Marla’s face fell. “Are you okay?”
I waved my hand in the air as I faked a yawn. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Are you in pain? Do I need to go get Doc? I knew we were overdoing it with your walks. We should’ve?—”
“Marla.”
“—taken it easier. How do I always let you talk me into?—”
“Marla,” I said with a soft smile.
“—things that I know we shouldn’t be?—”
I giggled. “Em.”
She blinked. “What?”
I snickered. “The reason why I’m passing on the walk tonight is because Doc told me a couple of days ago I was overdoing it.”
“Oh.”
“So I think I’m just going to hang here for the night.”
She eyed me warily. “I didn’t know you went to see Doc a couple of days ago. Is everything okay?”
I didn’t want to regale her with the picture debacle. Doc fussed over my memory enough. “I’m fine, Em. I just need rest. I’ve been doing too much.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
I laughed and picked up a pillow. “Get out of here and go hang with your boy toy.”
“Ah!” she yelped as I threw the pillow at her.
She ducked down before reaching for the door and pointed at me. “You’ll pay for that.”
I gasped and placed my hand against my chest. “You would wound a cripple?”
Her face fell and she clicked her lips. “You’re hardly crippled.”
I winked at her. “Tell Ranger I said to keep it down. He’s too loud.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ll keep the deep throating to a minimum tonight.”
My jaw dropped. “Em!”
“Byyyye!” she giggled out as she swung my bedroom door closed. “Love yooou!”
“Love you, too!”
I felt relief when I heard her slinking down the hallway, humming to herself. Her healing was coming along swimmingly. She put on weight. The last of her bruising was finally fading. Her appetite roared back in leaps and bounds.
I was proud of my best friend.
I was ready to be that recuperated, too.
I laid back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I tucked the blanket beneath my arms and laid there on my back, practicing my deep breathing. Once upon a time, I was into meditation. It helped me calm my racing mind, especially at night when it wouldn’t let me sleep.
I got four deep breaths in before my door crashed open.
