Page 201 of Deviant

“Rowen,” Elias rasps, trying to open his heavy eyelids.

“I’m here. I’m here,” I coo softly, “How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” he grumbles.

“Well, you don’t look it.”

“Liar.” He laughs only to groan when the vibration makes his ribs hurt.

“They got you pretty bad.”

“They’ll get there’s. Don’t you worry about that.”

“I don’t want you to do anything stupid,” I admonish.

“And when have I ever done that?”

“Taking the blame for killing Ruby for one.”

His full lips thin at the reminder.

“You call it stupid. I call it the best thing I’ve ever done. I rather be the one lying in this bed all fucked up, then it be you, Roe.”

I’ll never get poetry from Elias.

Or sweet nothings whispered in my ear.

But sometimes he’ll say just the right words that have my heart melting just for him.

“Help me up, baby. I need to look at you properly.”

I do as he says, Elias groaning and grunting as I help him up just enough so he can lean his back against the headboard. I place a pillow behind his head, and then bring him the water to drink. Once he’s done, I place it back on the bedside table and ask him if he needs anything else.

“Yeah. You.”

“You have me,” I reply, running my fingers through his hair.

“Then get in this bed,” he orders, sounding more like his bossy self.

“Only if you promise to behave.”

“Can’t promise you that. Ever. Now get in.”

Knowing Elias won’t back down until he gets what he wants, I do as he says and slide into bed, placing my head on his bare chest.

“Now that’s more like it. I fucking missed this.”

“You’ve been mostly unconscious for the last two days. How can you have missed this if you were out like a light?” I giggle, running circles with my finger over his tattoo.

“My cold bones could be dead and buried, and I would have still missed the way your body feels when it’s on top of me.”

“Don’t make jokes like that,” I reprimand. “No more talk of cold bones, dead or buried bodies. I’ve had enough talk about death to last me a lifetime.”

“Good to hear,” he retorts with a chuckle. “Very fucking good to hear.”

His arm tightens around me as he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

“How are you, really?” I ask after a pregnant pause.

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