“I’ve never heard of that before.”
Piper shrugs. “I don’t know if it’s an actual medical thing or just a Magnolia thing, but if she’s stressed, she’ll just crash. Sometimes I get a little jealous because I have the opposite problem. If I’m stressed, I lie awake for seven days and think about it.
There’s nothing I can do tonight.
“I’ll look into something and see if I hear of any high-paying jobs or apartments available.”
I happen to know Grandpa has a few different places scattered around. Maybe I could get him to “lease” one tothem. If I could, I would move them into my house. But Magnolia wouldn’t go for that.
So, I’ll have to help in a less obvious way.
First, I need to free her from this lie I’ve crafted. Right after I tuck my fake fiancée into bed.
CHAPTER 21
Magnolia
My eyes snapopen as I’m lifted from the couch. I don’t remember falling asleep. Somewhere between Nash’s indignation and him realizing I was paying for protection in cinnamon rolls, my exhaustion caught up.
“You’re going to bed. Now.”
Oh, right, Nash is still here.
He witnessed my unfortunate laughing fit.
Crap.
Only best friends should get to witness something so embarrassing, not fiancés.
Now I have to wonder for the rest of my life if I said something mortifying. I can’t believe I fell asleep on the couch so fast. I mean, Ican, because sometimes when I’m emotionally tired I just can’t do anything else but sleep…I didn’t want Nash to witness that though.
My eyes are heavy, but I’m aware that Nash is holding me in his arms as he walks slowly down the hallway.
“Which one is yours?”
His footsteps are steady, and it doesn’t cross my mind that he might drop me.
“The room on the left,” I whisper. “You don’t have to carry me.”
“Yeah, I think I do. You’re tired. I’ve asked a lot of you. And that’s not fair of me to put this on you.”
“It’s fine,” I say quietly, letting my head rest against his shoulder.
“It’s not fine.” He adjusts his hold on me and opens the bedroom door. He carries me in sideways and toward the bed. “We need to be done with this.”
“You’re right. I’m probably hurting your back,” I mutter.
He chuckles and bends down to lay me on the bed. He pulls the covers back and lifts them up over me. “You’re still not awake.”
I’m not even sure what he’s talking about or if I need to be awake. “Is this a serious conversation?”
“No. I just meant you don’t have to worry about this anymore.” His hand rests on my head, and then his fingers brush the hair away from my forehead.
A warm shiver runs down my spine at his touch, and my eyes feel heavier than before.
“Go to sleep and don’t worry about this mess anymore,” he whispers.
And the last thing I think before I close my eyes is that I trust this man enough to fall asleep in his presence.
