Page 60 of Grumpy Sunshine

She looked concerned as she held out a few saltine crackers to me.

“Here.”

I took two of the four she held out and nibbled on them, very aware of the crumb mess that I was making on myself and the bed.

She reached toward me and swept them off the bed as best as she could.

“Thanks,” I murmured as I reached for the water she’d handed me earlier.

She took it from me and twisted off the lid before holding it to my lips.

I took a small sip, then smiled.“You happen to want to stay until that storm passes?”

The music and all sound ceased from the main room.

“I was going to say it’s a bit loud for you to sleep but looks like things just shut down,” she murmured.“I’ll stay for a little bit.It’s really pouring outside.”

“Like cats and dogs.”I patted the bed beside me that was closest to the wall.

She stood up and toed off her shoes.

She started to get on the bed but stopped.“I’m not climbing in the bed with these scrubs on,” she said.“They’re gross.”

I jerked my head toward the floor where I’d taken off my shirt.

She bent down and grabbed it, then disappeared into the bathroom to change.

I once again closed my eyes and only opened them again when the bed depressed beside me.

She crawled up the length of the bed in my t-shirt, and my poor body responded to the beauty in front of me despite being sick as fuck.

I slowly shimmied down until I was mostly flat with my head propped up on two pillows, then gave her one of the ones that had been propping me up.

She curled herself into a tiny ball, and I twisted until I was facing her, my body curving around hers but not quite touching her.

“Sleepy,” I muttered.

She patted my jaw.“Sleep.”

Fifteen

I’d be miserable too if I were a princess stuck inside a man’s body.

—Chevy to Cutter

CHEVY

When I next woke, it was with the knowledge that, despite being sick as a dog, I was the most comfortable I’d ever been.

I blinked one eye open to see a riot of crazy auburn hair a little bit of everywhere.

The other thing I noticed was that I was sweating profusely.

I forced myself to let her go and got up, feeling only remotely better.

I checked my phone and saw that I had about thirty missed calls, but it was the time that had me worrying.

“Shit,” I said as I turned around.“Baby, wake up.You have to be at work.”

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