Tethered To You

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Maverick snatches my phone from my grasp and frowns. I drop my hands and pout as he discards the device on the kitchen counter.

"Were you listening to anything I was saying?" His browns knit together and guilt seeps into my stomach.

I was so preoccupied with Emalyn, I forgot to keep listening to him.

"Um." I nibble on my lower lip. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"Can you help me with the bed frame?"

"Sure." I nod.

The phone pings and we look at each other. His brows crease together and his eyes squint in a disapproving glance.

"Calm down, I'm not going to check it."

I follow Maverick into the bedroom which has boxes and bags of new things for the apartment. He directs me to the bed frame and tells me how to hold the side panel so he can connect it to the headboard.

Maverick bolts the frame together and we add the slats and the mattress to it.

"The side tables should be in one of these boxes somewhere."

"Hm." I look around and find the box tucked under some shopping bags. "I'm impressed you bought this amount of things," I say.

"I want you to see I'm serious about us, and these purchases are well overdue."

"Everyone deserves a space that feels like home, Mav."

"I purchased a dresser and there's enough space for you."

"Thanks, but let's take things slow."

"I could leave one draw empty for you?" He raises an eyebrow and I sigh with a smile.

"Maybe one draw would be okay."

"The drawers come on Wednesday," he comments.

"What about side tables?"

"I purchased some. There should be two boxes behind you." He nods.

I move some bags aside and find the boxes hidden under the other shopping. I slide one box to Maverick and take the second one. I open the box and upend the wood and bolts to assemble it.

Where's the instructions? I hope this is easy to build. If I make it incorrectly, it's on his side of the bed.

His side of the bed? I could mentally slap myself. We don't even share a bed.

The phone starts ringing and I look in the direction of it, then back to Maverick, silently asking for permission.

He sighs, his shoulders sagging forward.

"I never thought I would say this, but we need to get Emalyn a boyfriend or some friends so she's occupied by someone other than you," he grumbles.

I look at Maverick and he raises his eyebrows. He stops mucking around with the side table and places his hands on his hips.

"What? She calls you all the time and you go running to her."

"She needs me."

"I need you."

"You need me to what? Make your bed? You're more than capable of doing this yourself." I look around at the bags pilled up and the pile of wood and bolts to a side table I have no clue how to build.

"Because I want to spend time with you. You're not easy to track down these days."

"I'm sorry." I sigh.