It takes a few seconds for me to snap out of it, but when I get to her and pull her up and into my arms I’m horrified to see tears and her eyes closed as she rambles quietly.
“Need to get…will prove it…need it.”
She keeps going, only quieting down and stopping her struggles when I lay her down and come down beside her, pulling her tearstained face into my neck with a groan.
She shudders a few times and finally burrows closer, hiccupping a few times before settling and slumping back to sleep. No fever, I think, relieved when I check her and my hand touches cool skin that seems to be healing at an accelerated rate.
Whatever that was, it’s got her so desperate that she’s moving around in a dead sleep. I aim to find out what it is before she digs herself deeper.
Chapter Five
Paulette
The smell of coffee and bacon wakes me and I crack both eyes open with a moan, almost smiling when I see that it’s morning and Jude Lane is standing above me, silently waiting for me to wake.
I love the woman, but it’s creepy to wake up with her just staring at me as if she’s won the lottery and I’m the winning ticket.
“Oh, you’re awake, honey. Good, good. Sit up a little if it doesn’t hurt too much and let Mama feed you. You look like you’ve lost weight, and we can’t have you wasting away,” she says, looking down at me with that same weird smile as I scoot up, only to realize that nothing hurts.
And both of my eyes are open.
My hands come up quickly and I’m plain shocked to feel that while my face is still a little swollen, it’s not tender at all, and my lip is completely healed.
“Oh yes, honey, that stuff they gave you worked like a charm. Your bruises are already fading to yellow and your lip is healed over. That horrible nurse even checked your incision this morning and she says you should be stitch free by tomorrow, at the latest.”
The breakfast tray lands on my lap and I look down to see so much food—food that I like instead of the breakfast bar my mother gave me every morning.
“Oh, honey! Don’t you like eggs or bacon? Mama can get you something else,” she frets and I shake my head, swallowing loudly.
“No. This is perfect. Forgive me, I just…it’s been a while since I ate more than a breakfast bar and orange juice for breakfast,” I say softly as she scowls and takes the seat beside me.
There’s no sign of Jared yet and I feel bereft that he’s abandoned me so quickly. Not that I blame him, but still.
I do still have feelings even though I have no right to them.
I pick up a piece of crisply fried bacon and take a massive bite. I almost die when the taste hits my tongue and moan in gratitude when I finish it off in less than ten chews and see that there’s a lot more where that came from.
“Now, Paulie, I want you to know that no matter what happens, George and I will always be here for you. You’re ours now, sweetheart, and we always look after our children. Always.”
I’m almost done with the bacon and move on to the eggs as I eye her, hoping like hell that this speech is not the result of Jared wanting me gone. I don’t think it is, not after his sweetness yesterday, but…
“Um, thanks. That is very kind of you, and I appreciate it like you wouldn’t believe, Judy, but—”
“Oh pooh! Call me Mama, honey. You and Jared are as good as married, anyway, so you may as well get used to the idea,” she says with a wave and a bright smile that has me choking on my own spit.
“Well, uh, I don’t think—”
“Ma, leave her alone. She’s not even healed fully and you’re already trying to plan the wedding and the nursery?”
My head whips up and I just manage not to drool onto my plate when Jared walks out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel slung low over his hips and showing enough muscle to put me into a coma of pleasure.
Lord have mercy, I think, blushing crimson when I realize a good few seconds have passed with me staring and they’ve both seen it.
Jared scowls and whips around, giving me his back as he stalks into the closet with a curse. I guess he doesn’t want me looking, I think with a heavy heart, suddenly not hungry anymore as self-pity and loathing grip me.
“Jared, honey, it’s never too early to plan these things and you know it!” she trills, patting my hand with a gentle grin that makes my nerves stand up and start buzzing.
Wait! What? Did I just hear that conversation right? Are they talking weddings and babies and—
“Ma. Leave her alone or I’m telling that husband of yours that you’re making a nuisance of yourself again. It’s Goddamned creepy to wake up to you staring at us while we sleep, Ma. And it’s weird that you stood here for a good ten minutes just staring at her while you waited to give her breakfast,” he yells from the closet, making me eye Judy with a little more trepidation.