Unedited.
Author's note: naughtiness included in this chapter. Be forewarned.
Chapter Seven
Before:
Grady
He checked Instagram after getting out of the shower. She really did post the picture but it wasn't of him drooling. It was candid and raw; showed how tired he really was. And it helped him see himself through her eyes. The caption read He's really tired. #hesfine #notamiserything #goingondaythree #wakeupalready #yousmell @therealGradySinclair.
He laughed. God did he laugh. Her sense of humor blared through the words and everyone noticed. Even tried to tag her in questions. He skimmed though the comments, noticing she answered none and posted nothing more. His baby was quiet, closed off, and very private.
After getting some pants on and rubbing the condensation off the mirror, he took a look at himself. The dark circles and bags under his eyes were gone but he needed to shave. The damn beard made his skin itch but he settled for trimming it. His stomach wouldn't stop growling and aching. He needed to eat. Then he would shave.
Five days.
Wasn't the longest he'd gone on a sleeping bender but it felt like a waste. He was here, with Page, with her kids, for five days and he wasted it by sleeping. Shame rippled through him as he realized it wasn't the best impression to make.
"Stop." His head whipped over and found Page filling the doorway with a fresh cup of coffee and a plate with food in her hands. Her face showed an infinite amount of patience as she walked over, set the coffee down, and held out a piece of toast. "Stop thinking."
"Thinking is my best quality."
"Not when it makes you look like that. Whatever it is you're worrying about, stop it."
He bit into the toast and chewed slowly. Good toast. "Are the kids really ok?"
She rolled her eyes. "They're fine."
"You're sure?"
"Considering I've known them since they were born, yes. I'm sure. I would know if something was wrong. We haven't entered the 'secret feelings' stage of development yet."
He nodded and finished the toast. "And their dad?"
"He wasn't happy you met them and spent the night but I handled it."
"How?"
"Reminded him of all the times he introduced the kids to his flavor of the week without worrying how they would feel when she disappeared the next week. Then I reminded him you and I have been together for the prerequisite three months and he had no grounds to stand on. So he backed down. Loudly but he backed down."
"You shouldn't have had to deal with that yet. And certainly not alone."
"I told you he would be an ass but—" she shrugged "—he'll get over it. Bitter pill to swallow but he had no choice." She handed him a strip of bacon next. "It's the microwaveable kind. May not be yummy but I figured it was better than no bacon. No bacon sucks."
He took it. "Thank you."
She looked him over as he ate a few bites and sipped the coffee. She made it right. No doubt about it.
"I was worried." She met his eyes, let him see. "When I couldn't wake you up, I thought you'd died. I thought something was wrong that I couldn't see and I didn't know what to do. You scared me."
