Page 88 of Safety Net
I nodded, my cheeks burning, but the tightness in my chest dispersing.
"I'm going to start the shower, get you your Advil, and then, I'll fuck off for a bit while you get ready," he said. "Sounds like a plan?"
I nodded, laughing a little, and watched him disappear into the bathroom. It took a few minutes for the water to get hot. Once it did, Lincoln gave me the all clear and left to find some meds.
He laid out a couple of towels, body wash, and lotion for me. Being taken care of to such an extent had every ache in my body loosen before I even stepped foot into the steaming shower.
I smelled of him as I scrubbed the night away. I felt wrapped in his arms when I tugged on his shirt that nearly reached my knees. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror hanging on the door of his closet. My hair remained in the perfect twists he'd done for me last night. I drowned in his clothes, looking like a woman in love. It’s a realization that made me smile. I was falling in love. It was a feeling that was neither scary nor complex, as I had thought it'd be. Falling in love with Lincoln felt like reaching my natural state.
Lincoln knocked before coming in. "You okay?"
"Yes." I glanced at the door, trying to fix my face to something not so lovestruck. It was one thing to admit being in love with him to myself. And another to share it with him. Yes, he'd already mentioned love last night. But Lincoln was the kind of guy who got an idea during breakfast and made it his personality by dinner. He was ever-changing and quickly evolving. I loved that about him. However, it also meant that it was best for me to take things slow. Keep us grounded. Because maybe once we started dating for real, he'd get another idea. Find someone new to obsess over. Be ever-changing and evolving far quicker than I could keep up.
"This is for you." Lincoln joined me in front of the mirror, encircling me between his arms as he offered a hot mug of tea and a couple of Advil. "Made it myself."
"Oh?" I accepted the mug, bringing it to my nose to catch a whiff of the contents. It smelled of ginger with a hint of vanilla.
"I've reached perfection,” he quickly assured as he rested his chin on the top of my head. "Promise."
"I liked it last night," I said before taking a shy sip.
He chuckled. "You don't have to be so nice to me. I saw the look on your face when you took your first sip."
The tea he'd given me now was noticeably different. It was smooth — no renegade tea leaves—and with just a hint of sweetness. Not enough to make me need a sugar detox like last time.
"Well?" He watched me drink through the mirror, genuinely worried he'd messed it up the third time around.
"Honest?" I asked, drawing it out to tease him.
"Always."
"It's amazing and exactly how I'd make it." I held the cup close to my chest. If all my mornings started like this, I think I'd eventually be able to take on the world. "I love it."
Lincoln kissed behind my ears and neck, coaxing me into a fit of laughter.
"Okay, okay," I said. "You're tickling me, you're going to make me spill this."
"I've been practicing for weeks," he said, excitement making him talk so fast it was difficult to keep up with what he was saying. "Trying to get it right for you. I just have one problem."
"What's that?"
"I don't know what the hell I did to get it right this time," he confessed. "I was just panicking, mixing shit, trying to make sure it was ready for you when you got out of the shower. There are six variations of this downstairs. I had to choose between them, and in the end, just went with the one that called to me."
I laughed. "Lincoln, when you want to, you really know how to dedicate yourself to something."
I turned around so we were face-to-face when I said the next part, "Remember that, okay?"
He sobered a bit and pressed his forehead against mine. "I will."
"When are you talking to Anthony to ask him to come back?"
Lincoln shrugged. "Tomorrow."
"Oh, wow."
"Too soon?"
"No…" I shook my head, unsure. "I don't think so. I just thought you were going to give it a couple of weeks. Train with the guys, you know? Spend some time to show you're dedicated."
