He glanced over at the couch. “How about a TV marathon?”
A flicker of relief and perhaps excitement filled her eyes. River smiled and shifted as if she was ready to get started immediately.
Holding up a hand, he said, “Take a shower. I’ll finish lunch. Then we start.” To his surprise, she didn’t argue. She simply turned around and headed back into her bedroom.
This particular battle hadn’t been won, but the compromise had been entirely worth it.
They spent the afternoon watching all of the episodes ofFriendsthey could squeeze in.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true.
River watched the show, but Mathew was too distracted by her and all the thoughts about his past mistakes to pay too much attention. River looked a little better. Her color was returning. And while she would definitely disagree, he would call her beautiful.
Free of makeup, with damp hair up in a messy bun, and clothed in cotton pajamas, River was the exact opposite of everything Victoria had been.
It was nice.
He liked seeing the true side of people. Those were the folks he treated in the hospital. No one came into the ER made up and ready to walk the runway. They were everyday people who were caught up in an accident. They were real.
The more he got lost in thought, the more he realized he wasn’t paying attention to the time. He wasn’t itching to get back to work. He could spend the whole day with River this way and feel content.
Why did being with River like this feel so different than how he was with his ex?
Had he grown? Changed?
Or was it the person he was with?
River intrigued him. She made him laugh. When he was with her, he wanted more for himself. And there was a part of him that wanted her to come along for the ride.
Losing his father had triggered something in him, yes. But spending time with River had changed something in his brain chemistry, he just knew it.
River glanced over at him after laughing at something Chandler had said. Their gazes collided, and her humored expression softened into something else. There was a question in those eyes that he couldn’t bring himself to tear away from.
“Go out with me,” he murmured.
She continued to stare, and he knew she’d turn him down just like every other time he’d asked. This wasn’t the best timing. And yet he couldn’t bring himself to keep his thoughts to himself.
Even the apartment seemed to hold its breath the longer he waited for her response. Then one side of her mouth quirked upward. “Okay,” she whispered.
He blinked and nearly asked her to repeat herself. But thankfully, he was smart enough to play it cool. “Finally.”
River tossed her head back with a laugh. “Easy there, tiger. I only said that I’d go on a date with you. This doesn’t mean anything else.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.” He nodded, turning to face the television. “Well aware.”
Later, he dished up some of the leftover soup for his mother. “I’ll come check on you tomorrow morning,” he told her at her door.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Mathew gave River a hard look and she bit down, fighting a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he repeated.
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Goodnight, River.”
“Goodnight, Mathew.”
Mathew skipped down the steps, his footing lighter than before. He caught sight of Rose just as he reached his car. She gave him a knowing smirk but thankfully didn’t comment on the fact that she likely noticed he’d been here all day.
