Page 113 of Severed Rivalry
“Are you… Are you mad at me for helping?” There’s humor in my voice as I return to sitting, and I know it’s going to bite me in the ass, but I can’t help it.
“Maybe.”
“Then you’re going to be downright pissed at what’s next.”
Her head whips to mine, and her eyes narrow to slits.
“I think Rosie should come here to recuperate. What do you think?”
Her mouth pops open, before she shuts it and scrunches her brow. She just stares at me and then, without a word, she faceplants into my chest.
32
vehicular hokey pokey
Sariah
Seriously? Seriously. How is this man mine?
“Okay,” I mumble into his tee.
“Okay to Rosie? Or okay to everything?”
“You’re pushing it, Murphy.”
“She’s being discharged. Do you want me to go? Are you okay to stay here with Renée and Eleanor?”
His shirt abrades by forehead as I nod.
“Not that I have anything else to do, but I’d feel better not exposing Née right now. What do we do about school on Monday?”
“Well figure it out.” He kisses the top of my head and stands. “Also, would you set a grocery order for pickup? I don’t know what you both like—other than ‘not meat’ for Renée and real food sounds so good after a month on smoothies and shakes. Tell me where and I’ll pick it up on the way back from Swedish.” He pulls a card from his wallet and drops it on the bed next to me. “Use that, would you?”
I shake my head, not in the negative, but in straight-up confusion. A month ago, life was way simpler, way more manageable, and way morealone.
“Anything I need to know about Eleanor?”
“Nah. I’ll let her out before I leave. She’s already eaten. She may want company before I get back, but she shouldn’t needanything. Sariah.” He looms over me, and I tip my head back to get a good look at the man in front of me. Two days of scruff covers his jaw. It’s russet-colored and not yet soft.
“Yeah.”
“Be safe while I’m gone.” He drops his lips to mine, deepening the kiss until every sense is taken over by his mere presence. With a final peck, he pulls back and drops his forehead to mine. “Love you, baby. Be right back.”
I fall back onto the bed and stare at the ceiling. How is this my life?
It takes four hours for Cian to beright back.
Four hours of submitting resumes, of digging through his walk-in pantry and fridge to figure out a grocery list, or straight up staring into space.
When he walks through the door, it’s with Rosie leaning on his arm. He leads her straight down the hall to a room near Renée’s. Renée’s. I can’t believe I called it that.
We follow, but he steps out for her to get changed.
“RoRo?” My daughter’s voice is too small for her personality.
“Yes.”
“Can I hug you?”
