Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
I held my breath as Calvin stared up at my hands, eyes shiny. This was one'a those moments—the ones where I could go all sappy on her and risk her runnin', or I could go for the joke. Lighten the mood. Deflect feelings for another time—or, never.
I swallowed hard and tried for a middle ground. "It's just some Tylenol and a Gatorade, viper. No big thing."
She bobbed her head a few times before takin' the pills and the drink, downing both. I sat at the edge of the bed and watched her. When she finally pulled the bottle away from her lips, a lone tear snuck out and slid down her cheek.
She wiped it away quickly and scoffed. "Must be 'bout to start my period or something." She laughed a little, but it was brittle.
I cocked my head to the side. "Maybe," I hedged. "Or, maybe you haven't had anyone takin' care'a you in a real long time, and it feels kinda nice now, yeah?"
"Yeah." She met my eyes, and hers looked almost pained as she nodded again. "Maybe."
I took the Gatorade from her hand, capped it, and set it on the floor.
"What if we try to go back to sleep for a bit? It's still early," I said, layin' down and scoopin' her into my chest. "I can fuck your tits later."
Calvin choked out a laugh, even if it was a little watery.
"You got a deal, boy scout."