Page 25

“Come on. Let’s get you to the bathroom and then back to bed.” Instead of letting me walk on my own, Shep picked me up and carried me to the bathroom.
I had a hazy memory of falling off the toilet and being naked in a bathtub with Arlo. My body flushed as I realized they’d seen me naked. I’d been too sick to recognize their reactions so I’d never known how they felt about seeing me. I didn’t love my body. I struggled to accept all the parts of me and I hated knowing they might’ve seen things they didn’t like.
“What are you panicking about, Maxie?”
I stood in front of the toilet, bladder near bursting, but I was frozen.
“I was naked.”
He frowned and nodded.
“You were. We didn’t take it lightly, sweetheart. We kept our eyes to ourselves. When you decide to show us your beautiful body, it’s going to be willingly and eagerly.”
I looked away and swallowed.
“I have to pee.”
He turned his back to me.
“Go on.”
I wanted to shove him out of the bathroom but I didn’t have the energy. I gave up and peed, blushing the entire time. I felt like I’d been dropped into a different world and I was confused. I could feel things scratching at the edge of my conscience, demanding attention, but I couldn’t get there in my current state. As I finished up and struggled over to the sink to wash my hands, I did my best to make sense of things.
“Where are we?”
Shep pressed into me from behind, grabbing a towel to dry my hands.
“Our house. We cleaned out the cobwebs and put together a few things to make a space for you. Are you hungry?”
I was too overwhelmed with the feeling of him at my back to answer. My stomach wasn’t as easily distracted, though. It growled loudly and Shep laughed.
“Let’s go see what we can find.”
I stayed silent as he picked me up again and carried me down the stairs and into the kitchen. Arlo and Rhett were sitting at a brand new kitchen table, a pie from the diner between them.
“Look who’s up!” Rhett saw me wince and lowered his voice. “Sorry. Headache?”
I nodded as Shep put me down. Before I could answer, Arlo pulled me into his lap and held me there. I squeaked and looked over my shoulder at him.
“What’s happening?”
His grin was devastatingly handsome.
“Hungry?”
I took a deep breath and nodded.
“I have to go home.”
Shep clicked his tongue at me.
“I’ve already told her she’s on house arrest.”
“There’s nothing for you to worry about right now, Maxine. Everything is taken care of. All you have to do is rest and get better.” Arlo stood up and handed me off to Rhett. “We bought a bunch of different soups for you. You want tomato? Chicken noodle? Vegetable?”
Rhett cradled me to his chest and I got lost for a moment, feeling babied in a way I’d never been before. I closed my eyes and willed the emotions to go away. All my defenses were down and I felt like I was being attacked on all sides with their attention and charm.
“Pie.” I muttered the word and nodded to the pie on the table. I wanted sugar.