Page 59 of His North Star
I tossed and turned, but eventually fell asleep. My alarm bleeped, waking me up from a much-needed slumber. I reached over to slap my hand on the off button on my phone. My eyes stayed glued shut.Come on, little lids, open. We have work to do.I groaned and when a groan echoed in return, I startled. Warmth radiated next to me. My heart beat wildly in my chest. What the. . .?
I peered over my shoulder. Ty rapidly blinked. “It’s time to get up already?”
Phew. It was just Ty. “Oh my goodness, you scared the crap out of me. When did you get here?” And how did you crawl into my bed without me knowing? I must have slept deeper than I thought, but still, creepy to know anyone could have been in my room and I wouldn’t know.
“I woke up to get a drink around five and noticed my truck in the driveway. I tried to wake you, but you were dead to the world.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. How’s your mom?”
The well of tears I’d depleted last night refilled. A new wave ran down my cheeks. Last night sucked. Exhaustion settled around me like fog.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry. Come here.” He pulled me into his arms.
My heart released the tension it held. I settled into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. Ty was better than my mattress, anyway.
He rubbed my back until I settled.
I pulled out of his arms, trying to keep some of the blankets tucked under my arms to hide the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra.
Hello,privacy.
“Thank you for coming last night,” I said.
“I’m happy to help you whenever you need it. You know that.”
More than ever. “I do.”
He sighed, leaning his head back against my headboard. “I apologize for our fight on the stargazing night.” He inhaled, then blew out a big breath. “I’m not thinking straight lately.”
“I agree.” I nodded. He hadn’t been thinking over the last few months. Between stringing Lys along and then getting all weird when I tried to help him.
He shot me a glare. Albeit a weak one.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. Maybe speaking about something other than Mom would help.
He flopped back onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Tell me exactly what happened with your mom first.”
“She was carrying a large, heavy box that blocked her view, and she missed a step. When she fell, her head hit the edge of a stair, knocking her out cold. They were still running tests when I left last night. That’s all I know.” I snatched my phone off my nightstand to see if I had any missed calls or texts from my family.
There was one from Landon sent thirty minutes ago. “Looks like they confirmed she broke her leg and arm. They’re waiting for the MRI results.” Relief flooded through me. Those would take time to heal, but she would be okay.
He whistled long and low. “That’s going to be a long recovery.”
“I know. We’re going to have to hire a manager.” There was no avoiding bringing an outsider in.
“Are you willing to do that?” He slipped onto his side, his head cradled in his palm.
“We no longer have a choice.” Landon and I bugged Mom and Dad frequently about hiring more help, but they always brushed us off.
“True. Maybe it will be better than you imagined?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. It would be nice to find someone who fit in well. “What’s going on with you?”
“Uh, Lys wants to end our break. . .”
I looked at him like,so?
