There isn’t a bra. That’s okay, the black shirt will hide me enough that I don’t have to worry about it. It isn’t like I’m big chested anyway, so why am I worried about it again? I slip on the shirt and I’m taken aback when I smell cologne. It’s barely there, like Asher brushed up against it and put his scent on it by accident. I bring the collar to my nose and inhale. The tightness in my stomach eases when the comfort of his scent soaks itself into my lungs.
I do feel safe, which is odd, considering what Asher went to prison for.
No thanks to me.
I need to apologize to him, but how do I apologize for ruining someone’s life? He will never be able to get a regular job because of the word felon stamped on his background check. Maybe when I’m better I can help him with that, unless he already has a job, which he probably does now that I think about it. Who the hell can afford a house like this? It’s in a cliff. An actual cliff. Who has the money to gut the inside of a rock and decide to build a home?
I have a lot of questions for Asher, but they can wait.
I tug on the joggers and the material is soft and feels expensive. I wonder why they are doing this, taking care of me like this. What do they get out of it?
Tossing the wet towel on the floor, I scoot over in bed, away from the wet spot, and lay down. This mattress is huge. Even with the damp sheets to my right, there is plenty of room for three people. My eyes hood, telling me to sleep, but Owen’s warning echoes in my head. If I have a concussion, I can’t sleep for twelve hours.
But I want to.
“Asher?” I call out his name, wondering if he really stayed on the other side of the door. I bring the blanket up to my chin as he cracks the door and peeks his head in.
He gives me a lopsided grin and steps inside. “Hey, did you get everything taken care of?”
I nod. “Thank you for the clothes. Can…Can you stay with me, so I don’t fall asleep?”
His blue eyes shine, with what, I don’t know, but he comes to the side of the bed, takes of his shoes, and sits down next to me. The bed dips from his weight, and he tucks himself under the covers too. “Like you even have to ask,” he says, reaching for the remote to turn on the tv. “What are you in the mood for? I’ll be honest, I have a weird obsession with romantic comedies.”
“Really?” a tease of a smile graces my lips when I think of him watching a chick flick. It’s the first real smile I’ve had in so long. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t thinking about something other than what happened to me.
It’s a relief.
“Oh, yeah. Have you ever watched Music and Lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore?”
“No, I can’t say I have.”
“Oh my god, you’re missing out. Hey, you hungry? I can get Julia to make us some muffins and whatever else you want. We can binge and watch tv all day.”
“So you like muffins too?”
“They are a newfound obsession. Don’t judge me,” he chuckles. “The guys do that enough.” He points the remote at the tv and presses a button that takes him to the streaming services and searches for the movie.
“Muffins sound good,” I mumble, thinking back to the last time I ate. My stomach grumbles in a riot, pissed that I haven’t eaten in a few days. “I could eat.”
“Yeah?” he asks, pleasantly surprised that I said I was ready to eat. “I’ll go to the kitchen and see what is there. What do you want to drink? Water? Coco? I’ll bring a few options. Don’t go anywhere,” he says in fear, blue eyes wide at the thought of me leaving. “I’ll be right back. And don’t start the movie without me.”
“Okay, Asher.” I keep my tongue soft and he looks away, biting his plump bottom lip. He shoves his hands in his pockets and rocks on his heels.
/> “Cool, I’ll be back.” He tries to hide it, but I can see his smile as he stares at the floor and walks out the door.
When did Asher become sweet?
And why do I care?
Five
Heaven
Holy shit.
I’m getting Heather muffins.
I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal. It actually sounds very childish, but this is huge. She hasn’t eaten in days and has only had sips of water. We were getting worried about her sinking too far into a depression we couldn’t get her out of.