The Difference

Chapter 36

"Is that okay?" Ava asks me concerned. It had been a week since my accident and Ava has spent the last week waiting on me hand and foot. I know it is partially the nurses' orders and partially because she still feels bad about not telling me she's planning Troy and Isabel's wedding. Although I love her bringing me a caramel macchiato every day, I would definitely give them up if it meant we never had to fight again. I'm trying to type my paper with one hand as I try not to react irrationally to her question.

She sighs and sits down next to me. 

"You know you've spent more time alone with the nurse this past week than you have with him, right?"

I look around nonchalantly, trying to avoid the question again.

"Rosemary!" she commands my attention. 

"What?" I whine. 

"If it's not okay then you need to tell me so I can cancel on Brad. On our first weekend trip alone together. I'm sure he'll understand.." she trails off, looking sadly out the window. I know she's exaggerating the drama just a little bit to get me to feel bad, and of course, it works.

"Fine, go," I say cooly.

"Really?" she exclaims, running to her bedroom. Oddly enough, she returns with Brad, hand in hand. My jaw drops when I notice a duffel bag in his hand already. 

"Thanks Rosemary, I really appreciate your sacrifice for the sake of our relationship," he says and his hand slips behind Ava. She blushes as he starts smothering her in kisses.

"Oh God, get a room. Seriously, go before I change my mind," I tease, and they scurry off. Just as they pull off, Troy pulls in.

"Here goes nothing," I say to myself as Troy walks up the stairs to the apartment.

"Hey!" He exclaims, noticing me on the couch immediately. He's in navy blue dress pants, a gray button-down, a navy blue and gray striped tie and gray loafers. He couldn't match any better if he tried. I let out an embarrassed cough as I sit on the couch in my Nike Pro shorts clinging to my legs underneath my oversized baby pink FashionNova long sleeve tee. My hair is tied in a messy bun with a satin scrunchie on the top of my head. I'm thankful I finally got to shave yesterday at the very least.  We look like we belong on two different planets.

"So, I  brought you these," he says breaking the awkward silence. He puts a beautiful bouquet of white peonies down in front of me. I smile and nod my head.

"My favorite. Thank you so much," I say, unable to hide my excitement. 

"I know you like the pink ones, but grandma said these ones made more sense. I'm not too sure why-" he begins to ramble, and only stops when I stand up.

"Woah, woah, woah. Easy," he says nervously grabbing my elbow as if I will crumble beneath him without the support.

"I'm okay, I just need a drink," I say, trying to scoot past him. Though my concussion isn't too bad, my fractured right wrist deems me mostly useless and my broken ribs hurt with nearly every breath I take. It's hard to do school work because it takes me doublet the time it would when I had two working hands, and my pain medication makes me extremely exhausted, so I don't take it often. Ava scolds me, but doesn't rat me out to the nurse.

"Let me get it!" he says, rushing to the kitchen.

"Okay, you have water, orange juice, Seven-Up, Coke, Orange soda," he scratches his head. "I didn't even know you drank soda," he is clearly puzzled as he doesn't wait for a response. "There's also green tea," he adds.

"One of those please!" I say, but he is already walking it toward me like a mind reader. "The soda is Ava's," I note. "She only drinks it with dinner," I explain for her, though she's not here. Really, I'm just happy to have something to say.