Page 157 of Unspoken Rules

Cole goes to the front door to let us in. I help Chris up the steps. Just by the way he’s moving, I can see he’s stiff. We have a list of exercises and stretches for him to do to help regain his strength.

“Aw fuck, I forgot about all those stairs,” Chris groans when we step into the hallway, and he eyes the stairs that lead to his bedroom.

“I can make up the pull-out, if you’d rather stay down here,” Cole says, gesturing toward the couch.

Chris looks from the hallway to the couch. “Maybe the stairs won’t be so terrible later. Oh! You know what I wanna do, Bry?”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Hot tub!”

I huff out a laugh. “That does sound good.”

“And food,” he says. “Greasy ass food. Hospital food is shit. I want a juicy cheeseburger, or pizza with extra meat and extra grease.”

I bark out a laugh. “Whatever you want, Chris.”

“I’ll order food. You go grab our swimsuits?” Chris says, carefully easing himself down into the armchair.

I nod and head upstairs to his room. I pull open the drawers, but they’re all empty. He hadn’t been staying here when he got into the accident, and it seems he took everything. Chris has no idea he moved in with Tabitha and that none of his clothes are here.

“Fuck,” I mutter, closing the drawer a little too hard. I run a hand through my hair and turn on my heel to find Cole in the doorway.

“Just use mine,” he says. “He won’t know the difference.” He heads into his bedroom, and I follow after him, but don’t go inside. I can’t handle being in there with him. At least it smells better.

A moment later, he’s handing me two swimsuits.

“Two, huh?” I ask with a raised brow. He smirks.

He’s had suits this whole time, but obviously just wanted to see me in my underwear. Fucking Cole.

“Just tell him he got them last year or something,” he suggests.

“What are you going to do about the rest of his stuff?”

“Tabitha is bringing his stuff by today. She’ll be here soon. I’ll put it all in his room without him realizing.”

I nod, but don’t move.

“Thank you,” I say. Though I’m not really sure why.

“For what?” he asks.

“I don’t even know. Just felt like it needed to be said.”

He nods carefully, then says, “I should be thanking you. I know being here isn’t easy, but you’re doing it for Chris, and that means more to me than you could ever understand.”

I force a smile. His eyes bore into mine, but he doesn’t smile back.

Fuck, I miss him so much.

“Food will be here in about an hour. Yo, dad!” he calls.

“What’s up?” Cole says, still holding my gaze.

I want to reach out and touch him. Hug him. Kiss him. Beg him to hold me and make everything okay.

“Can you bring us the food when it gets here?”

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