Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
I walk in slowly and stand behind the group with my heart still racing. Everybody sits around Gran’s bed and makes idle conversation with her. She seems happy and is laughing. Joshua turns to see me and stands to give me his chair and I smile and take it thankfully. We stay with Gran for over an hour and then gradually one by one say goodbye. This is the part I hate. I have to wait for him to say something about seeing me, what if he doesn’t? We walk to the lifts together and shuffle in. I stand at the back next to Joshua and the others all stand in front of us jabbering about something. Joshua links his pinky finger with mine, and I find myself smiling at the floor. The lift gets to the bottom and the doors open and everybody exits. Joshua pulls me back into the lift by the finger and pushes the button. The door closes.
We stand still, held together by the smallest part of our body. He bites his lip as he looks at me. “What are you doing tonight?” he asks quietly.
“Nothing,” I reply as my eyes search his.
“I’m thirty, seventy wanting to see you tonight,” he breathes.
I frown. “Thirty, seventy,” I repeat.
A whisper of a smile crosses his face as his eyes penetrate mine. “Thirty percent of my brain wants to see you and seventy percent of my brain tells me it’s a mistake.”
I smile as I bite my bottom lip. “Can I change the odds with a closing argument?”
“Perhaps,” he whispers as he raises a brow.
“What if I said I was going to make you coffee and dessert?” He shrugs. “Thirty-five, sixty-five.”
I smile as my eyes hold his, our pinky fingers still linked. “We could spoon on my lounge again and you could kiss my neck as you cuddle me.”
“Seventy, thirty.” He raises his eyebrows.
I bite my lip and smile. I like this game. “We could take a shower,” I whisper. “You could wash me, I’m feeling very dirty.”
His eyes darken. “Ninety, ten, your way.”
I smirk. “I could wear my white nightie again and you can run your hands all over me as I tell you how much I missed you all day,” I breathe.
He smiles broadly as his eyes twinkle. “Were you on the debating team?” he asks as he cocks his head to one side.
I smile mischievously as I bite my bottom lip, feeling very proud of myself.
“You give a very good closing argument, Miss Marx.” He raises a brow.
I smile as I pull back from his grip. “Yes, and it was the white nightie that won me arguments back then too.”
“I don’t doubt it. See you in twenty.” He releases me and hits the lift button, and the doors open.
I race home like a lunatic to try and smuggle in my new clothes that I bought in my lunch break before he gets here. I drop the groceries in the kitchen and throw the clothes into my wardrobe still in their bags. I run around and make my bed like a maniac. I thought I would have had time to come home to straighten the house up before I went to the hospital tonight, but I got snowed under at work. I rush to the kitchen to wash up my breakfast dishes. It sure doesn’t pay to be slobby. I am just finishing the last dishes when I hear the key in the door. I smile, what a lovely sound that is.
Joshua walks in and smiles warmly at me. “Hi,” he says quietly as he puts his keys on my side table.
I smile shyly. “Hi” Why does he make me feel so nervous?
He walks into the kitchen and over to me where he cuddles me from behind, kissing my neck. I put my hand up and on his cheek.
“How are you?” he asks softly.
I close my eyes in comfort. “Better now that you’re here,” I whisper.
“Hmm,” he sighs.
He pulls back and picks up the plastic bag of groceries on the floor. “Do you want these put away?” he asks.
I nod and smile. “Yes, please.” I continue wiping up.
He puts a few things in the fridge and then he asks. “Why do you have this? Do you like protein now?” He frowns as he holds up a large jar of protein powder.
I shrug self-consciously. “I just thought you might like to stay for breakfast tomorrow…I mean, that’s if you’re not busy.” I look down at the floor in embarrassment. Do I sound as desperate as I feel?
He pulls my face up to his as he smirks. “Did you now?” He kisses me gently on the lips and I feel myself melt.
He takes out his phone and texts someone and then walks around and flicks the kettle on. “Would you like a cup of tea?” he asks.