Awkwardness brews between the three of us hot and fast as Ty pushes up to sit.
“She’s awake.” He smooths a few loose tendrils of hair and kisses the top of my spine through Mercer’s thin T-shirt.
Possessive asshole.
Before either of them can take the pissing contest any further, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and sit up.
“Mercer, can we talk?”
I have so much to say. And now that I know where things stand with Ty, I’m eager to get everything out in the open. I have so much to apologize for, especially regarding last night, and the need to start unpacking all our baggage is suddenly overwhelming. If I’m going to face the scary things, I may as well tackle them all at once.
With a grimace, Mercer turns his head, looking down the hall. Then, gripping the doorframe, he focuses on the rug near his desk.
He’s looking everywhere but at me.
“Merce—”
“What can I do for you?” he asks, the words quiet but clipped. “I can bring water and ibuprofen. How about that? I’ll see if Noah has any electrolyte packets. Are you hungry? Let me go see what I can find. Be right back.”
With that, he raps his knuckles on the doorframe twice and takes off.
Ty quietly chuckles behind me.
I guess he won’t need to make good on his promise to try if I can’t even get the guys in the same room.
It’s going to be a really long day.
Chapter twenty-nine
Mercer
Water, ibuprofen, electrolytes. I’ve got this.
I stride into the kitchen and pull open the cupboard where Noah keeps supplements and first aid supplies. Then, heart beating a little too quickly, I sift through bottles and scan the contents of the shelf.
Antacids. Alka-Seltzer? There is a good chance she’s nauseous, so I pull them both out.
There’s also a heating pad. Maybe for her head or shoulders? I didn’t even think about—
“What are you doing?”
I startle and whip around, smacking my forehead on the open cabinet door.
“Jesus H.”
Noah pads in with Shiloh on his heels, wagging her tail and shaking off the dusting of snow her fur has collected.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Noah holds up both hands, his lips turned down. “I just didn’t expect to find you cleaning out my cabinets.”
“She’s awake.” Sighing, I rub at the sore spot where my temple connected with the corner of the cabinet door.
He hums, then circles the counter to stand by my side, crossing his arms and tipping his chin toward the cabinet. “How is she? What does she need?”
“I—I’m going to bring her some pain relievers. More water for sure. Maybe you could start breakfast? Eggs, ideally, if she can stomach them. At the very least we should try and get some toast in her—”
“Hold up.” He shifts, shouldering between me and the counter, forcing me to take a step back, and assesses me.
Teeth gritted, I avert my gaze.
