Page 68 of Beyond Oblivion

“Already?” he asked.

“I feel kind of shaky, actually.” In that moment, a wave of nausea overwhelmed me, and I scrambled from the tub to reach the toilet before the contents of my stomach swirled in the water with us.

“Cami?!” Trenton called, the water spilling off him as he rushed too fast to get to me.

I lifted the lid and my body tensed, my throat burning, the water splashing below.

Trenton’s fingers combed my hair away from my face, holding it into a makeshift ponytail while I heaved.

Once the involuntary spasms subsided, I reached up to flush the toilet and then lay on the cold floor, one cheek against the tile.

“I’ll get you a cool rag and a towel,” Trenton said, hurrying about the bathroom.

The sink turned on and then back off a few moments later, and then a folded washrag was across my forehead.

“Jesus, baby. What do you need?” he asked.

“I’m already feeling better. I think I just got too hot.”

Trenton spread the towel over me. “C’mon, let’s get you to the bed, this floor can’t be comfortable.”

He helped me to the bedroom and gently lowered me to the mattress, angling the pillow so I could sit up a bit.

“Water, a T-shirt, and panties… anything else?” he said, trying too hard to both relieve me of embarrassment and hide his concern.

“An empty cup and the mouthwash?” I asked.

He pointed at me. “Got it.”

While he gathered the list, I relaxed, letting the stars fade from my vision. “That was wild.”

“Is there a virus going around?” he asked, handing me my clothes.

“Who knows.” I pulled one of his worn, oversized T-shirts over my head and then slipped my feet through the leg holes of a pair of cotton, modestly cut panties, lifting my hips quickly to pull them up all the way. I let my head fall back against the padded headboard, grateful my husband knew not to grab a thong or something equally uncomfortable.

He set a glass of ice water, an empty plastic cup, and the bottle of mouthwash on my nightstand, then sat next to me, careful not to jostle the mattress.

“I’m sorry,” I said, spitting the mouthwash into the cup.

“Nope.” He took the cup from me, then rinsed it in the bathroom sink. “Don’t go there.” When he returned, he dropped the towel wrapped around his waist and changed into his boxer briefs, crawling into bed.

“When did you put on the towel?” I asked.

He blinked and then shook his head. “I have no idea. I just went on autopilot.”

“You know what the best part of marriage is to me?”

“What?” he asked, using his fingers to sweep my hair away from my face.

“You. Being married to you. Marriage isn’t great for everyone. I mean, look at my parents. You would’ve married me sooner had I not dragged my feet at every opportunity. Had I known this was what it was going to be like—what it’s supposed to be like—I wouldn’t have waited.” I blew out a breath, holding the rag against my head. “You take such good care of me, Trent. And I know… I know you’re stressed about keeping me safe when Madison gets back, but you should know just like I do that whatever happens, you’ll take care of it. You’ll take care of me. You always have. You always do. You won’t fail when it matters most. So, no more worrying, okay? You’ll know what to do in the moment if anything should happen. You just will. You won’t even have to think about it; you’ll go on autopilot, like just now.”

He kissed my temple. “That’s a comforting thought.”

“That’s why you’ll never be in a situation like Taylor is with Falyn. We’ll never have to make a last-ditch effort to save our marriage because when things come up, you always know exactly how to fix it, even if you think you don’t. When’s the last time I’ve had to ask you to do anything? To help with anything?”

“The last time I was standing in front of a drawer you needed in.”

I chuckled and leaned my head against his chest. “If that’s all you can think of, we’re good.” I looked up at him, curling my wrist under the crook of my neck.

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