Page 41 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“I was hoping to distract you from the pain,” he said, hearing his own voice gruff with desire.“I think we really need to ask Dalton for an actual pain reliever when he comes by later.”
Her brown eyes fluttered open but swirled with emotion he couldn’t discern.
“I told Dalton I didn’t want anything more than an ibuprofen because I’m afraid I could get addicted.”
Levi sighed.“Because of your family history?”
She nodded.
“Have you ever had surgery or serious medication before?”
“Only once.”
“And did you feel lost or unable to stop?”
“No.But it’s not worth the risk.”
“Let’s just see what Dalton thinks—maybe there’s a less addictive option.”
She nodded and let out a deep breath that sounded like she was carrying the weight of the world.“You don’t have to be so nice to me, or take care of me.It wasn’t your fault; you aren’t responsible for me, or my injury,” she said, her big eyes staring up at him.
“Can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“Do you think we could suspend reality for a few days, and you just pretend I’m your person?You take the pain reliever you really need, and you let me help you with all the things?Not because I feel bad or owe you, but because I want to.Just until your hand is healed up a bit.And you could stop worrying.”
“I wouldn’t even know how to do that.To let someone else take care of me.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything more than letting me check on you, cook you some meals, maybe you laugh at my jokes, and you stop worrying about losing control.If I start to see any signs of chaos, I’ll let you know.”
“You promise you won’t let me go off the rails?”
“I promise.”
Her breathing steadied and her eyes looked less strained as she stared up at him.
“Alright then as my first act of duty, let me get you home, cleaned up, and maybe a popsicle will make you feel better.”
Peeling himself off of her, he leaned down then tucked his hands under her arms, and he pulled her up with ease.But she wasn’t as steady on her feet as he’d hoped.
“Whoa, van Gogh, we can’t risk you getting any more injuries.The world is waiting for more masterpieces.”
Holding her close he followed her gaze down to the sand.
“What was it that I tripped over anyway?”she said finally.
Levi spotted the reddish orange shell in the sand and reached down to lift it up.
“A conch shell—that’s usually considered a very lucky find.”
Missy’s good hand reached out to take the shell he offered, and she turned it over in her hand.“There’s a crack in the side.That must be why there’s no animal living in it.
“A castaway.”
She brushed off the sand.“It’s beautiful.”
“Let’s head back.I bet Gran is awake and has noticed we’ve disappeared.”
