“Don’t apologize.”
“I’m sorry,” I try again, weaker now. “For the trouble.”
Her jaw tightens a little. “Nate, you’re hurt. This isn’t trouble.” Her voice dips. “You scared me.”
She slides her hand under the sheet until she finds mine and laces our fingers together. I cling to the pressure when my head throbs harder, and try to sit up, but the room tilts.
“No.” Her hand is suddenly on my shoulder, firm. “Don’t move. You’re not cleared yet. Deep breaths.”
She leans closer, her chest brushing mine, and I let her hold me there.
“Mom?” I manage.
“We’ll call her,” she says, glancing to the monitor before returning to me. “Later. Right now, I need you awake and not pushing yourself.”
I groan, letting my head fall back.
“Stay with me,” she murmurs. “I’ve got you. And yes, I’m coming home with you. Don’t argue.”
“Robyn—”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Her voice cracks, just barely. “I thought you were seriously hurt.”
I nod. Or try to. “Swe—Okay.”
Her fingers never leave mine. Not once.
Robyn’s in my apartment.She’s taken off a week tocarefor me, and I’m getting at least another week off work. Potentially the-foreman-didn’t-do-his-job-properly-and-you-got-hurt, money. First thing she did was confiscate my bike helmet, car keys, and TV remote with a look that saiddon’t test me. I’m standing in my bedroom trying to take my T-shirt off so I can shower when she sighs and steps in.
“Let me,” she says.
“I can undress and shower myself.”
“Nate, you got a concussion two days ago.” She folds her arms, one hip cocked.
“Which is why I’ve waited two days. Don’t worry, Robyn. I know where everything goes.”
She reaches for the hem of the shirt anyway. Her fingers are careful, professional, as her knuckles brush the hair on my abdomen.
I pull back. “I said I can do this.”
Her brow arches, chin lifting. “You’re being stubborn.” She exhales, incredulous. “I’m adoctor.”
I shrug. “Doctor or not, naked is naked.”
She stares for a beat. “Did you get another surprise piercing you don’t wantme to see?”
I sputter air through my pursed lips. “Of course not.” We stare into each other’s gaze.
“So how did you get”—she tips her chin at my chest—“that one?”
I let out a deep sigh. “Julian…” Warmth gathers on my cheeks. “Kept going on about pierced dicks and how they enhance sex.”
“You talked about piercing your penis with Julian?”
I wince. “There may have been some diagramming involved. He swore if I pierced my dick and showed you, I’d get you back.”
She crosses her arms tighter, biting her lip.
