Page 59 of Shattered Rhythm

“Some pain meds, a book, bubble bath, and one of my hoodies,” he answers. “You do have a bathtub, right?”

“I do,” I say with a smile.

He walks into my bathroom, and I hear the water start to run, then he returns to me with the hot water bottle, kissing my temple.

“Great, so I’m running you a bath. Do you like your water hot?”

“Scorching, please,” I reply, and he chuckles before heading back to the bathroom. “Thank you so much, River. You didn’t have to do all this,” I say loudly so he hears me.

He comes back out of the bathroom and shrugs. “I wanted to. You’re important to me, and I hate to see you in pain.” My heart swells again, and I feel a warm blush creep up my cheeks.

“You’re so sweet,” I say, smiling up at him. He leans down and kisses me gently on the lips.

“Anything for you,” he whispers against my mouth.

When I’m done with my ice cream, River puts it away in my freezer and takes my hand to help me up from the bed.

“Let’s get you in the tub,” he says, leading me into the bathroom but staying outside so I can undress alone.

The warm steam envelops me as I step into the tub and sink down into the bubbles so only my head is sticking out. I call River in, and he sits down on the floor beside the tub, his hand playing with my hair in my bun as I relax in the warm water.

“Are your periods always this bad?” he asks me quietly.

“Not always, but often. I got an IUD, and since then, the pain is a lot worse, but fortunately only for one or two days,” I reply, and he nods.

“Sorry to hear that.” He lifts the book he brought with him and asks, “Mind if I read to you while you relax?”

“I’d love that,” I say honestly. “What are we reading?”

“Since I didn’t know what you like, I brought my favorite book,The Hobbit.”

“I love the films, but I haven’t read the books yet,”I say, beaming at him.

He starts to read, and after a while, I start to feel better as the pain in my abdomen eases up. The water eventually gets lukewarm, so River hands me a towel before leaving the room and I step out. I dry myself off and change into the sweatpants and his hoodie that he brought, which carries his scent. It’s the mixture of fresh laundry and peppermint I love so much, and I take a deep sniff.

“Feeling better?” he asks, as I step out of the bathroom, concern etched on his face.

“Yes, much better. Thank you so much, River. You’re amazing,” I say, leaning in to kiss him. He smiles when I break the kiss, his eyes shining with affection.

We spend the rest of the evening on my bed above the covers, watching the first Hobbit movie while cuddling. It’s amazing how much better I feel with him by my side. After we say goodnight, he heads out the door, and I can’t help but miss him already.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Liv

It’s ten minutes until the end of class when I receive a text from Chris.

Hey girl, I’m done with classes and don’t have to work today. Down to hang out on the beach for a bit?

I smile to myself.Oh, that’s exactly what I need.

So down! Meet at my car in 15?

*fire emoji*

Chris is already leaning on my Mini when I arrive at the car, her big ass black sunglasses covering half her face. I laugh and hug her tightly.

“Hey, bestie, you good?” I ask her, and she smiles.

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