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Mamba cuddled her closer as she burrowed into his chest and entwined their fingers together. He closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.
* * *
Mamba’s eyes sprang open and searched the dark room. A few terrifying seconds later, it came to him. He wasn’t back in the joint, he was in Mandy’s bed.
She shifted alongside him. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” His heart gradually slowed to a normal pace.
“You mumbled in your sleep, and then your whole body jumped.”
“Sorry if I woke you up.”
“I thought the fever was spiking again.” She rested her palm on his forehead. “You’ve finally cooled down. The antibiotics are kicking in.”
He hugged her to him. “You saved me tonight.”
“I think we saved each other tonight.” Mandy placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “Having you next to me makes it all better.”
His eyes slid closed, and he mumbled, “Don’t ever leave me.”
Thin strips of light from the shaded window woke Mamba. This time, he knew exactly where he was, but he was alone in the bed. His eyes wandered around the room. The lavender walls matched the little flowers on Mandy’s bedspread. One shelf lined with trophies and stuffed animals reminded him of their age difference. Although in so many ways, she was much more mature than most women his age. Mandy had a practical way of looking at things many people never acquired. Himself included.
He propped himself up on the bed, and despite his arms aching, the raging fever had broken during the night. He still felt weak, but at least he wasn’t shivering and boiling up simultaneously.
Footsteps on the staircase drew his attention to the door, and Mandy entered holding a tray crammed with food. The scent of bacon, waffles, and coffee filled the room. It smelled amazing, and for the first time in a few days, he was hungry.
She laid the tray at his side. “You look much better today.”
“I feel better too.”
She opened the vials of pills and laid them out for him. “Take these, then eat.”
She fussed with the tray, and he grabbed her hand. “Sit.” He pulled her onto the side of the bed. “Did you eat?”
“I’ve been up for over an hour.”
Mamba swiped at his phone on the nightstand. “Shit, I can’t believe I slept till ten o’clock.”
“You needed the rest.” She pointed to the food. “Eat.”
He smiled at her stern tone but didn’t waste any time cutting into the waffles, then biting into a bacon strip. “This is amazing.”
“You can take another shower if you want, but I have an interview at eleven.
He reached for her, but she stood and moved away from the bed. “Text me after your interview and we can get together later.”
“No.”
He cocked his head.
“Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything’s changed. Ajax is no longer in the picture, and you can do what you want.”
“Exactly, for the first time, I’m really free to do what I want.”
“What does that mean?”
