asking. But, now that it’s in my head, I can’t get it out. “The number of girls you’ve slept with.”
His brow shoots up then furrows. “Why do you want to know that?”
“I just realized I’ve never asked. The number doesn’t really matter, but it’s something we should know about each other, right? Especially since we’re living together now.”
“I suppose. What brought this on? Were you reading Cosmo or something while you were waiting in the ER?”
“Something like that.”
He twists his mouth to the side a little then looks out of the window in our room before he looks back at me and answers. “I don’t know how many, Avery. It’s not something I ever kept count of.”
***
I wake to the sounds of a soft tapping on the bedroom door. Looking over at the clock, I see that it’s after nine. My crutches are propped up against the end of the bed, and my cell is on charge beside me and there’s a glass of water, an apple, a wrapped sandwich, and my next dose of pain meds. On top of the sandwich is a folded piece of paper with a love heart drawn on the outside of it. Inside, Josh has written – Rest well. Will call when I get a break. J.
I place it back where it was, before I hear the tapping again, followed by a soft voice. “Avery, you up?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m up. Come in,” I call out to Dylan, who opens the door, carrying a tray laden with food.
“Thought you might be – oh, Josh already got you something,” he says, when he sees the food sitting beside me. He’s looking deliciously well put together in a white vintage print t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. That ever-present chain is swinging from his hip, and his undercut hairstyle is growing out a little, but the long top is standing up in its usual way. I wonder if that’s just what it does, or if he puts something in it to make it look like that.
“Wait,” I say, as he begins to turn away. “I’ll eat it.”
He smiles and brings the tray over to me, setting it on my lap. “I didn’t know how you liked your eggs, so I just made them the way I take mine.”
I look at the tray. There’s a plate of toast with scrambled eggs that have chopped up red and green peppers in them, as well as a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee with milk and sugar on the side.
“Wow. Thank you,” I say, picking up my knife and fork. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you. Are you eating too?”
He shakes his head. “No. I have to go into the shop. But, since it’s only twenty minutes away, I’ll come back between clients to check on you.”
“You don’t have to do that, Dylan. I’ll be OK.”
“It’s no trouble.” He glances down at my cast. “I just want to say I’m sorry again. I never meant for this to happen.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“No. It was. I shouldn’t have stood there watching when you didn’t know I was there. That was kind of, um.” He clears his throat with a cough. “Weird of me.”
I smile. “I like weird, Dylan.”
He smiles in return, wiping his hands down the front of his jeans as if his palms are sweaty or something. “OK. Well, I have to go. I’ll see you around lunchtime, Rusty.”
He steps out the door, and I thank him again for the breakfast. When he leaves the room, I suddenly feel very lonely.
Chapter 10
Avery
The doctors told me that I’d be in the cast for six to eight weeks. I hate my lack of mobility, and every day, I go through my ups and down, feeling stifled without the ability to dance. Dylan was right when he said all of my emotions come out then. It seems to be the only thing in my life that truly allows me to express myself, and without it, I feel empty.
Josh has been doing his best to cheer me up when he’s at home. But he works so much, and neither of us are in the mood to go out, so he’ll snuggle with me on the couch and watch movies until I fall asleep on his chest. Then he’ll carry me up to bed. He’s sweet and he’s caring, and I
His brow shoots up then furrows. “Why do you want to know that?”
“I just realized I’ve never asked. The number doesn’t really matter, but it’s something we should know about each other, right? Especially since we’re living together now.”
“I suppose. What brought this on? Were you reading Cosmo or something while you were waiting in the ER?”
“Something like that.”
He twists his mouth to the side a little then looks out of the window in our room before he looks back at me and answers. “I don’t know how many, Avery. It’s not something I ever kept count of.”
***
I wake to the sounds of a soft tapping on the bedroom door. Looking over at the clock, I see that it’s after nine. My crutches are propped up against the end of the bed, and my cell is on charge beside me and there’s a glass of water, an apple, a wrapped sandwich, and my next dose of pain meds. On top of the sandwich is a folded piece of paper with a love heart drawn on the outside of it. Inside, Josh has written – Rest well. Will call when I get a break. J.
I place it back where it was, before I hear the tapping again, followed by a soft voice. “Avery, you up?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m up. Come in,” I call out to Dylan, who opens the door, carrying a tray laden with food.
“Thought you might be – oh, Josh already got you something,” he says, when he sees the food sitting beside me. He’s looking deliciously well put together in a white vintage print t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. That ever-present chain is swinging from his hip, and his undercut hairstyle is growing out a little, but the long top is standing up in its usual way. I wonder if that’s just what it does, or if he puts something in it to make it look like that.
“Wait,” I say, as he begins to turn away. “I’ll eat it.”
He smiles and brings the tray over to me, setting it on my lap. “I didn’t know how you liked your eggs, so I just made them the way I take mine.”
I look at the tray. There’s a plate of toast with scrambled eggs that have chopped up red and green peppers in them, as well as a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee with milk and sugar on the side.
“Wow. Thank you,” I say, picking up my knife and fork. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you. Are you eating too?”
He shakes his head. “No. I have to go into the shop. But, since it’s only twenty minutes away, I’ll come back between clients to check on you.”
“You don’t have to do that, Dylan. I’ll be OK.”
“It’s no trouble.” He glances down at my cast. “I just want to say I’m sorry again. I never meant for this to happen.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“No. It was. I shouldn’t have stood there watching when you didn’t know I was there. That was kind of, um.” He clears his throat with a cough. “Weird of me.”
I smile. “I like weird, Dylan.”
He smiles in return, wiping his hands down the front of his jeans as if his palms are sweaty or something. “OK. Well, I have to go. I’ll see you around lunchtime, Rusty.”
He steps out the door, and I thank him again for the breakfast. When he leaves the room, I suddenly feel very lonely.
Chapter 10
Avery
The doctors told me that I’d be in the cast for six to eight weeks. I hate my lack of mobility, and every day, I go through my ups and down, feeling stifled without the ability to dance. Dylan was right when he said all of my emotions come out then. It seems to be the only thing in my life that truly allows me to express myself, and without it, I feel empty.
Josh has been doing his best to cheer me up when he’s at home. But he works so much, and neither of us are in the mood to go out, so he’ll snuggle with me on the couch and watch movies until I fall asleep on his chest. Then he’ll carry me up to bed. He’s sweet and he’s caring, and I
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