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“Girl, don’t you want this?” I mused, pushing the device closer to her.
She’d yet to push her arms through my hoodie, so she wiggled her arm free to reach for it, turning it gently in her hand. “This is way nicer than the one I had.”
“How do you know?” I questioned.
“Because I know I’m too cheap to have the newest model.”
I made a rude sound. “It’s what you deserve.”
“It’s too much.”
I scowled. “Says who?”
“Says the girl who will have to pay you back, and—” She gasped, pulling the phone into her chest.
“What?” I worried, reaching out to palm her arm.
“I don’t have insurance.” Her face wrinkled. “Did you give them my address for the hospital bill? Oh, it’s going to be so much.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“But—”
I cut off her protests. “I took care of it.”
“How?” Her eyes widened. “Did you pay the bill? You shouldn’t have done that!” Thrusting the phone at me, she insisted, “I can’t take this.”
I made no move to take it back. “You can and will.”
“That’s not your responsibility.”
I grunted and gently grasped her chin so I could hold her gaze as I spoke. “Listen to me and listen good. I’m your fiancé. That means everything about you is my responsibility. I put that ring on your finger because I want to take care of you. Arguing with me is a waste of breath. No wife of mine is gonna get some half-assed care over a couple dollars, and she sure as hell won’t be running around without a phone in case she needs to call for help.”
Her feisty, fighter spirit sparked in her eyes. I hadn’t seen it since she woke up. “First of all, I’m not your wife.”
I made a rude sound. “Close enough.”
“Second of all…” She continued as though I didn’t speak at all. “I’m sure that bill was more than a couple dollars. I can’t ask you to pay that.”
“You didn’t ask. You don’t have to. I want to take care of you.”
She nibbled on her lower lip for a few quiet seconds before whispering, “Can you even afford it?”
Cupping the back of her head, I pulled her in, wrapping my arms around her. Hers were still trapped under my hoodie so she couldn’t hug me back, but her body melted against mine almost instantly. And I gotta tell you… it was a fucking rush.
“Yeah, baby girl,” I whispered. “I can. I’ve worked real hard the last few years to make sure I can give you everything you need and then some.”
I felt her arms try to lift, either to push away or pull me closer, but I didn’t want either. I liked her exactly as she was in that moment.
“Let me hold you,” I rasped.
She stilled, and I smiled over her head.
“I guess you aren’t a scholarship student like me?”
“No, baby. I’m not.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
