Page 117 of Meet Me In The Dark
“You’re right,” he agrees. “That’s exactly what this is.”
“I’m thirsty.”
I’m not, but I want to delay this conversation.
He grabs a cup of water from the tray table and holds the straw up to my lips.
I slurp loudly on purpose.
He rolls his eyes.
“Alright,” he says, when I’ve drained the cup dry. “What are you doing in the hospital? What happened?”
“Pain.”
He flinches.
“You were there last night,” I add.
“And you scared me half to death, but I still don’t knowwhyyou’re here.”
“You mean those traitors I call best friends told you I’m here, but not why I’m here?”
He nods.
“Goddamn it. That’s the hardest part to explain.”
When his hand slides into mine, he lifts it and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles.
“Celeste, I need you to talk to me.”
My throat tightens. I stare at our joined hands and try to pretend this isn’t the part where everything gets heavier.
“I have endometriosis. I had surgery six months ago. That was supposed to fix me, or at least help, but they found something else and I’m still…” My voice cracks a little. “I’m still broken, Julian.”
“You’re not broken,” he says with a certainty I don’t have. “What’s endometriosis and this other thing they found?”
I toss my head back and stare at the ceiling. “It’s really, really complicated.” I give him a sidelong glance. “A bit like us.”
He smiles against my hand as he kisses it. “We’re complicated?”
“Uh huh.” I nod. “And we fuck a lot.”
That earns me a full-body chuckle.
“We have great sex,” I inform him, just in case heisn’t aware. “Like, high-five level sex. You’re really good at it.”
He tries to smother a smile and fails. “You too.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
“Celeste—”
“You’re so pretty.”
“And you’re beautiful, but focus. What’s endometriosis?”
I sigh and pat his hand like he’s a very handsome, very dense puppy. “Tell you what. My doctor is due in about…” I squint at the clock. “Ten minutes.”
