Never Too Soon

Just Watching

POV: Harper

"Can I watch you?" I asked Lauren as she typed away on her laptop in the corner of the room. She had set up a little mini office so she could watch me. I got out of bed one time without her knowing and I fell, so now she doesn't trust me to be alone.

"Hmm?" Lauren hummed and looked up from her laptop.

"Can I watch you edit your things?" I asked more hesitantly that time.

"The TV isn't as entertaining as watching me fix grammatical errors? You really are a nerd." Lauren shot me a playful wink before standing up and walking over to me.

"I am not a nerd!" I shot back, but the quirked eyebrow I got from Lauren got me to lower my voice on an instant. "I'm just curious."

Lauren hummed and she sat in the bed on the uninjured side of me with her laptop. She pulled the blankets back and slid underneath them with a sigh of relief.

"It's fucking cold in this room." Lauren grumbled and pulled the blanket over herself.

I watched intently as she adjusted it on her lap after getting comfortable against the pillows on the bed.

"This is an article for the heritage portion of LMJ Magazine. Twice a year, I add a heritage section. Usually it ranges from two to three pages. I choose models from all over the world that most wouldn't even bat an eye at, and I personally write the articles. It's one of my favorite parts of the magazine." Lauren spoke passionately about her magazine, and I could only smile and listen.

"If it's your favorite, why don't you do it more than twice a year?" I quirked a brow.

"By making it twice a year, it adds more suspense almost. The longer the wait, the more money I make. Well, unless it takes too long and you lose consumer interest." Lauren explained cutely and I nodded my head.

"Go on then. I don't have anything to watch if you aren't working." I teased her which earned a playful side eye from her.

"You test me." Lauren sighed and shook her head while resuming her work.

"You invited me into your home. Not my fault." I shrugged.

"I invited you because you needed a quiet place to stay. If I didn't you would've had to stay in the hospital." Lauren mumbled as she focused in on her work. Her fingers moved around on her keyboard faster than I could fucking blink.

I didn't comment on it. Usually I would've, but I started to watch her type up her work and it became too captivating.

"Is there a question that you have about this? I'm more than happy to answer them." Lauren briefly glanced over at me, but she never missed a key even without looking at the laptop.

"Nope, just watching." I shrugged with a winced. "Forgot about no shrugging."

"Harper, you need to be careful. You shouldn't even be sitting like that." Lauren stopped typing to look over at me.

"It was just instinctual. I'm sorry." I frowned and kept my eyes on her laptop to avoid eye contact. I don't like being scolded from her. She isn't irrational, so when she has something to say it's within good reason.

"You don't need to be putting all of that weight on your side, Harper." Lauren looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"I'm comfortable." I huffed.

"You are literally straining your neck to watch my type. Roll over on your good side please." Lauren begged me.

"I'm tired of laying on that side."

Lauren sighed and set her laptop on the nightstand after saving the document. "Come here." She extended her arm out.

I looked at her cautiously.

"I'm not going to hurt you. It is cold and I need for you to stop laying on that side. Two birds with one stone. Come here." Lauren lifted the blanket up for me to scoot over to her.

My eyes flickered from the gap to her eyes repeatedly.

Lauren nodded her head and gave me a soft reassuring smile.

I slowly rolled and shifted over to her side.

Once I got somewhat close to her I stopped. I didn't want to completely curl into her incase she wasn't comfortable with that.

What surprised me was when she gently pulled me into her side, carefully avoiding my incisions.

"You can cuddle with me, Harp. It's okay." Lauren chuckled at my shyness.

I nodded my head and shifted so I could wrap an arm around her waist and rest my head on her shoulder.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Lauren asked me in a hushed tone with her arms securely wrapped around me.

"I won't stay awake through the whole thing." My lungs let out a tired breath of air.

"I'll put one on and you can sleep or watch it with me." Lauren whispered and rested her cheek on the top of my head.

"I don't want to fall asleep on you. I don't want you to feel like you can't leave." I mumbled as the safety of her arms wrapped around me brought a sense of security that I hadn't felt once in my life. It shocked me at first, but then a wave a tranquility washed over me. Almost like a hot blanket on a cold winter day. The warmth shocks you at first, but then the warmth takes over the cold.

"I don't plan on getting out of this bed any time soon, Harp. Now if you want me to get up I will without any questions asked, but if you just want me to hold you while you sleep I will hold you for as long as you need. I don't mind, hun." Lauren stopped any remaining anxiety with her firm, yet careful, response.

I nodded my head against her chest and listened to the low hum of whatever movie she chose. It wasn't the movie, bed, or darkness of the room that put me to sleep. It was her arms around me while I got to listen to her heartbeat and every inhale and exhale she took.

"Go to sleep, Harp. I won't let anyone touch you. Never again." Lauren kissed my forehead before resting her head back on mine and I smiled.

I knew it wouldn't last long, so I enjoyed it while I could. I'd have to go back home eventually, and there would be no way in hell that Lauren would be allowed to go anywhere near my room if I was in it. My gramps would kill her. He is completely okay and supportive of me loving who I love, but instead of it being a boy going near my room, it's a girl going near my room.

He'd kill her or at least beat her with a shoe.