Jourdan Mathews has a secret, and she knows she needs to take this one to the grave.
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Her life was never complicated: a college student with a close family, good friends, and a plan for her future as a doctor. Had that night had never happened...
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The next week flies by in a blur of finals, turning in last minute assignments, and of course, taking care of Ryder. He and I had spent almost every day together, something we didn't always do because we were both so busy, but he needed the help and I wanted to help him. Being there for him, like he'd been for me in the past, felt necessary.
The only bump in the road between finals and Ryder's injury was that I'd nearly forgotten about the correct time I was supposed to be on campus to take the exam. I did make it and I ended up doing okay on the test itself, but still, Ryder didn't like that I'd almost missed something important because of him.
I had reassured him, telling him it was fine and showing him that's I'd still passed the class with a 94%, which all things considered, is something of a miracle for me—especially because school had fallen to the wayside far before we ever started dating. In fact, I'd passed the semester with straight A's which meant my dreams of medical school for psychiatry weren't totally dashed.
Then, once finals were over, we were both able to relax a bit more. Friday night we hung out at my apartment, watching movies, and eating popcorn, cuddled up under a thick, warm blanket. We'd both be going home for the holidays soon, and I think we both knew we were going to miss each other.
Now, it's Saturday morning, and my body feels warm as I wake up, one arm laid gently across his chest, the other tucked under my side as I curl myself closer to him, stretching my legs out. His breathing is slow and steady, his uninjured arm wrapped securely around my side to keep me tucked next to him.
My eyes open carefully, the late morning sunlight illuminating the room in a soft glow through the closed blinds on the windows across from my bed. Part of me wonders then if I should get up and make us breakfast while he's still sleeping, we'd spent nearly every night since he got out of the hospital together and I knew the pain meds the doctor gave him kept him knocked out. I was used to being awake first by now.
But then I feel the arm he has wrapped around me shift, his hand tightening across my middle before his arm moves and his hand runs up and down my side gently.
"You awake?" his voice is raspy and tired.
"Yeah," I say softly, sitting up and looking down at him. He smiles sleepily at me.
"How'd you sleep?" he asks, and I shrug.
"Pretty good." My gaze moves to the thick white bandages still wrapped around his shoulder, the strap of his sling a bit tangled. My fingers reach out absentmindedly, smoothing out the kink so it lies flat across his chest. "How are you feeling?"
"Awake." He says, something glowing behind his eyes as he watches me, smirking a bit.
