I hadn’t asked to get sick, but I could ask for a little help now and again.
‘Thank you,’ I told him.
Dax smiled. ‘Of course, best friend.’
I laughed. ‘What are the perks of being your best friend?’
‘Ride or die,’ he signed, his face dead serious. ‘Barbecue at my dad’s house. You can meet his chickens.’
‘Chickens?’ I clarified to make sure I was reading that sign right.
Dax rolled his eyes. ‘So many chickens. Also, we can hang out. You can come by the shop if you want to learn about cars.’
I wrinkled my nose, and he burst into laughter.
‘Okay, no cars. Movies? Beach?’
I could do those things. Probably. On my good days, anyway. ‘Yes.’
‘Phone,’ Dax signed, then made grabby hands. It took me a moment to find it, but when I did, he snatched it from me, and I saw him putting in his number. He sent himself a text, then grinned as he handed it back. ‘Now we send memes like best friends do.’
Something in my chest went warm and happy. I had a friend—an actual friend. Someone who went out of their way to insist on it, in fact. Someone who was…who was just mine. That I’d gotten on my own.
God, it had been so long since that happened, and I hadn’t expected it to happen the moment everything in my life felt like it was falling apart.
Maybe this was a sign we were on the right track.
Maybe this was a sign that it would be okay to tell Nash yes. To accept the help he was willing to give. And—if the other night was any indication—something else too.
I fell asleep again after Dax left, waking up to the smell of pizza. I cracked open an eye, groaning as I rolled onto my side and sat up. A moment later, Nash appeared in the doorway and gave me a soft smile.
“Morning, sunshine.”
I groaned. “Is it?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Nah. It’s only six.”
“Oh my god, did you cook? I was going to take care of dinner since you’ve been on shift for what? Ten years?”
He laughed and walked over, dropping beside me. Pressing his wrist to my forehead, he was clearly taking my temperature.
I batted him away. “Stop it. I’m fine. The muscle relaxers knocked me out.”
He let out a tiny sigh. “Did they help at least?”
“Yeah. Dax came over to drop off some stuff he borrowed from you, and he stayed a while. It was nice, but it kind of wiped me out.”
Nash’s gaze went dark. “I can tell him not to bother you?—”
“No!” I said a little too quickly.
Nash’s eyes narrowed.
Clearing my throat, I shook my head. “No. I liked it. We had a good time.”
Something in his expression shifted, and he stopped meeting my gaze. “Ah. Well…that makes sense. You sign, he’s Deaf. And he’s closer to your age.” Nash stood, walking toward the kitchen. “Not to mention gorgeous.”
It took my brain a little too long to catch up to what he was saying, and then panic hit me. My legs threatened to give outfrom under me, but I managed to get them righted as I stumbled after him into the kitchen.
