Allowed by who?
While the quickly presenting impressions could be worth pursuing, Iris didn’t have a chance to do so. Watching the expressions rapidly crossing Scott’s face—reading nothing that even remotely resembled her level of well-being under the circumstances—she rushed to minimize any negative effects on the friendship she and Scott were working to preserve.
“However…”
The one word got his immediate attention. Holding his gaze, she leaned forward slowly to buy herself time to come up with the rest of that sentence.
“I understand where you’re coming from in terms of reclaiming your personal autonomy.” Good. She liked it.
Most particularly when, chin jutting, he nodded. And waited.
She had a few seconds to solve the problem. Put herself in his shoes. And found it…not all that much of a challenge to do. She knew him.
Suddenly, words started flowing.
“And I understand Sage’s need to be here.” She went with what she was getting. Trusting something more than her mind to guide her.
Something she hadn’t done in a very long time.
“You can say you’re just fine with the pain, but Sage senses how much you’re suffering.” His twin had told her so. Saying it was a twin thing.
What neither of them knew was that she totally got it.
“Sage has never had a high enough tolerance for pain to deal with me.”
“I think it’s more that she feels your pain with a soft tender heart, while you process in a completely different lobe.” The words came from deep inside. With a knowledge that couldn’t be denied. Ivy had been the more right-brained of the two of them. Living almost entirely by her heart. Iris had had her deep-heart moments but had done most of her initial processing with a more left-brained approach. Together, they’d been the perfect pair to face the seemingly devastating challenges life had handed them. Together. Until they hadn’t been.
Her stream of consciousness ended abruptly. Returning her to current life. And the man who was looking at her oddly. As though she knew things others didn’t get.
The twin vow, made in the womb, before thought existed.
She’d said too much. Too much. Too much. Panic hit. Her gaze couldn’t seem to break away from Scott’s.Too much.
He wasn’t saying anything. She took a breath. And it was like some kind of special knowledge emanated from those blue eyes of his. Without seeing her secret. Somehow those eyes went from posing a threat, to calming her.
“Regardless…” she continued, as though she hadn’t lost all train of thought. Was miraculously able to jump back,to be where she was. A nudge from Ivy. “Your sister has one foot on the plane already. Which means we have to do what we can to tame your pain as much as possible. The way I see it, we have two challenges there. The physical pain, and the more personal sense of emotional discomfort.”
His lips pursed, jutted forward. Acknowledgment of her point?
Or an attempt to stifle an order for her to get out?
Before he lost that possible battle, she rushed forward. “So I stay. I continue to oversee the tasks that are critical to your fastest physical healing. Icing. Compression. Meds. And cooking.” She paused. And when he didn’t grunt or bark out a refusal, she said, “You take over all the personal hygiene needs. As soon as your chairs arrive.”
Wheel and shower. He’d already taken over. She got that. Understood why, too.
And waited to see how badly he was taking her proposal. She wasn’t going to back down. And knew that, ultimately, he’d find a way to compromise enough that she didn’t call his sister. Didn’t mean she was looking forward to the mental battle that was likely coming to get them there.
“I have to sleep in the spare room.” The words were unequivocal. “Bed’s lower. Joel and I did the dry run.”
The two men had already started on Scott’s excruciating physical therapy before she’d left. Which meant the rest had come after. When his pain would be at its worst. He’d been that determined to get rid of her.
For their friendship’s sake.
The idea came to her. Didn’t leave.
She accepted its presence.
“You’ll have to sleep in my bed.” His tone was unequivocal.
