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“Thanks.” I sobbed and blew my nose and accepted another tissue from him. “How are you so good at this?”
His laugh rumbled in my ear. “I have four siblings, three of whom are younger than me. Someone was always sick or upset in our house when I was a kid, and I have broad shoulders that are good for crying on.”
I laugh-sobbed at that. “Yeah, you do,” I squeaked.
Then another hand brushed my hair away from my cheek and Drew pressed up against my back. “Why the waterworks, babe? Are you hurting again?”
The concern in his voice and the tenderness of his touch just shook apart more of my resolve. “No,” I wailed, but couldn’t explain anymore. I just clung to Aithan and cried my fucking eyes out.
They held me and handed me tissues.
Finally, the sobbing abated enough that I could croak, “Soup,” in answer to Drew’s question.
“Soup?” he repeated. “You’re crying about soup?” I nodded, and he said, “Is it really shitty soup?”
I must’ve shed enough tears because that turned my next sob into a laugh. I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Tobias sent her soup from Scumwater.”
“Ohhh, I get it. And you came unglued because it was a thoughtful gesture.”
I nodded again and squeaked, “Yeah.”
He kissed the back of my head. “Sometimes we need to be cared for, Brick.”
“I know. I just hate feeling like shit.”
Aithan kissed my forehead and gave me another tissue. “I can relate.”
I hugged him again. “Sorry I snotted all over your shirt.”
He laughed. “I’ve had much nastier things on my shirts. Tears and snot are nothing.”
Drew gently pulled me away from him. “Let the man change. We can test this soup for shittiness.”
I turned in his arms and pressed against him. “I’m sorry I interrupted your work.”
Drew rubbed my back in slow circles. “You didn’t, babe. I got to a good stopping spot and remembered I skipped breakfast and lunch.”
“You shouldn’t do that,” I mumbled.
“I do a lot of things I shouldn’t.” He stepped me back then pulled two more quarts of soup from the bag, sniffed, and said, “This shitty soup smells pretty fucking good.” He fetched spoons and bowls and started setting the table. “Go splash your face. It’ll make you feel more human.”
My stomach rumbled loud enough that he snickered and asked, “Is that hunger or a fuck you?”
“Hunger, I think?”
I went into the powder room and did as he suggested, splashing cool water on my face and wiping the back of my neck with a damp towel. “Shit,” I said as I returned to the kitchen. “It’s been a long time since I ugly cried like that.”
Aithan came down the stairs. “You’ve been really stressed with the whole Tristan thing and your sister.”
I nodded. “And worried about you.”
He cocked his head, looking ready to dismiss that but nodded instead. “Yeah.” He guided me to sit at the dining table. “But you can stop that now.”
Drew poured two quarts of soup into a pot and put it on the stove to heat. He did the same with leftover sweet potato biscuits and the oven.
Aithan filled the kettle and returned it to the stovetop. He fetched a glass and filled it with water from the fridge filter. “Drink.” He handed it to me. “You’re probably dehydrated.”
