Page 121 of Crazy Imperfect Hearts

“Sure. What kind of sushi do you want to order?”

“All of it,” I say. “One of everything. She’s gone all these months without eating it. I want to make sure one of them is her absolute favorite.”

She laughs, makes the call, then sets down my phone. She leans close. “No one has ever done that for me. Not even my husband.” She walks away, tossing me a look over her shoulder. “But, yeah… it’s soooo complicated.”

~ ~ ~

Regan wakes up and looks around. “What time is it? How long did I sleep?”

“A few hours. It’s eight o’clock.”

She sits up slowly with a slight grimace on her beautiful face. Her arms reach for the pillow next to her, so I move it to support her back. She must be uncomfortable. With all thoughts on Mitchell, it’s easy to forget she just pushed a five-pound human out of her.

Her shoulders slump. “I thought you said you’d stay with him.”

“I did. And then I came to sit with you. You need people, too, Regan. My mom has been with him for an hour or so. Dad says he’ll come too. Between the four of us, he’ll have a lot of company.”

“Good. I’m glad he won’t have to be alone.”

“There are plenty of nurses around to keep an eye on him.”

Her head shakes. “It’s not the same.”

“I know.”

Her eyes widen then dart around the room. “What’s that smell? Is that sushi?”

I roll the tray table over. The spread I got barely even fits on it. There are salmon rolls, spicy tuna, crispy shrimp, and a dozen others. Her eyes bug out.

“I wasn’t sure what kind you like.”

“Oh my gosh… all of it!” She rips into a pair of chopsticks as I start opening little plastic containers.

Her eyes roll back as the first piece goes in her mouth. She chews it like it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted. She picks out another, and moans when she bites into it. I stand completely still and watch as this happens over and over.

It’s really hard to keep myself from getting turned on. Because…shit.

“You can’t be serious,” she says, eyeing my rising problem.

“It’s your fault,” I say. “You’re making all those noises. And you cut me off months ago.”

Her chopsticks come to rest on the table. “You haven’t…?”

I shake my head.

“Not since…?”

I reach out, grab a piece of a spicy tuna roll with my bare fingers and pop it into my mouth. “Nope,” I say around it. I wiggle my fingers. “My hand is the only thing I’m dating these days.”

I could swear the hint of a smile crosses her lips. Because she thinks I should abstain since she did? Or because she’s happy I’m still being boycotted? As I study her for an answer, her cheeks flush. She turns away and picks out her next piece of sushi.

“Maddie and Ava were here,” I say. “They sat with you when I was with Mitchell earlier. They said they’d come back tomorrow.”

The door opens and a different nurse comes in with a strange-looking machine attached to tubes and funnels. She eyes the sushi table and shakes her head in amusement.

“You want some?” Regan asks. “I think he got everything on the menu.”

“I’d love a piece or two. Thanks. My name’s Lola. I’ll be your night nurse. I came in to help you pump. Baby needs all that great colostrum.”

---