Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry Read Free Book Online

more. Eddie stroked his hand down her arm, allowing himself the luxury of being gentle with her, something she rarely tolerated when she was awake. Hugs she could handle, along with affectionate pats and back slaps, but any sign of tenderness and she was edging toward the door or smacking him away and telling him to practice his “dark arts” on someone else.
    The one exception to all of the above being what had happened between them when she’d woken after her accident. She’d let him comfort her then. Not that he’d really given her a choice.
    Blue’s eyelids flickered, and her eyes opened.
    “I fell asleep,” she said.
    “You did.”
    “That’s annoying.”
    He did his best not to smile at her acknowledgement that he’d been right about her being tired.
    “Not for me.”
    She pushed herself into a seated position, pulling away from him like a cat that had exceeded its tolerance for petting.
    “I’m going to go lie down,” she said. “Thanks for the movie. And the popcorn.”
    She shifted to the edge of the couch and reached for her crutches. He beat her to it, handing them to her and supporting her as she stood and slipped the crutches under her arms.
    She didn’t look back as she made her way out of the room. A few seconds later, he heard the distinct click as she shut her bedroom door behind her.
    He contemplated the empty popcorn bowl for a moment. Then he pushed himself to his feet and went to do something about dinner.

    Blue sank onto the end of the bed and let the crutches slide to the floor. A hot tear slid down her cheek and plopped onto her thigh. She rubbed at the dark spot on her yoga pants, then used the back of her hand to wipe her cheek.
    They were going to be okay. She hadn’t been sure, had been racked with uncertainty and anxiety ever since she’d agreed to stay with Eddie after her release from hospital. She’d been building this day to epic proportions over the past week, terrified that the uncontrollable feelings she’d experienced after the accident were here to stay and not just the result of a damned good scare.
    But Eddie’s house felt welcoming and good. They’d played Call of Duty and watched a movie and eaten popcorn, and it had all been normal. Ordinary. Average.
    Just two friends hanging out. No inappropriate urges or feelings — except for that moment when she’d woken and found herself looking up into his face and had been hit by the tsunami of relief that was still washing through her now.
    Because they were going to be okay . The genie of her love for him had returned to its bottle, and she could once again stuff a cork in the neck to keep the genie in its place. Her leg would heal, and she would go back to her job and her apartment and her life, and those moments of weakness in the hospital would disappear like the aberrations they were.
    Thank. God .
    Tugging the fluffy throw over herself, she reached for one of the many books Maggie had gifted Blue during her hospital stay.
    She could hear Eddie moving around in the kitchen — the rush of water in the sink, the clang of a pot on the stove — and she curled her toes in anticipation of dinner.
    Eddie was a great cook. Not fancy — never fancy — but he had a talent for putting ordinary ingredients together and making them sing. She especially liked it when he delved into his Brazilian heritage and offered up the food from his childhood — feijao tropeiro, feijoada, moqueca de camarao.
    Her mouth was watering, and she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. Eddie answered on the second ring.
    “You’re kidding me,” he said flatly.
    “You want me to yell? Would that be better for you?”
    “What do you want?”
    “What are we having for dinner?”
    “Nothing fancy. Satay chicken with salad. Why?
    “Do you think we could have some brigadeiro for dessert?” Chocolate truffle balls made from condensed milk, brigadeiro were one of her favorite foods in all the world.
    “Let me see if I’ve got a can