Jared grunted. “Why is your top on inside out?”
“It is?” She held up the arm. “Oh my God! How did I not notice that? New fear unlocked.”
“What fear is that, sweetheart?” he asked as he helped her take off her sweater and put it back on properly.
Sheesh.
“Um, the fear that I’ll walk around with my clothes inside out and back to front. How does someone do that?”
“Maybe you had something else on your mind.”
Yeah, she certainly had.
Him. And North.
He held her, staring down at his food.
“Um, Jared?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
“Because you’re just staring at your food, lost in thought.”
“Family stuff,” he replied.
Ahh. Right.
North walked back in, carrying two plates. “Are you going to feed her like that?”
Jared looked at her and finally he seemed to see her. “Yes, I believe I will.”
“Um, I don’t need anyone to feed me.”
But there was a secret part inside her that liked the idea. That revelled in the way that they took care of her. She’d never really had this.
Having both of them focused on her? It made her head spin.
Even North, who didn’t seem like a caretaker at all, was taking care of her in his own way. He moved Jared’s plate aside and set down the one in his hand. Then North started cutting the food.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Cutting up the food so it’s easier for Jared to feed you,” he explained.
“Nobody needs to feed me.”
“I want to, though,” Jared stated.
“And you always get what you want,” she said. It was meant to sound sarcastic, but it came out almost breathy.
“That’s right. I do.” Jared took the fork from North who sat across from them, checking something on his phone.
Then Jared held up a forkful of food.
She took it, chewing. She didn’t quite know what to do. Should she protest more? Or should she just accept it?
