Page 49 of Replay
“Don’t even think about it, Hawke,” she warns, pointing her finger at me. “You need to get better. I’ll make you something to eat and get your evening pain meds.”
I want to argue, demand that she get back here and sink down on my dick, giving him a nice ride, but I know my little nurse by now. She is not swayed by my flirting or my begging apparently. The only downside to Emmarys living here while I’m hurt is that I can't properly celebrate the fact that she took my bet. When we made the damn thing, all I could think about was her moving in and breaking in every surface of the apartment. Right now, though, I can’t even lift her without losing my balance.
Sighing, I get up off the couch and carry my ice bag to the freezer. Since I can’t lean her over the kitchen island and fuck her deep from behind, I guess I’ll settle for watching her cook for me while using the heating pad. Emmarys glances up when I take a seat, my eyes watching the movements over her hands, stirring chicken and broccoli into alfredo sauce.
“You don’t have to cook for me, sweets. You can order us some food.”
She rolls her shoulders back and meets my gaze. “Eating out for every meal isn’t good. Besides, I like to cook. I love a good homemade meal. I’ve just never had the time or the space to do it.”
My lips twitch in a grin. “So you’re saying this was a good idea.”
“No one likes a gloater, QB. I wasn’t putting down my place either. It's just easier here I guess.” Her head cocks to the side and her eyes run over me. “Or it's that you’re here and I like having someone to cook for.”
My chest tightens at her words, feeling the depth of their sincerity and meaningfulness deep in my bones. There was a split second before I left her the day where I demanded she move in and made the bet that I almost wondered if I pushed her too far. I can see now I made the right choice. Emmarys is opening her heart to me, giving herself over to me slowly, but I expected that. I have a lot of ground to make up for after our time apart and how things were left between us both times. Earning her trust little by little is slow and painful, but it will be worth it in the end. Having all of Emmarys, her love, her mind, her trust, her body will be the greatest gift of all.
While she cooks, I ask her about her day, how her classes went. I’m even more shocked when she reveals that she met Riggs by the quad to get some of the notes for one of my classes that I missed while recovering. A warmth spreads throughout my body hearing it from her. Riggs didn’t tell me about it. I like that she wants to help me, that she’s taking care of me just like I take care of her.
By the time our dinner is ready, the experience feels like something we’ve been doing for years. Emmarys dishes up plates and grabs silverware, setting them down while I serve us,family style, at the kitchen island. My eyes take in every inch of her while she eats, sips from her water, peels me off some bread and adds it to my bowl. It’s so fucking domestic, and I can’t get enough of it.
“Your phone is lighting up, like a lot,” Emmarys says, nodding to the device I set on the opposite counter when I walked in.
Groaning, I get up, hobbling my way over to grab it. “Riggs and Falcon,” I tell her, shaking my head.
“Is it bad news?” she asks, concern filling her eyes. Since I got hurt, I know she’s been waiting to see if there is any backlash about our relationship having anything to do with my injury. Not one mention of her has been made though, neither locally nor nationwide. Having the investigation open though has also helped. It gives people a villain, a reason as to what happened.
Scanning over the texts, I shake my head at her. “No, just Falcon’s usual bullshit.”
She giggles and the sound brings my attention back to her. I could listen to Emmarys all day, but her giggles and her moans are two of my favorite sounds in the world.
“He says there's still only positive news on ESPN. Just talks about stats, numbers and how things may play out for bowl games this year. Riggs is giving him a hard time about not being here to join the party.”
Emmarys tilts her head thoughtfully, chewing her food and setting her bowl down before she glances at me. “Do you think he feels like he’s missing out?”
I shrug, thinking about my little brother and the plans we’ve discussed and made. “He’s in the same situation as I was. Falcon’s not tied to football with our grandfather like I was, but he is reliant on him until he turns twenty-one. I also don’t think he wants to leave momma yet.”
“Was your mom disappointed when you moved here?” She peers at me and I can hear the hesitancy in her tone.
“No,” I tell her, my voice strong. “I think she knew even when we left Crimson Bay that I wouldn’t be giving you up. When I told her, she almost seemed like she was expecting it. The last time I talked to her, she said she could hear the lightness in my voice.”
“So they both don’t hate me for taking you away from them?” Her voice hitches and I move toward her, taking her face in mine.
“Believe me, Em, I’m a better person, a much happier person here with you than I was when I lived in Texas. If anything, you’re saving me and they know it. They love you for it.”
Her eyes shine with unshed tears, tears I don’t want to see fall. Not tonight, not when it has been going so well and she's opening up to me. “Riggs also said five guys looked at you in the quad and one guy even asked you where the library was.”
She busts out laughing, her hand reaching for mine. I take it and let my other one trail over her cheek. “You’re insane. Did you ask him to tell you that?”
“No.” I shake my head. “He just knows it's something I’d want to know. Something I take seriously when it comes to my girl.”
My phone vibrates again and I glance down at it.
FALCON: Mom booked us tickets. We’ll be there in a few weeks.
Emmarys glances at the screen and I can tell she read the text too. She sits back in her chair, hesitant again. My jaw clenches and I reach for her before she can pull away.
“When they visit, I want you to be here. Come to my game and hang with us.”
Her parents left to go home the night of the game when I was injured. Emmarys said she was distracted by the tv, and when her parents saw how distraught she was, she told them we were together again. I always liked her parents when we were dating and I was worried that her dad wouldn’t approve after I left her, breaking her heart. It sounds though like they were supportive after she told them what happened and how we’ve reconnected. I wanted to be there with her when she told them, to have the conversation with her dad man-to-man. Now I’ll have to wait until winter break when we can both see them.
