Claimed (For Her 3)

“Little bird,” Jordan growls. I turn to look at him. “Come here.”

I should tell him not to boss me around, but my body doesn’t listen. I think Jordan knows if he says anything in a growl to me, my body will obey. When I get to him, he slides his hands in my hair, pulls me close, and kisses me.

When he breaks the kiss, he rests his forehead on mine. “Check the peephole.” I can feel the strain in his body.

“Okay,” I tell him, and he visibly relaxes. I want to tell him no one can get up here unless they are approved, but I know small things will make him feel better. So I give it to him. Plus, he’s right; I should have checked the peephole.

He reluctantly lets me go when John clears his throat. I give him one more quick kiss, and he grabs me back for another, and I know what he’s thinking. His eyes bore into mine. When this physical therapy session is over, he’s coming for me. I turn to leave, excited and praying the next hour doesn’t feel like twenty. I need Jordan just as much as he needs me. I need his weight on my body. We need to mend our bond and join our bodies in the most primal and intimate way possible.

“Are you looking at her ass?” Jordan clips out from behind me, and I roll my eyes.

“If I’m going to look at anyone’s ass around here, it would be yours,” John says in response to Jordan. I snort at that.

When I get back to the bedroom, I make the bed and go about tidying up. I glance at the clock and see only ten minutes have passed. I groan and flop down on the bed then grab my phone from the nightstand and call Summer.

“Hey,” she answers, sounding chipper. As bad as everything was, this whole ordeal seems to have changed our relationship for the better.

“Hey,” I reply. “How is everything?” It’s so different to be able to call my sister for no reason, but that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve talked on the phone every day since I left the hospital.

“Great! I got an interview next week,” she tells me.

“That’s great. Where is it at?”

“Some yoga studio a few blocks from your old place. The pay isn’t great, but I know I’ll enjoy it.”

“That’s awesome. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. How’s your arm?”

I smile. She’s been kind of doting on me since it happened, and I can’t say that I don’t like it. There’s something about our roles reversing that feels different but nice.

“Still the same. At least they’ve given me a smaller cast now, not that big clunky one.”

“All the better to move with,” she says and I can picture her eyebrows wiggling.

“Dork,” I say, and laugh at her.

I’m glad she’s feeling more settled. She, out of everyone, has seemed to have dealt with what happened the best. She and Pop are best friends now. She goes over there all the time to help out with anything he needs. I don’t think Pop needs the help, I think my sister really enjoys his company. I get it. Pop is so different from our parents. He actually makes you feel like he’s your dad and he cares and loves you with his whole heart.

When I called and told our parents what happened, my mom gave me the “I told you not to move to New York” line. Nothing more. I thought she would at least try to come out, maybe even check on us a few times. But neither of us heard anything.

She lets out a little sigh, but it sounds happy. “You guys need anything? I can bring over food or something.”

“Nope. We’re all good,” I confirm. Food is the last thing on my mind. All I can think about is the clock. I glance over again and see the hands have barely moved.

“All right.” I hear the laughter in her voice. She knows what today is, and now I have a feeling she’s teasing me. She knows I didn’t want anyone to come over today.

“Whatever,” I mumble, making her laugh harder.

“Hey, at least you know you’re going to be getting some. It’s a dry land over here, and I don’t see the rain coming anytime soon.”

That makes me laugh. I love that we have this now. Those forty-eight hours were the worst hell I’ve ever been in, but at the end of it I got my sister. We’ve formed a bond now, and we actually feel like a family.

I hear the doorbell. “Hey, someone’s here,” I tell her, rolling off the bed.

“Call me later.”

“’Kay. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” she says before hanging up the phone.

I make my way down the hall to see Jordan heading for the door, too. I beat him to it this time, stopping to look through the peephole.