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My heart aches, seeing the pain on his face. I squeeze his hand back. His eyes travel from it to my face, and he gives me a smile.
His phone rings and he pulls it from his pocket, looking at the screen. “It’s Bryan. I need to take this.”
Nodding, I release his hand, sliding back onto the bed, figuring he’ll leave the room. Instead, he answers his phone, not moving from the ottoman. I feel awkward, wanting to give him some privacy, so I grab the remote, randomly changing the channels. I stop when I see the movie,Footloose,on Netflix. I’m such a sap for that movie.
Feeling his penetrating gaze, I look up as William looks at the TV, then back at me. “Footloose?” he mouths.
I nod and he gives me a thumbs up.
He’s just full of damn surprises today.
“Do you want a frozen mocha, Irelynn?” William’s question pulls my attention from the movie.
I nod enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”
He nods, reciting my order into the phone, then his own coffee order. He thanks Bryan, then ends the call.
“Did you just order an iced caramel macchiato?” My brows are raised, my expression incredulous.
William pauses, looking at me, confusion on his face. “Yeah, why?”
“I pictured you drinking hot coffee, no cream or sugar. Not drinking some iced girly coffee.”
“Girly?” He raises his brows. “Geez, that sounds awfully sexist. I thought you were more evolved than that.”
Bursting into laughter, I shake my head. “Okay, you’ve got me there. That was a bit sexist. But still, the drink seems too feminine for you, for some reason.”
“Hmm…” A smile is on his face that I’ve never seen before.
Before I can react, his hands are on my sides, tickling me relentlessly. I squirm and scream, trying to twist away from his fingers, but he doesn’t let up.
Tears rolled down my face. “Please…” I gasp. “I-I take i-i-it back.”
He stops tickling me. “Are you serious, or are you simply trying to get me to stop tickling you?”
Sitting up, I wipe the tears from my face. “Both.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “That’s an honest answer. Okay, I’ll stop.” He grins at me.
I grow serious, my thoughts turning back to Emma. “Do you think Emma will really be okay, Will? I really like her.” I bite my lip hard, sobs threatening to break free.
He sits on the mattress, his knee touching mine. He grabs my hand, wrapping it in both of his. “Emma is strong and determined as hell. In my heart, I think she’ll be okay.” He pauses, as though he’s giving me time to study the sincerity in his eyes. “Besides, we won’t give her any other choice.” He gives me a reassuring smile, dropping my hands.
My face breaks into a smile, and I heave out a relieved sigh. “Where is she?”
“Napping.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a remote. “She has one of these, too. All she has to do is press it and I’ll come running, day or night.”
For the second time in a brief period, I’m shocked. “That’s really nice of you.”
He shrugs. “She basically adopted me when my mom died.”
I smile at him, nodding. “She’s a great adoptive mom. She was giving me shit about not eating earlier.”
His smile fades. “Yes, she mentioned it to me. And I saw the half-eaten plate of food.” He leans closer. “You need to eat.” He studies me intently. “You look like you’ve lost some weight. Your pajamas are hanging on you.”
I glance down at them. “I doubt I’ve lost that much weight.” I pause, biting my lip. “I don’t remember when I last took a bath or shower.”
William shrugs. “I’m wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday. And I went for a run in them.”
