Page 104 of Protecting Bianca

This time I didn’t hide my eye roll. “I’m the only woman you’ve seen in a very long time, I suspect.”

“You know that’s not true.”

I laughed. Of course I did, but I loved teasing him. Taking one last look in the mirror and straightening my black leggings beneath my oversized cashmere sweater, I turned to him. “I’m ready.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “So am I.”

“Ah-ah,” I said as he stalked toward me. “You know I wouldn’t get naked after spending this much time getting dressed.

“I promise to make it worth your while.”

I put my hand on his chest. “I’ll hold you to that promise later.”

Reluctantly, he walked with me to the front door and insisted I wait inside the foyer while he brought the car around from the garage so I wouldn’t overtire myself. I told him I was fine but maybe I was feeling a little bit stressed. It probably had more todo with seeing my brother and apologizing for some of the things I’d said the last time we spoke.

As we drove closer to my brother’s house, a headache grew around my temples. Jager reached over and slipped his hand into mine. “There’s no need to be nervous. He loves you.”

“I know. But I also think he’s angry with me. I didn’t say much when he came to the hospital and I’m not sure if he’s hurt by that.”

“You’ll talk about it today and we’ll get through it together. No matter what happens.”

Inhaling deeply, I nodded. “Thank you.”

Staring out the window, I watched as we passed the familiar homes on his street. It was dark outside already, being November, and my brother had the porch lights on.

I pulled my coat closer around my neck and walked beside Jager toward the front door. I pressed the doorbell and waited.

My heart beat steadily in my chest, but my breaths were shallow. I inhaled deeply again and tried to relax.

River opened the door, and I looked up at him with a smile. He was frowning, and his eyes roamed over me. “Bianca.” He pulled me into his arms and pressed me to his chest and wouldn’t let go for several minutes. My breath caught and my chest tightened.

“It’s freezing outside. Let the poor girl in.” Lizzie appeared behind River with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

River sniffed and pulled away, looking in the opposite direction. Lizzie pulled me in for a hug and I couldn’t see if emotions had gotten the best of River or I’d been mistaken.

“Come in, come in,” said Lizzie, pulling me inside by the hand. “River made spaghetti with meatballs and the pasta’s almost ready.”

River greeted Jager behind me. “Let me take your coats.”

I looked around. The place looked tidier. River’s hockey magazines were no longer strewn across the living room floor and the old torn up armchair was gone. In its place was a modern silver chair with a blue pillow and a yellow blanket over the armrest.

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I said.

Lizzie looked at River and then back at me, and she smiled. “I moved in a few days ago and brought a couple of pieces from my place here.”

Lizzie’s smile faltered, and she played with her necklace. “We wanted to tell you, but you weren’t feeling…”

I put my hand up. “Don’t worry about it. I think it’s great.”

“We haven’t touched your room, of course. Everything is still how you left it.”

“And we want you to come home whenever you’re ready,” said River.

I nodded, unsure if the swelling in my chest had to do with the way they both still wanted me here or that they no longer needed me, and perhaps I was more in the way than not.

“Did you say the pasta’s ready?” I asked. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”

I followed the smell of River’s tomato sauce. He had cooked the last time we spoke, and it didn’t end well. I wanted tonight to be different, though.

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