you have to keep up your strength so you can heal.”
Knowing he was right, and not wanting to worry him, I picked up half of the sandwich and took a small bite. It was good, made exactly the way I liked it, but I couldn’t get more than a few bites down.
“Try the soup,” he told me as he finished off the sandwich for me. “Just a few spoonsful. For me.”
Because I knew it would make him stress if I didn’t, I picked up the spoon and ate half the bowl of soup then drank a little of the milk. By the time he was satisfied, I was pushing my limits. I wasn’t in a lot of pain, but I was feeling uncomfortable, and he encouraged me to take one of the pain pills the doctor had prescribed for me.
Once I’d swallowed it, he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom. After helping me change into one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers, he tucked the covers up around me and then dropped down beside me.
“I wish you wouldn’t go back to school tomorrow,” he muttered unhappily. “You should take the rest of the week to recover.”
“The doctor told me I could go back to a light routine starting tomorrow,” I reminded him. “And I don’t want to just lie around doing nothing. There are only a few weeks left of classes before I graduate. I don’t want to mess that up.”
“You’re so fucking smart. It’s not going to hurt anything if you miss a few more days,” he grumbled. “Just tomorrow. Please. For me.”
“Ugh,” I complained, snuggling against him. “You know I can’t say no when you say that.”
I felt him smile as he kissed my temple. “Why do you think I use it so often?”
That made me snort. “At least you admit it.”
“I’ll have Mila tell the school you’re taking one more day,” he promised.
“Fine.” My eyes were already feeling heavy. Being in a comfortable bed, with Mav’s warmth seeping into me while he stroked his fingers through my hair, was more drugging than any pain medication. “But I’m going back Thursday for sure.”
“Yes, ma’am.” His lips skimmed over my cheek, but I didn’t miss the way his lips felt as they lifted into a half smile. “I love you, River.”
“Love you,” I mumbled sleepily, before giving in and drifting off.
When I opened my eyes again, it was dark outside, and I was alone in bed. I still felt uncomfortable, but my stomach was now growling in hunger. Tossing back the blanket, I carefully climbed out of bed and padded into the living room.
The lights were off, but the television was on, and I saw Maverick sitting on the couch. The smell of pizza hit my nose, and my stomach snarled angrily. Coming up behind him, I wrapped my arms around Mav’s neck and bent to kiss his cheek. One of his hands covered mine, his thumb rubbing over my wrist lovingly.
“How are you feeling, baby?”
“Lonely and hungry,” I told him honestly, and he lifted his head to look at me.
“I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t want to disturb you, but I should have come back after I made a few calls earlier.” His voice was full of regret, and I moved around the side of the couch to climb onto his lap.
“You don’t have to babysit me,” I told him as I rested my head on his shoulder. “I’m just feeling a little…lost right now.”
His strong arms contracted around me. “The doctor said you might feel a little fragile for a while. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it better?”
Tears stung my eyes, but I shook my head. “Just having you hold me helps,” I whispered.
His lips brushed over my temple. “You said you’re hungry?” I nodded. “I ordered your favorites. The pizza has pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, and green olives. There’s honey barbecue wings, breadsticks, and I got that brownie-cookie thing you like.”
Even though my stomach grumbled again, I only snuggled closer to him. “I’ll eat in a minute. For the moment, I just want to sit right here and be sad a little longer.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Take as long as you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
Twelve
River
By noon the next day, I was tired of lying around doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself and longing for what I’d lost.
I’d promised Maverick I wouldn’t go to school, but I hadn’t said anything about work. While he snored away in our bed, I showered and got ready for the day. But when I grabbed my things to head out the door, I realized I had no way of getting to work on my own.
