Song: Love You Like a Love Song by Selena Gomez
After eating breakfast, which was as pleasurable of a breakfast as she can imagine, he led her back upstairs to lay back down. Apparently, she still needed her rest, so she wasn't allowed to do anything else, but rest. So once she was back in bed, she asked, "You're off on Sunday, right?" He told her that he was off whenever he wanted to be off, and she felt her mood lighten even more. "So what do you usually do on your days off? Don't let me keep you from your usual routine."
He didn't answer her question, but instead asked, "What do you do on your days off? We can compromise on something."
"Aside from preparing lessons or grading papers, I usually read or watch something on TV, and I have a garden at home that I tend to. All of the above are out of the question. I guess I can sleep and just hope that I can see when I wake back up." As she said this, she snuggled more into the covers.
"What do you grow?" he asked her.
"Well I like to grow my own vegetables, but I do have roses that I keep up. I started off as a biology major because of my love for growing things, but chemistry caught my eye when I finally started taking classes. I still keep gardening, but just because I love to."
"So chemistry, then. What made you change?" She could hear him texting away on his phone while he was asking her the question.
"How much sense it makes. There's so much we can't see, but it helps me see how the big things fit together. It's just fascinating to me that everything is so ordered and outlined. I never had order. All chemistry is is order, or well approaching chaos," she chuckled, "But you know what I mean."
"You're fascinating."
She could feel herself blush and didn't know what else to say but, "Thank you. And how about you? What do you do for a living?"
"I'm in personal finance." She knew she was right about him. She knew he had to be in finance.
"What made that stick out to you?"
"The money." Well, he sure does have short answers.
"Makes sense." Just then, she heard a knock on the door, and she heard him get up and open said door. She heard some mumbling, and then the door closed. He came over and sat on the bed next to her.
"So I have a surprise, but we'll have to get you all settled." She could definitely wrap herself up in that low, rumbling voice.
"I like surprises."
He chuckled at that, and he stopped before she could hear him laugh. She wondered why he kept stemming his laughter. She sat up a bit and looked towards the direction his voice was coming from. "Well that's good. I may have more for you in the future. What kind of books do you read?"
She didn't understand how the two connected. Surprises and books didn't really mesh right now with her condition. "Uhm, romance and/or mystery. Why?"
"Well then we're just going to have to get you a couple new books to pass the time, won't we?" He sounded proud of himself, but she was offended. Does he realize I can't read right now?
"Ha ha." She fake laughed, but she continued, "I'm going to forget that you suggest I pass my time by reading, and we can go back to talking."
"I'm not an idiot, Amelia. I have an iPad for you so you can listen to audiobooks. You can take this time to catch up on whatever books you haven't had time to read."
She sat up straight. He's giving me something to do. He's... thoughtful on top of all the other qualities she found delicious. I could totally get used to this. She smiled a big smile and turned her face in his direction. "Really?"
She could hear him perk up, and just as excited as her, he exclaimed, "We'll just have to work together to find you something you feel like listening to." He let out a small laugh and continued, "Since I'll be around for probably some of the listening, let's stick to mystery."
"Deal! Do you know how terrible last night was when I had nothing to do? I cried myself to sleep. This blackness is just really getting to me. Thank you, thank you! I like Anna Smith's mysteries."
She heard him clear his throat and then quickly typing in the author's name, and then he said, "How about Death Falls?"
"Oh, I haven't had time to get around to that one yet. That's perfect!"
"It's the little things with you, Amelia. Isn't it? You act like I just gave you a pony for your birthday."
"Last night was bad, Jason. Like really bad. Nothing but thoughts and that dead woman's image."
"Just so you know, there's been someone posted outside your door just in case you, uh, needed something. Next time that happens, you can just get them to get in touch with me. Let's start this bad boy."
She laid back on the plush pillows with a huge smile as she heard the voice start reading to her again. I could definitely get used to this man. She laid like that for a while, lost in the reading of the book. At some point, she felt the dip in the bed disappear and some typing start on a computer somewhere across the room. Probably after about two hours into the book, she felt the dip in the bed again. "Can you pause it so I can pee?"
After using the bathroom, she came back to the bed and went to hop back in but when her hand reached for the bed, she was met with a hard fabric-covered chest. She squeaked and heard his heavy intake of breath. "Sorry." That fabric must have been the cost of her rent for a month—or maybe even, two. God, the money this man has. She could feel the jealousy rising, but then realized that he was using his money to help her through this ordeal. No need to be jealous. Just go with it.
"It's quite alright, kitten. Here," with that, he took her elbow in his strong grip and guided her back on the bed.
She laid down, and he started the book again. After another 20 minutes or so, she yelled, "Pause!"
He shot up and yelled, "What happened?" He took her shoulders and turned her to face him. She felt him jam open her eyelids with his fingers. She couldn't help it. She released a fit of laughter. "Why are you laughing?" he growled at her.
"I'm fine. I swear. Stop poking me in the eye. What have you been doing?"
"Answering emails on my phone. I put it on silent so I wouldn't disturb you."
"Have you been listening?" she asked. She really wanted to talk to him about the story. This was just too good to not say something.
"Yes, on and off."
"Who do you think it was?! I think it was Jane. She totally killed the judge, and that bitch is lying."
"It was Felix, Amelia. You could tell from the first two minutes."
"What? How?"
"He said he was at the ball. He wasn't at the ball. There's no way when he saw Caroline two hours before that."
"You're wrong. It's Jane."
"Well let's find out, little miss I-fucking-know-everything." She heard him set his phone down on the end table next to him, and he started the book again.
A little while later, she smelled a delicious scent wafting around her nose. She perked up. I must have fallen asleep. "Who's there?"
She heard his answered, "It's me, kitten. No one else will be coming into this room with you, unless you ask for someone while I'm not here."
"How much did I miss of the book?"
"Nothing. I paused it when you started dozing off. I have lunch. We figured broth would be easy for you."
"I still think it was Jane," she said while sitting up. He took her hand and placed a cup of warm broth in her hand. She slowly took a tentative sip.
"It's not, but it's adorable that you think so, kitten."
"Why do you call me that? Is that supposed to be teasing?"
"Of course not. It's because of how sweet and innocent you are." She felt the bed dip at her side, and then she felt him pinch her cheek. "And just how gosh-darned adorable you are."
She could definitely hear the teasing in his voice now. "Now you're teasing," but she couldn't help her giggle. Even with his teasing, she just rolled herself up in that deep, raspy voice. The inflections made his speech pattern interesting and sexy as hell. With not being able to see, she could tell she was picking up little details in voice so much more, and she liked it. That rasp didn't deserve to be missed.
"I have to leave for a bit, but continue with the book." He gently tapped her hand not holding the mug. She lifted it, and he took it in his big hand. "Here, press this side button to start the book. I changed the buttons for you to better stop and start it." She was only slightly paying attention to what he was saying. She was focused on her hand in his much larger one. She felt tingles all the way through her arm. Yea, I'm definitely attracted to this guy. Sightlessly attracted.
In a breathy whisper, she asked, "But I don't want you to get behind."
"You can update me when I get back, kitten."
After laying a mouthwateringly warm kiss to the back of her hand, he let it go and walked out of the room. I really hope I'm attracted to him when my vision comes back. I know he has to be at least slightly attracted to me from his deep breaths when we touch.
A/N: Will she be attracted when she finally sees him for the first time? Let me know what you think of this part. I know you probably think this is more of a filler chapter, but I think it was a really important one. More important that some of the other action-filled chapters.
Until next time, lovelies. Ta!