8. Ellie
8
ELLIE
I didn’t sleep a wink all night. I tossed and turned most of the night until I eventually gave up. I cleaned the apartment, which didn’t need it. I sat on the couch and flipped through the television stations, and before I knew it, I was still awake with the sun glaring through the curtains. Darn it!
I spent the morning walking around the apartment complex, then stopped at Sugar Glaze bakery for a breakfast turnover. I really wanted the cinnamon roll but knew I needed some protein. Tara, Jason’s wife, hooked me up, though. She sat and ate with me, sharing half an egg sandwich and half a cinnamon roll with me.
“So seriously, how are you liking Whiskey Run?”
I want to lift the plate and lick the cream cheese icing off it, but I hold myself back. “Uhm, I actually love it. I have never lived in a small town before; as a matter of fact, I’ve never even visited a small town like Whiskey Run before. Everyone has been so nice.”
She nods her head. “I love it here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” She takes the last bite of her cinnamon roll. “What about Gray? You two seem happy together.”
I’m debating on how to answer. I don’t know if Gray’s friends know the whole sordid truth about our relationship, but I’m saved from answering her when the bell over the door jingles, letting us know someone has come in.
Tara rolls her eyes and smiles. “I guess my break is over. I’ll be back.”
The bakery starts to pick up with people stopping in before work. I clean up my mess, and on the way out the door, I wave at Tara. “Thank you for breakfast... and the talk.”
Tara comes around the counter and hugs me. “Meet me for dinner tonight... Red’s Diner.”
I’ve walked past Red’s Diner a few times but have never been there to eat. I know I’m limited on funds, but I can’t refuse her. I can eat soup or something else small. “Sounds good.”
I walk back to the apartment and barely get in the door before there is a knock. I look through the peephole, and Gray is standing on the other side. I smile, happy to see him even if I didn’t expect him this early.
“Hey!” I say as I swing the door open. It’s then I notice all the stuff in his arms. “What... what is all that?”
“Can I come in?”
I open the door wider to let him in, and when I’m about to close it, he says. “Wait, there’s more.”
He walks out onto the porch and then comes back in with another load. I watch him do it another time and then realize I should have offered to help. “Gray, what is all this?”
He walks over to the pile of stuff and starts taking it out of the bags. “Don’t be mad. I wanted to get a few things for you and the baby.”
I stop next to him. “A few things? It’s way more than a few things, and Gray, it’s like nine in the morning, how did you get all this?”
He shrugs and keeps pulling stuff out. “The store in Jasper is open twenty-four hours, and I went early this morning.”
He seems genuinely excited, and even though I hate that he spent all this money on me, I don’t want to ruin this for him. While I’ve watched him unload everything, I didn’t realize that he had divided everything into two piles. “Okay, so this is for the baby. There’s so much I know you need to pick out. I wasn’t sure what you wanted to use for bottles or if you planned to breastfeed, so I had to limit it to some clothes, blankets, diapers, and a few toys.”
“Gray...”
He doesn’t stop, though. He moves to the other pile. “And for you. I researched things to help a pregnant woman sleep. I bought a tea kettle and an assortment of tea.” He holds up a big pillow shaped like an S.
I point at the pillow. “What is that?”
“Okay, so I guess this is some kind of miracle pillow or something. Pregnant women swear by it.”
He looks so serious and damn so sexy. A part of me wants to mount him right here and right now, and the other part of me wants to cry because of how sweet he’s being. “Gray, this is too much. All of this...”
I stop because it’s so overwhelming, and I know I’m going to start bawling.
He puts the pillow under one arm and then puts his free hand on my shoulder. “Be honest. How’d you sleep last night?”
I inhale sharply. “I didn’t.”
“You haven’t slept at all?”
He’s searching my face, and insecurity settles in. I’m sure I look like crap. “No.”
He walks me to the couch. “Have a seat.”
As soon as I do, he lays the pillow down next to me. “I’ll be right back.”
He grabs the tea and kettle and disappears into the kitchen. I’m looking at the pile of stuff for the baby when he comes back a few short minutes later. “Drink this.”
He hands me the hot tea and then goes around closing all the curtains and then disappears down the hallway, opens a closet and comes back. He covers me with a blanket and then hovers over me. “Can you sleep while I’m here? Or do you want me to leave?”
I blink up at him. It’s on the tip of my tongue to beg him to stay, but instead I ask him, “Do you have somewhere you need to be?”
He shakes his head. “Nope, I’m here as long as you need me.”
I want to say forever, but I’m scared to. Even though Gray has been so good to me, I have the worst track record with men. “I’d like you to stay then. Please.”
He nods and sits down next to me. I’m thankful when he sits close and wraps his arm around me. “Just close your eyes. Relax.”
I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. He lifts his arm and wraps it around me, and my head lays on his chest now. His voice is quiet and soothing. “Get some sleep. I got you, Ellie.”