“Of what? Light in the room? Painkillers?” Rowan sounded panicked, but still kept his tone quiet.
“Too much to take in. Give me a second.”
“Oh. Yes, of course.” Rowan moved away, his chair screeching against the floor. “Fuck, sorry.”
“But don’t let me go.” I blinked at the light which, despite being dimmed, hurt my eyes anyway.
“I won’t, never will. I’m here.” He stroked his thumb over my pulse, sending goosebumps from my wrist up my arm. Was his voice shaking? It sounded deeper than usual. “Just please be okay.”
Unwilling to over-promise, I assessed my body—wiggled my toes, moved my head side to side on the pillow, and took a deep breath.
“My ribs hurt and my head feels like I’m underwater, but other than that I feel fine.”
“The doctor said that you’re bruised, and that you suffered a concussion. You’ll need a few days’ rest to fully recover and someone to watch over you. Ethel told the doct—”
I sat upright, pulling on the IV in my arm, but not hard enough to hurt myself with it. “Ethel! Is she here? Oh no, did the hospital call her? Fuck.” I buried my spinning head in my hands. “I don’t want her to worry.”
“She’s in the waiting room on the sofa. The chairs here were, umm, a pain in her ass, according to her.”
I snorted a laugh and regretted it immediately as my temples pulsed. “Don’t tell her I don’t have insurance; she’ll be pissed. I need to leave the hospital—every day will add another insane amount to my bill.”
“Okay. Let’s see what the doctor says about that.”
“About what?” A tall woman with a long black braid entered the room. “I’m glad you’re awake, Milo. I’m Dr. Frances.” She tilted her head and blinked her eyes sideways. She must be a reptile shifter.
Hopefully, the smile I put on would convince her I could be released quickly. “Thanks. We were talking about me being fine to go home.”
She approached with a click of heels on the floor and looked at the monitors next to me, then at the tablet she was holding.
“If you’re feeling well tomorrow morning, I’ll let you go. You need to stay at least overnight for observation.”
I groaned. “I like sleeping in my own bed.”
“Of course, but you can survive one night here.” She glanced at our linked hands. “Once you’re out, you can’t be alone for a few days. Ethel promised she’ll take care of you, but even though she is at peak health for her age, I would advise against that.”
“I agree. She needs her own rest. She says she can do anything, but she’s over ninety-eight. I’ll figure something out.”
“You can stay at my place,” Rowan said, placing a huge yet gentle palm on my chest. “I can take a few days off and work from home after that if needed.”
A lump formed in my throat. Why was he so good to me? “I don’t want to burden you.”
“I’ll let you discuss it in private. Just don’t strain yourself, Milo, or I’ll have to keep you here longer.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I said.
Dr. Frances left and closed the door with a gentle click.
Rowan scooted closer to me. “I’d love to spend more time with you, and you could get the rest you need.”
I chewed my lip. “I didn’t lie when I said I liked my bed. Would you stay with me at my house instead?” Despite hooking up with people after breaking up with Andrew, I’d never invited anyone to my place. That place was sacred, full of memories of Anabelle and Ethel, and my happy moments with them. But with his offer, Rowan had proven that he was worth sharing that space with him. He’d respect that house, I was sure of it. Even if for a shortwhile, I could indulge in having a boyfriend who cared until he’d leave by the end of next month.
What could go wrong?
“Of course,” Rowan said. “I’ll sleep better knowing you are close and I can help if needed.” He cleared his throat and scratched his beard. Was he getting emotional? “So…Ethel doesn’t look more than seventy. She’s human, right?”
“Yes, but was married to a snake shifter. They were fated mates.” Being a cryptid himself, Rowan understood that when a human had a monster fated mate, their lifespan would be longer. If both lived healthy, they’d die together, decades after the human’s life would end, but also sooner than the cryptid would live if not bonded to a human with a shorter lifespan.
“Oh. But your great aunt passed away.”
