Chapter 14

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Ashlyn woke up a few times in the middle of the night, but it wasn’t until the next morning that she felt she could move without extreme pain. She looked over at the nightstand and saw a plastic cup with a straw sticking out of it. She recalled Slate bringing it to her and ordering her to drink and take a pill, but not much else.

Rolling over, she sat up slowly, pleased when her head didn’t immediately begin to throb. Her mouth felt as if she’d been sucking on cotton balls all night, but amazingly, whatever she’d taken had done a good job of soothing the horrible pain.

She still felt a bit foggy headed and knew she wouldn’t be running any marathons later that day, but she felt better than she usually did after one of her headaches. She remembered the last episode, when she couldn’t get out of bed for three days. Yeah, that had been bad, but thank goodness she seemed to be past the worst of this one.

Ashlyn stood, carefully testing her balance. She needed to get her butt to a doctor soon. She might not get the headaches very often, but when she did, they were bad. Really bad. And it wasn’t smart to ignore them any longer.

Shuffling toward the bathroom, Ashlyn grabbed an oversized T-shirt on her way. She peed, then brushed her teeth, deciding a shower would be pushing things a bit too much right now. It didn’t really matter though, it wasn’t as if she was going anywhere today. She planned to hole up in her apartment and regain her equilibrium. She’d call Slate later and thank him for coming over and getting her whatever that pill was.

She also needed to let Lexie know she was good, as well as the others.

Her belly growled as she padded into the living room, heading toward the kitchen—and stopped in her tracks at the sight on her couch.

The very last thing she expected to see was Slate, sound asleep.

He looked uncomfortable as hell. He’d left the night before…hadn’t he? He said he was going to go so she could sleep…didn’t he? She’d assumed that meant he was leaving her apartment, not just her room, but apparently she was wrong.

She must’ve made some kind of noise, because Slate’s eyes popped open and immediately went to her own.

“Ash. You feel better?” he asked as he sat up, rubbing his face.

“Yeah. What are you doing here?”

“You were sick,” Slate said as he stood and stretched. He put a hand on the small of his back and bent backward. He was still wearing the Navy uniform he usually wore to work, and somehow the sight of his bare feet made the moment seem intimate.

“But my couch sucks. And you’re still wearing your uniform,” she protested.

Slate grinned and walked toward her. “It’s okay,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve definitely slept in worse places, and I’m used to sleeping in my clothes. It’s not like I get naked and comfortable while deployed,” he said. “How are you feeling this morning? For real? Does your head hurt? Your forehead isn’t all furrowed with a million wrinkles, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign.”

Ashlyn was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Slate stayed to…what? Watch over her?

“Ash? What’s wrong? Talk to me,” he ordered gently.

“I…you… I can’t believe you stayed.”

“Where the hell was I going to go? Back home? No fucking way. Not while I was worried about you. Babe, I couldn’t even touch you without you flinching. You stripped off all your clothes, I’m guessing because they hurt your skin. Whispering was too loud. And your room was like a cave. You scared the shit out of me. I got up every hour to check on you last night. It took about four or five hours, but finally that pill I gave you seemed to take effect. You seemed more settled, and you’d even crawled under the covers at one point. You need to see a doctor, Ash. I can’t see you go through that again.”

Ashlyn nodded automatically. “I’d already decided this morning to call and see if I could get an appointment.”

“Good. Come on, sit while I find you something to eat.”

“I don’t know that I’m ready to eat all that much,” she warned.

Slate nodded. “I’m not surprised. But you need something. I’m gonna make you a vanilla protein shake, and maybe some applesauce.”

Ashlyn frowned in confusion. “Um, I don’t think I have either of those in my kitchen.”

“You do now. I ordered stuff and had it delivered last night.”

She was floored. “You did?”

“Yup. Along with other stuff I thought you might eat. Now sit and let me take care of you.”

