Chapter 51 Feed Me
“Alright, I’m going to put you down now,” I told Rina. “You good?”
She nodded.
I bent, with her in my arms, and gently set her down on my – no, our – bed. “You good?” I asked again.
She nodded a second time, so I slowly removed my arms from under her, and then very lightly placed both my hands under her right calf.
“Straighten your left leg,” I said to her, and when she did, I lifted her right leg and oh so gently placed it on the elevation pillow before looking at her. “You comfy?”
She smiled and gave me a thumbs up.
“Sure?” I confirmed.
Another thumbs up.
“Perfect.” I crawled up on the bed, then lied next to her before propping my head on a fist.
It’d been 10 days since Rina had moved in with me. I’d finished adjusting her things with mine last week, and I’d even started making minor tweaks in my office for some of her other things. Books, mostly.
It’d been a bliss having her with me 24/7, and so far, Miguel hadn’t knocked on my door and impaled me with that cane of his for stealing his granddaughter from him, so I guess I could count my blessings in that regard.
I cracked my neck and stretched my legs to relieve some of the stress there, then looked down at Rina, only to frown when I saw her staring at me with furrowed brows and a sullen expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She lifted a shoulder nonchalantly, but I saw the subtle purse of her lips, and silver lining her expressive eyes as if she was trying not to cry.
“Hey.” I dragged a knuckle over her chin and leaned in a little more. “Tell me what’s on your mind,” I said to her. “Because there is something you’re thinking about – I can see it. So don’t even try to deny it.”
She swallowed and grabbed her notebook and pencil from the nightstand.
Oh man, she was writing instead of signing. There really must be something that was bothering her.
She wrote something on a fresh page, then showed it to me.
I’m being a burden to you, aren’t I?
I jerked my head back after reading that. “What? Why would you say that?”
I saw you stretching just now. You’re tired. Looking after me day and night is taking a toll on you.
I shook my head at her. “Baby, no.” I slid my right hand under her thin t-shirt just so I could feel her skin against mine, and then pressed my lips to hers. “I promise you it’s nothing like that.”
I don’t know why she’d even thought of something like this, but I was ready to put her mind at ease, and also make sure she got the wrong idea out of her head.
You literally helped me take a dump right now, Myles.
“And?” I arched a brow at her. “I’ve been helping you with it for two weeks now, and I’ve never once minded it.
Rina…” I sighed and ran my hand up and down her ribs.
“I have never once thought of assisting you as a chore or an inconvenience. If anything, being there for you means more to me than you could imagine. All of this is obvious, natural. We live together now, babe, so these things are bound to be uncensored between us.” I kissed the space between her brows.
“Just because you’re recovering from an injury, doesn’t mean you won’t shit or piss.
I’m telling you it’s okay, and I’m okay with helping you. ”
She looked at me, and it seemed as if she was studying me. Assessing me, maybe.
Promise? she signed.
I gave her an honest nod. “Yeah.”
She began writing in her notebook again.
But if it ever gets too much for you over the course of the next few weeks, you’ll tell me, right?
I sighed again as I glanced at her after reading that.
“Seriously?” I chuckled when she elbowed me.
“Fine.” She elbowed me again, making me laugh.
“Fine. Jesus, woman; reign in the assault. I’ll tell you, okay?
Even though I already know it won’t get too much for me, but if that somehow does end up changing, I’ll tell you for sure. ”
She toyed with the bracelet on her left wrist as she blinked at me.
I wanted to burn that thing, but she really liked it, so I couldn’t exactly take it from her.
I was an absolute sucker for her, Lord have mercy.
I shifted and lied closer to her, careful not to bump the elevation pillow or her ankle.
“You’re still thinking about something,” I told her, then swiped the pad of my thumb over her forehead.
Just that I really don’t deserve you, she wrote lazily.
I scoffed. “You know that’s not true,” I said. “If anything, it’s me who doesn’t deserve your sweet ass.”
My ass is sweet?
I smirked. “And good enough to eat,” I quipped.
She groaned and slapped my jaw, to which I laughed.
You’re an asshole, she wrote.
“For stating an obvious fact?”
For trying to seduce me while I’m heavily dosed on pain meds.
“And it’s a bad thing to be turned on while you’re on pain meds because…?”
She rolled her eyes. Because you can’t act on what you say, and I can’t let you act on what you say.
I exhaled dramatically. “Sad, isn’t it?” I mused.
She scowled at me, just as her phone pinged with a new message.
Rina placed the notebook and pencil back on the nightstand before grabbing her phone. She quickly read the text, then twisted the phone so that I, too, could read the message.
It was from Miguel, and it said: Bom dia, pequena. Just checking in, as usual. I really enjoyed that audiobook you suggested last week. I finished it yesterday, and I’m curious to know your thoughts on it. How are you today? Did you take your medications? I love you.
“When did he become so civil, knowing you’re here with me and he can’t do anything about it?” I told Rina.
It was more of a rhetorical question, but still one that I had no logical explanation or answers for.
She shrugged, then texted him back before showing me the response.
You should come over this weekend, Av?. We can discuss the audiobook, and you can have dinner with Myles and I. He’s started cooking these days, and I have to admit: it’s a pretty…interesting hobby.
I could not believe this woman.
“Did you really have to put me out like that?” I asked her.
She simply flashed her teeth at me.
I put my tongue to my cheek. “Just for the record: I make a pretty mean Greek salad. And meatballs. And beef sandwich. And a couple other things I can’t name right now because you’ve left me too dumbfounded by your lack of belief in me.”
She pressed her lips together. Well, make something for me, then, she signed. I’m hungry.
She spelled the word ‘then’ instead of signing it, so it took me a moment to understand it.
“What do you wanna eat?” I asked her.
She shrugged as she scratched the back of her hand. Anything. Just feed me; I’m hungry.
I raised my brows at her. “Feed you, huh?”
She looked about ready to strangle me as she glared up at me.
I laughed, then bent to place soft kisses on her eyelids, her cheeks, and her jaw. “You know I couldn’t help it,” I said against her skin.
I know, she signed, then rolled her eyes, but I still saw her smile a pretty little smile at me.
So, I erased the space between us and tasted it once, then tasted it again before saying, “Come on, let’s go make some dinner.”