102. Rosalyn

ONE HUNDRED TWO

ROSALYN

"What is it?" I whisper.

Nathan brushes his thumb across my cheek again, and his throat works on a swallow.

I reach up and grip his forearm.

His mouth opens.

"They're here," Ruth declares, setting her phone back on the table.

My attention snaps back to Ruth. "Who's here?"

"Hannah and Maddox." She beams. "They've brought dinner from this Greek place near our house. You're gonna love it."

I blink at her. "Here?"

Ruth rolls her shoulders out. "Don't know about you, but I don't really feel like cooking dinner after all that."

"Well, no. But you have to let me pay for dinner," I try to insist.

"Give up the fight, Beautiful." Nathan drapes his arm over the back of my chair. "Plus, it's Maddox's money. That fucker has more than he needs."

I bite my cheek, remembering what I'm wearing.

Ruth and Chelsea have been nothing but chill, but Hannah and Maddox are the definition of a power couple .

Making the excuse of needing to use the restroom, I let Nathan roll me down the hall into the bedroom in his office chair.

He parks the chair in front of the bathroom door and hands me my crutches.

But before he goes, he bends down and presses his lips to mine.

They're warm and soft, and I close my eyes to soak in the moment.

When he pulls away, he taps his fingertip on the tip of my nose. "They already love you. So stop stressing."

They already love you. So stop stressing.

The L word and a demand to stop stressing. Two things that are beyond my capability right now.

I lift my arm and apply more of Nathan's deodorant.

As much as it pained me to ask Ruth to go to my apartment, the thought of having to send Nathan there unsupervised was sending me into a spiral.

I understand how he found the letters the first time he went there. He needed a bag for clothes… the box was in the duffel bags… But now that he has a nose for snooping… I can't take the chance.

And it's a simple truth that Ruth will be better at packing the girly things .

I secure the cap back on the deodorant and put it in the cupboard.

In all honesty, I'll probably still use some of Nathan's things while I'm here.

It's nice being surrounded by his scent.

Voices carry in through the open bathroom door, signaling the arrival of Hannah and Maddox.

Knowing I'm out of time, I grab the shirt I snagged out of Nathan's closet and shrug it on.

The sleeves are too long, so I roll them twice. And instead of buttoning the shirt up, I tie the bottom ends together at my waist. It's still open, but the tied bottom means that the shirt stays mostly in place and covers my unsupported boobs. It also covers the scrapes that are still healing on my arms.

I cringe a little at the morning after look wearing Nathan's shirt gives me, but it's the best thing I could think of without changing my whole outfit. Not that I think Ruth or Chelsea would comment on a wardrobe change… I'm just trying not to make it weird. And now, other than my ankle brace, you really can't tell I was injured.

Reminding myself that I've met these people before, I try to stop caring about my appearance.

It's not like I'm trying to impress or entice anybody; I just want to make a good impression as Nathan's girlfriend .

Grabbing my crutches, I take a deep breath and leave the bathroom.