Ashlyn felt as if she’d woken up in another dimension. She’d been on her own for so long, she’d gotten used to taking care of herself. And while she’d used grocery delivery herself a time or two, she wasn’t sure she would’ve thought of using it this morning. She would’ve just found something in her cabinet to tide her over until she could get to the store.

She sat on the couch, realizing the cushions were still warm from his body heat. When Slate went to walk away, Ashlyn reached out and took his hand in hers. “Slate?”

He turned back to her immediately. “Yeah?”

“Thank you for staying. I think you went above and beyond the friends-with-benefits thing.”

His eyes narrowed and he leaned in, forcing Ashlyn back against the couch cushions. He put his hands next to her shoulders and braced himself over her. “We don’t follow rules,” he said sternly. “We’re Ash and Slate. Period. You’re my friend, but you’re also my lover. My girlfriend. There’s no fucking way I was leaving when you needed me last night, and I know you would’ve done the same if the roles were reversed.”

She nodded immediately.

“We might not be running out to buy promise rings, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care a hell of a lot about you, and that I don’t look after what’s mine. And make no mistake—you’re mine for as long as we’re dating, just as I’m yours. Understand?”

Her heart pounding a million miles an hour, Ashlyn nodded for what seemed like the twentieth time that morning.

“You have a problem with that? Is this too much? If you want to go back to being just friends, I can do that. It would suck hard, but I’d do it. I just don’t want you thinking this relationship is a half-assed one, even if it’s casual. Casual doesn’t mean that I ignore you when you’re in pain. It doesn’t mean we fuck then go our separate ways as if we’re strangers.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he echoed with a tilt of his head.

“Okay,” Ashlyn confirmed.

“Good. Now relax while I get you something to eat.”

With that, Slate leaned forward, kissed her forehead gently, then stood and headed for her kitchen.

Ashlyn let out the breath she’d been holding. Slate was intense on a good day, but even she hadn’t realized he could be this intense. She liked everything he’d said. She’d gone into this relationship thinking she could keep things light and easy, but she’d underestimated Slate’s magnetism…and her own emotional tendencies.

Ashlyn had never been in a relationship only halfway. When she dated someone, she was usually all in from the get-go. Hell, she’d moved to Hawaii with Franklin after way too short of a time after meeting him.

She’d thought she could keep things easy and carefree with Slate. Had tried to convince herself for weeks.

She’d been wrong.

Still, just because she liked him a hell of a lot and enjoyed spending time with him, both in bed and out of it, didn’t mean they were getting married. But they were in a relationship, and she admitted to herself now that people who were dating didn’t just fuck and run.

He was right with his earlier assumption, if it was Slate who was hurt or sick, she’d definitely be there for him.

Feeling oddly relieved about everything—her relationship with Slate, how last night had gone down, and even this morning—Ashlyn relaxed against the cushions. She might as well enjoy being waited on, because there would come a time when she’d once again be on her own.

By the time Slate came back into the living room with a glass in one hand and a protein bar in the other, Ashlyn was feeling pretty damn good. She was still a little foggy from the migraine and probably whatever was in the pill he’d given her, but she’d take that over the headache she’d had last night.

He handed her the glass, then sat next to her. “You need to text your friends.”

Ashlyn took a sip of the shake and was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted. For some reason, she’d assumed it would be kind of nasty, maybe because it was supposed to be healthy. But she couldn’t really tell the difference between what Slate had made her and one of the milkshakes she sometimes bought from her favorite ice cream shop.

“This is delicious,” she said with a grin.

His lips twitched. “I know.”

“It feels as if I’m eating dessert for breakfast.”

“Yup.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me how good this was before now. You let me think you were being all healthy in the mornings when you have one of these for breakfast.”

Slate burst out laughing, the sound filling Ashlyn with happiness. He was often so stoic, and knowing she could make him laugh made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Babe,” he said.

That was it. Just one word.

“What? I’m serious,” she said. “Wait, are you sure this is one of your protein thingies? You didn’t have some ice cream delivered and made this out of that, just to make me feel better?”

