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She nodded. “Yeah. Bizarre, I know. But here we are.”
It didn’t make any sense to me, but it was what it was. For whatever reason, she felt like she needed to be close to me. A first for me, for sure. I had no clue why but, for my part, I just wanted to give her what she needed. So I gestured to the bed. “Get in, then.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief and she climbed into the bed without hesitation, gently lifting Patti across so there was room on the pillow for both of us. I followed her, tucking my body in behind her and slipping my arm around her waist. “This okay?”
“Yeah.”
I felt her body relax against mine and just when I thought she’d gone to sleep, she said, “Grayson?”
“Mmm?”
“Sorry for being a bitch the other day.”
“When?”
“The day you brought me here. I was a raging asshole.”
“You were fine.”
“That’s sweet, but I wasn’t. I just…”
“You just what?”
“I really, really hate being sick. And I hate being coddled when I’m sick, because it makes me feel useless. Then I get ragey. “
“I understand. This isn’t being coddled, though?”
“No, this is…I don’t know what this is, actually.”
“Don’t overthink it. Just do what you have to do to get better.”
“M’kay.”
She was quiet after that and the sound of her breathing evening out let me know she’d finally gone to sleep. No sleep for me, though. I was still wrestling with the concept of Stef needing me personally. I pictured her lying in her own bed, lonely and feeling like shit. Then figuring the solution was to come into my room, go through my clothes and find a shirt of mine to sleep in, before climbing into my bed. And somehow finding comfort in that. Unfathomable.
There was an underlying thought too, though, that was eating at my conscience. Stef had apologized for such a minor thing, as though it was a big deal. And I was here, fully aware of how deeply I’d hurt her, and I hadn’t said a word. I’d wanted to, and yeah, I’d tried. And sure, she hadn’t wanted to listen, which was fair enough. But I owed it to her, fair and square. Maybe now she’d be open to listening to it.
CHAPTER 25
Stefania
“The sunshine is so fucking lovely.”
Grayson raised his eyes from his tablet to look out at the clear blue ocean and the bright, bright sky. “It is.”
It had been three days since he’d arrived in the middle of the night to find me in his bed. In his shirt. Fuck, just the memory of it made me squirm. Neither of us had said a word the next day, and that was probably for the best. I didn’t want to know what had prompted what appeared to be an unneeded rescue mission. And he didn’t want to know why…I didn’t even know what that was that I’d done, actually. I just knew I couldn’t sleep, that the house had felt dark and lonely as I paced around it, trying to quiet my crazy mind.
My steps had led to Grayson’s bedroom of their own volition. Then into his wardrobe.
I was already in his bed when he’d texted. And really, what else could I say?
Just peachy, you know. All curled up in your bed. Wearing your old shirt, loving the way it smelled like you and why yes, that makes me sound like a freaky stalker, now that you mention it.
I settled for the much better option of,I’m not, but just going to bed now. Good night.
The only reference he’d made to the entire thing was later that afternoon. “I’ve arranged to work from here exclusively. Until you’re better.”
You bet butterflies danced in my stomach. But I kept my cool. “Great,” was all I’d said in reply.