Not pitch black, but the curtains were drawn enough to keep most of the light out. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly.
That was a mistake. Everything hurt.
“Yeah… we definitely did too much.” I exhaled and stretched slightly, rolling my shoulders.
Chewy watched me with his tail wagging as if he agreed.
I walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway, taking a second to get my bearings before finding the bathroom.
The door opened into a space just as clean as the rest of the house. Large mirror. Double sink. Shower already stocked.
I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, turning the water to hot enough to relax everything that still felt tight and sore. Then I stripped down slowly, stepping under the stream once it was ready. The heat hit my skin and I let out a long breath of relief. My body loosened almost immediately.
I stood there for a minute without moving, letting the water run over me before I reached up and started taking down my braids. It took time, but I didn’t rush it. When I was done, my hair fell loose around my shoulders, damp from the steam.
I grabbed the shampoo, working it in, massaging my scalp until the tension there eased too. I rinsed, then went in again, making sure everything was clean.
Finally, I turned the water off, then stepped out and dried myself in one of his towels before pulling on one of the robes hanging behind the door. It was too big and didn’t smell like him.
This part of the house must be for ‘guests’.
I rolled the sleeves up twice, tied it tight around my waist, then bent down to scoop Chewy up before he could make a run for it.
“Come on,” I said, adjusting him on my hip. “Let’s go see what your future daddy is doing.”
I mademy way downstairs slowly, one hand trailing along the railing, the smell hitting me before I even reached the bottom.
FOOD!
I stepped into the kitchen and stopped.
Marlon stood at the stove, back to me and shirtless. “Please tell me there’s nothing with dairy in it.”
He glanced over his shoulder when he heard me. “Spaghetti bolognese.”
“Ugh, tomatoes give me heartburn. I hope you have tums.”
“What are you, sixty years old?”
I smiled to myself. “You mean like you?”
He paused, then relaxed. “You know what, I walked into that one. Nice to see you still got jokes after all that.”
I leaned against the doorway, adjusting Chewy on my hip. “How long was I out anyway? Couple hours?”
He turned back to the stove. “No, Rabbit. It’s the next day.”
I blinked. “…huh?”
He didn’t repeat himself.
“Wait—what?” I stepped fully into the kitchen. “I was out the whole day?!”
“That’s what happens when you don’t eat before you get in my bed.”
My head snapped around. “My phone. My peoples gotta be looking for me. Where’s my?—”
“I handled it,” he said calmly.
