“What time is it, anyway?” I ask, slowly tilting my head back up.
Adam drops his hand from mine to wipe at his tired face. “Just a little after noon.
Kelly already left for work. She didn’t want to go, but I told her I’d stay with you.”
“You didn’t have to, but...thanks.” Sighing, I push my hair away from my face. “It’s freaking hot in here. And I just want to go back to sleep.”
“The ER nurse said you’ll feel exhausted for the next few days. The hot flashes and throwing up are normal, too.”
When I reach behind me for my pillow, Adam dashes to my side, pulling it underneath my neck and supporting my head as I set it down. “Sleep as much as you want.” Smiling, he adds, “I think I can clear my schedule for the next few days to keep an eye on you.”
More tears spill from the corner of my eyes, dropping down on my pillow. I wipe my face. “God, this is embarrassing. I guess I owe you my life, or at least my eternal gratification in a poem, or well thought out soliloquy,” I whisper in a hoarse voice. I reach for his arm. “Thank you.”
The next time I become fully conscious, Adam’s huddled underneath my reading light next to me on the bed, engrossed in a hardcover book resting against his legs.
When I look closer, I see it’s my beloved copy of Full Dark, No Stars. A fan blasts cool air on top of the desk, spreading Adam’s musky scent with it. I snuggle under the blanket a little more, moaning. My breath’s probably atrocious considering I haven’t brushed my teeth since throwing up. “What day is it?”
Amid his deep chuckle, Adam whispers, “Still Sunday. But it’s late. Kelly’s sleeping.”
He bends the corner of the page he’s on and tosses the book aside. “Are you ready for some water and ice chips?”
Although I’m not as hot as I was before, my throat is as dry as the Arabian desert, so I nod. “That sounds great, thanks.”
He slips off the bed to quietly rummage through the tiny freezer inside our fridge. I’m about to tell him we don’t have ice when he brings me a small baggie and a bottle of water. “I asked Kelly to bring some back from work,” he explains.
I scoot up to my elbows and reach for the water. I feel a charge from our fingers touching and look up at him for a reaction. His eyes freeze on mine, giving me chills.
The shadows from the reading light only exaggerate the black eye he’s working on and all at once I feel guilty for everything I’ve put him through.
“You don’t have to stay. I’m sure you’ve got other things you want to do, like sleep in your own bed. Maybe even eat.” I take a long swig of the water and then dig into the bag for a small handful. As the cold soothes my throat, I hum happily.
Adam sits on the edge of the bed, shrugging. “It’s the couch here, or the couch at my buddy’s place, and Kelly’s been bringing me food. But I can leave if you want privacy.”
“No,” I answer a little too rambunctiously, happy it’s too dark for him to see me blush.
“I mean, I like having you here. It makes this whole thing a little less scary.” I motion to the book. “But you don’t have to be on guard all night. You can sleep.”
“I don’t always sleep well at night. If the light’s bothering you—”
“No, it’s good,” I say, shaking my head. “Really. I’m not always the best sleeper either.” Sadly enough, there’s a bright side to this whole experience. If I had any nightmares since being roofied, I definitely don’t remember them for once.
His eyebrows draw down. “Your stomach feeling any better?”
“Maybe.” I push on it tentatively. There’s even a small ache of hunger deeper within, so I find myself wondering just how far I can push it. Feeling hung over without being drunk to cause it in the first place feels like the most backwards of logic.
“Are you ready to try some food, or do you want to go back to sleep?”
I stare at him, amazed that I found such an awesome guy who’s willing to dote on me. We haven’t talked about either of our past relationships other than my confessions about Levi. I don’t even know if Adam’s had a girlfriend. Then again, maybe the fact that he’s so kind and patient with me means he was in a serious relationship at one point.
There has to have been at least one lucky girl along the way who stole his heart.
I imagine giving your heart to Adam Murphy is an experience unlike any other, but I can’t let it happen to me. Mine’s far too fragile to mess with.
“What?” he asks, chuckling.
Flustered by my runaway thoughts, I point across the room. “There’s a box of Captain Crunch in the cupboard above my desk. Could you maybe grab it?”