Page 25 of Remind Me
“I’m fine. Talking out loud would mean admitting something that I am trying so hard to put behind me.”
“Okay, but if you change your mind, I am here.” I stood up and moved around the counter. Picking up both our plates, I walked over to the sink to rinse them off. Hearing a noise behind me, I looked over and saw her taking the cling wrap and aluminum foil from the cupboard. She sat the foil down on the counter and opened up the cling wrap, covering the salad with it. Setting it down, she picked up the foil and covered the rest of the lasagna with it.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“You didn’t have to feed me either but here we are.”
“Ah but I did. If my ma found out that I let ya walk out of here upset and not fed you, she would kill me for not being a gentleman.”
“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?”
“Nope! We really can’t.” Savannah moved to put the salad in the fridge while I moved to put the lasagna in the oven on the warm setting. I know when the other two got home, they would eat what was left so there was no point letting it go cold. “Wait here.” Before she could answer me, I was heading to my room. Grabbing my psychology textbook, my notebook and pens, I carried them into the other room and moved to the table.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to study, and you are going to help me.”
“I know nothing about psychology though.”
“Maybe not but you can keep it from doing my head in.” She looked at me like I had lost my mind. I had, because I damn sure didn’t need a distraction like Savannah in my life right now but there was a reason she was here and for the life of me, I just couldn’t handle it if she walked out the door right now. Eventually she grabbed her bag and moved to sit down across from me. Leaning down, she pulled all her stuff out so she could study too.
“Okay, one hour.” I felt my body relax as she agreed to stay. Now I just had to figure out what to do next.
Chapter Fourteen
Savannah
When Cash went quiet, I lifted my head and looked at him. “Hey, where’d you go?” His lips curled into a smile as his hand ran up and down my back.
“Nowhere, I was just thinking about the night you came over when I was stressed out about my psychology exam.”
“You know, when you told me that Beau wasn’t home, I was kind of relieved. He would have kept pushing until I eventually told him what was wrong, then he would have tried to fix it. You waited until I was ready to talk and just listened. I love him, but you were what I needed.”
“I still, to this day, wish that I could have taken that all away for you.”
“You did! You have no idea how safe and wanted you all made me feel. I knew that while I was with any of you, no one could touch me. You were by safe space, my bubble. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” I shifted a little and pressed my lips against his. “I love you more than you will ever know.”
“To infinity and beyond, Sug.” I couldn’t help but smile at those words, remembering the day he first told me that he loved me. It was right before he found out about going into the academy. He was tired of everything being so up in the air with his future, he wanted to at least know one thing was certain. It was then that we promised to stick by each other no matter what happened next for us both. Pressing another quick kiss to his lips, I sat up.
“Let’s eat so we can go to bed and I can take advantage of my fiancé before he becomes my husband.”
“Sounds like a good night to me!” For the next few hours, we ate dinner, watched a movie, and cuddled up on the couch before I turned it off. Standing up and taking his hand, we went upstairs and enjoyed a few undisturbed hours of him doing whatever he liked to my body and me returning the favor. Falling asleep blissfully… That was until some stupid hour in the morning when I woke up, wanting to be sick. I laid there for a minute to see if it would pass before throwing back the covers and running into the bathroom. Maybe the burgers weren’t such a good idea after all.
“Vannah, are you okay?” I could hear his concerned voice from the other room. He knew I hated it when people were around me while I was throwing up, so he was keeping his distance for now. When the vomiting had subsided, I flushed the toilet and stood slowly. I didn’t want to risk my head spinning and the vomiting to start again. Grabbing my mouthwash, I rinsed my mouth out before turning off the light and going back into the bedroom. Cash had turned on the bedside lamps and was waiting at the end of the bed. Moving over to him, he stood and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m okay, I think.”
“Are you sure? Was it something you ate?”
“I’m not really sure what it was. If baby is trying to tell me that they don’t like bacon, then this is going to be a long pregnancy.” He chuckled softly, pressing his lips to my head before I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest. I was not looking forward to “morning sickness” in the slightest and this just reminded me of the fun I still had to come. After a few minutes, Cash pulled back and walked around to my side of the bed.
“Come on, Sug, you need to get some more sleep. I’m gonna go get some water, do you want some?”
“Yes please, if you are going.” Climbing into bed, he pulled the covers over me as I got comfortable, then left the room. He came back and climbed into bed, passing a bottle of water to me. After I had drunk half the bottle, I put it on the bedside table. Turning off the light, I laid back down and curled back into Cash’s side.
“You sure you are feeling okay?”
“I am for now.” He reached over, turning off his lamp, before wrapping his arms around me. Resting my head on his chest, I let the sound of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.