“It’s a protein shake,” Slate reassured her. “Ice, vanilla protein powder, some strawberries for a bit more flavor and skim milk to make it creamier.”

“It’s yummy,” she said, taking another sip.

He grinned at her. “Yummy? Nobody says that.”

“Apparently I do,” she informed him.

“Right. But for the record, you should probably save some of that to wash down the protein bar. It’s good, but not as good as that shake. They’ve come a long way toward making them not taste like cardboard, but I’m guessing you aren’t going to be as big a fan of it as you are of that drink.”

Ashlyn wrinkled her nose, but reached for the nutritious bar in his hand. “I think I’ll feel better if it doesn’t taste like a decadent treat. I feel guilty enough for drinking the shake.”

Slate chuckled and watched as she tore off the wrapper on one end and took a bite. She chewed for a moment then shrugged. “It’s not as bad as I was expecting. I’m not sure I want to eat one as a meal every day for the rest of my life, but it’s not awful.”

Slate hadn’t taken his eyes off her since he’d sat down.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Ashlyn asked, wiping her face on her arm, since both hands were full.

“No. I’m just so damn relieved to see you back to your normal self. You scared me, Ash.”

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Slate shook his head. “No, don’t apologize. You didn’t purposely get a headache. Just letting you know that I hope to never see you like that again.”

“They aren’t fun. Thank you for getting me some meds. What was it, by the way?”

Slate shrugged. “No clue. I mean, Mustang told me the name of the drug, but I wasn’t really paying attention. All I cared about was that it would help you.”

“How did he manage to get it?” Ashlyn asked.

“In our line of work, we know a lot of people,” Slate said offhandedly.

“Oh my God, did he call Baker?” Ashlyn asked, sitting up straighter in her seat. “I’ve heard so much about him! I mean, I know he came to Monica and Pid’s wedding out at the Kualoa Ranch, but I didn’t get to talk to him.”

“What? No, Mustang didn’t call Baker. Jeez.”

“Oh. Darn.”

He shook his head. “He called a doctor on base who’s treated us in the past. Explained your symptoms, and he had a sample pack of the drug for you. He only brought over two. But since they worked, you can tell your doc what you took and that it seemed to be effective, and maybe he or she can give you a prescription.”

“Well, that’s no fun,” Ashlyn grumbled.

“Besides that, I’m not sure I want you getting chummy with Baker,” Slate said.

“Why?”

“Because apparently he’s hot. All the other women say so.”

“And?” Ashlyn asked.

Slate merely arched a brow at her.

“Oh, come on. It doesn’t matter if he’s hot, I’m dating you.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Slate said, reaching out and tagging her behind the neck, pulling her toward him.

Since Ashlyn’s hands were full, she couldn’t brace herself, but Slate didn’t let her fall. He kissed her hard, and way too briefly, before letting her go.

“From what I’ve heard from the others, he’s got a thing for a woman named Jodelle, anyway,” she said.

Slate nodded. “I’m also not all that fired up to get Baker involved with anything to do with you, because every time we’ve had to call him lately, it’s because bad things are threatening our women. I’d be perfectly okay with you never meeting him if that means everything’s good. Safe. Normal.”

Ashlyn could understand that. She shivered a little, thinking about everything her friends had been through. “Right.”

“And…said it earlier, but we kind of got sidetracked. You need to text Elodie and the others.”

“I know.”

“No, you need to do it soon. They’re worried about you, babe. Been texting you—and me—most of the night, checking in. And they’ve already started this morning.” Slate turned and picked up her phone from the table next to his end of the couch. He held it out to her.

She leaned forward and put the shake on the coffee table, then took her phone. “Holy crap, they’re acting like I was dying or something. It was just a headache,” Ashlyn muttered as she scrolled through all her notifications.

“With our jobs, and with everything that’s happened, no one takes anyone’s health for granted.”

Ashlyn sighed. After a moment, she said, “When I broke up with Franklin, I felt so stupid.”

