“Check it out for yourself.”
Opening the door, I failed to control my expression, if Jayden’s laughter was any indication. A bunch of furniture, none of which appeared to be a bed, was piled together in the second bedroom. A ladder leaned against the wall, and a couple of paint cans were next to it.
I closed my eyes, wondering if I counted to ten before reopening them, then I’d see a bed, complete with mattress and ready for me to pass out on. That was not the case.
“The good thing is,” Jayden said, “the bed in the main room is bigger than a double, a queen maybe,andI know this will make you extra happy; there’s no big footboard so no having to bend our knees to fit. We can stretch out all we like.”
Jayden. Stretching out. In bed. With me.
What the hell had I done in a former life to be punished in such a way?
“Come on, man. Don’t look so damn miserable. It’s not the first time we’ve shared a bed. Plus we’re in the desert, so it’s going to be even colder here tonight than it was at Ryan’s.” He shuddered for effect, which I wanted to ignore or maybe smack him around the head, but since he cut off his fake shudder superfast, I expected it had hurt to do so.
Finally, I looked at him. The humor and teasing from a moment ago was gone. “You look tired.”
With a sigh, he offered a pitiful shrug. “I slept the whole journey. How is that even possible?”
“Concussions suck.”
“Yeah.”
“Come on. I’m dead on my feet.”
Concern lit Jayden’s gaze as he studied me. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“A little.” Though it absolutely wasn’t enough. My body was crashing, my eyes tired, my sight a little blurry as exhaustion urged me to get my ass to bed. “Let me put this food in the refrigerator, then I’ll get us both a bottle of water, and we’ll sleep.”
Uncertainty washed over Jayden’s expression, something I rarely saw.
“What is it?”
“You really okay to share?”
I had to play this right and be the friend I wanted and needed to be. “It’s not the first time, and since I’m your fiancé, I suppose I better get used to it,” I said dryly, fully aware we still hadn’t figured out that nightmare. Since leaving the hospital, I’d deliberately set my phone to not receive calls. The gossip making its rounds wouldn’t be going away, so as far as I was concerned, it could all wait.
Sleep and Jayden’s health were more important.
With a smile and bouncing brows, Jayden made his way to the small hallway, which I assumed led to the bathroom and master bedroom. “I’m taking the right side,” he called out. I grinned as I got to work putting the groceries away. That was more than okay with me. The left side was my favorite spot.
CHAPTER5
JAYDEN
“You snuggle like a koala bear.”
The simple grunt Sutton sent my way wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for. Undeterred, I turned and faced the man who’d actually kept on his side of the bed. Or at least I assumed he had. From the moment my head touched the pillow, I’d been comatose, and when I woke a couple of minutes earlier, my friend was on his side, his back to me.
I prodded him in the back, earning me a huff this time. He groaned, stretched, a couple of bones cracking, and sat up, back against the bedhead.
“And your snores are as loud as a freight train.” He peered down at me, his gaze sleepy as he took me in. “I’m going to have to go and invest in earplugs at this rate.”
I shoved at him and angled up, leaning on my elbow. “Whatever, man. Just keep going, and I’ll fashion you some out of the window putty I saw in the unfinished bedroom.” The moving shadows through the window caught my attention. Dusk was heading our way soon, and I was hungry.
A loud rumble escaped my stomach as if it agreed with me. I grinned. “Food sounds good right about now.”
“I could eat.” A yawn followed, and he covered his mouth.
“You feel any better after getting a couple of hours?” I asked, looking at the time for confirmation and standing up, waiting for the movement to set my head pounding. When it didn’t, my shoulders eased.
