Stanton Box Set
“He will be fine in the morning. I will leave you two lovebirds to it.” He raises his eyebrows at me and smiles cheekily in jest at me being stuck with him. He slaps Joshua on the back as he leaves the apartment.
“I’m going to bed,” I sigh.
He nods. “See you in there.”
I lie in bed as I hear him fuss around in the kitchen and make toast and tea, seemingly unaffected.
I am so tired I feel like I actually had the fight tonight, this man and this life with him is messing with my head and is utterly exhausting.
The sound of pills getting popped from their packets greets me when I hop out of the shower in the morning and I walk into the kitchen to investigate. I slept like a baby and don’t even remember Joshua coming to bed last night. My eyes cover his body and I gasp in shock. Joshua’s face is a mess, he has a fat lip, a black eye, his ribs are bruised, his hand is the size of a watermelon and he’s taking painkillers. I can’t even be sympathetic, this is beyond ridiculous.
“What are you taking?” I ask.
“Just anti-inflammatories,” he murmurs.
I scowl and head back to my bedroom to get dressed for work. What an idiot.
He follows me and gets back into bed and pulls the covers over himself.
I frown at him as I put my hand on my hip. “What are you doing?” I ask.
“Going back to bed—what does it look like?” he murmurs.
Now he wants to stay in bed. “Are you not working today?” I ask.
“Mmm, later,” he groans.
I can’t help it—compassion gets the better of me. “Are you alright?” I ask as I bend and rub his forehead and gently kiss it.
He nods but doesn’t say anything.
“Are
you going to go to the hospital and see about that broken hand?”
He nods again, still silent.
“Would you like it if I did this to myself and my body?” I ask.
“No,” he answers quietly.
“Then you understand why it drives me insane that you do this for fun.”
He nods again.
“I’m going to work. I will see you later.” I bend and kiss him gently on the cheek and he lies still. He must be really sore, he isn’t even joking about naughty nurses.
“Bye babe,” he whispers croakily and then rolls over and closes his eyes.
Hmm, figures, I beg him to stay in bed with me all weekend and now on a Wednesday because it suits him he is staying at home in bed, so typical.
It’s official, operation slim down is damn boring. “What will it be?” the cashier asks me.
I smile as I look at the coffee list on the blackboard on the far wall. “Damn it, I’m going to be naughty. Can I have a caramel latte with one sugar and a cinnamon scroll please?” It’s Friday, I’ve finished work for the day and have called over to see the girls I worked with at SSAC. I’m not meeting them for half an hour so I called in here to fill in the time. I haven’t been to this coffee shop before as it’s out of the way. I sit at the bar bench and read a magazine as I wait for my order.
“Order for Natasha,” the cashier calls. I take my order and am on my way out of the café when I catch sight of Joshua sitting in the corner of the café with Adrian and … that bitch from the wedding. Is he kidding? How is he still in contact with her? My blood boils and I march over.
“Hello,” I stammer.