Slate frowned in confusion, and she hurried to try to explain her abrupt change of topic.

“I moved to Hawaii because of him, and we hadn’t even been dating that long. I was excited about living here, and he gave me an excuse to do something I’d dreamed about but was too chicken to actually do. When I found out what a douche he was, I couldn’t believe I’d been such an idiot. Who moves across the ocean for a guy they barely know? But it turned out to be the best decision I ever made in my life. I got the job at Food For All, met Lexie, then Elodie and Kenna, Monica, and Carly…and you.”

“You weren’t thrilled to meet me at first,” Slate said with a chuckle.

“True. You were overbearing and obnoxious.”

“But you like me now,” Slate said, leaning toward her. Except he didn’t stop, and Ashlyn laughed as she fell onto her back trying to get away from him. He hovered over her on the couch, smiling. “Say it,” he ordered.

“It,” she retorted sassily.

“Brat,” Slate said as he lowered himself farther, pinning her in place. The smile faded from his face. “You weren’t stupid,” he told her. “You were optimistic. And that’s one of your greatest assets. Do I think you’re sometimes too optimistic? Yes, but if you weren’t who you were, we wouldn’t be here right now. And I know for a fact the other women are just as glad to have you, as you are to have them.”

Ashlyn smiled up at him.

“Now, how about you finish that protein bar,” Slate said, gesturing with his head to the half-eaten bar still in her hand, “and your shake, text your girls, then we’ll hang out here and watch a movie or two.”

“Are you…I figured you’d head on out, now that you know I’m okay. I’m sure you’ve got stuff you need to do today.”

“It’s Saturday, babe. I’ve got nothing to do but hang out with you and make sure you’re good. That headache could come back, and I want to be here if it does.”

That warm and fuzzy feeling rushed back. Ashlyn couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than hang out with Slate all day. “Okay.”

“But I get to pick the movie,” he said.

Ashlyn scowled. “No. You’ll choose something boring.”

“No, I won’t,” he protested.

“Yes, you will. You think Full Metal Jacket is a classic.”

“Babe, it is a classic.”

“But it’s gory. And there’s lots of yelling,” Ashlyn protested.

Slate chuckled. “Fine. You can pick the first movie, but I get the second one. And if you choose Legally Blonde again, I’m gonna make you sit through the longest, most boring military movie I can find.”

“Oh, all right,” Ashlyn said. She didn’t care what they watched, as long as she could be with Slate.

He lifted a hand and ran it over the side of her head tenderly. “Hated not being able to do this last night,” he murmured softly. “Hated knowing my touch would hurt you.”

Ashlyn hated that too. She tilted her head into his hand, giving him her weight. He smiled at her, then leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

“We could go back into the bedroom and find something to do other than watch a movie,” she blurted.

“No way,” Slate said without hesitation. “No sex until I’m sure you’re one hundred percent better.”

Ashlyn pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“Nope,” he agreed as he sat up. “Eat, text, then we’ll snuggle and watch TV.”

Ashlyn giggled.

“What’s funny?” Slate asked.

“You, saying the word snuggle,” she admitted.

“Just as funny as you saying the word yummy,” he retorted. But he smiled as he said it.

Ashlyn took another bite of the protein bar and chewed even as she smirked at him.

She never would’ve thought Slate could be as…compassionate and tender as he was being this morning. She liked it. A lot.

As she finished chewing her protein bar, a new notification popped up on her phone. Elodie. Asking if she felt better, if she was up, and when would be a good time to bring over the soup she was already making for her that morning.

“I’m gonna go shower while you chat with your posse,” Slate told her. He leaned over, kissed the top of her head, then wandered toward her bedroom.

Ashlyn watched him go, tempted to follow him into her bathroom and climb into the shower with him, but she knew how stubborn he was. If he thought not having sex was the best thing for her health, nothing she could do would change his mind.

She picked up her phone, eager to reassure her friends that she was feeling better, but she also wanted to be done with her texting so she could fully enjoy her day with Slate.