Dante:I told you today was a bad luck day
I snorted. That was technically true, but I didn’t believe Dante had actuallypredictedit. I could just as easily have scalded myself on the espresso machine or tripped over a chair in the shop, and he would’ve said the same thing.
Dante:glad I don’t need to perform a seance to say I told you so, though
Iggy:thank you, I think
Dante:how are you holding up?
Iggy:I sprained my wrist and hit my head, and I can feel a couple of bruises on my side
Dante:ow???
Iggy:could’ve been worse
I ducked into the bedroom to stand in front of the mirror, lifting the hem of my shirt up so I could see the rest of the damage for myself.
There was a big purple, blue, and yellowish bruise spread from just under my ribcage all the way down to my hip, disappearing into my sweatpants. Holding the edge of my shirt with my teeth, I pushed the sweats out of the way again—I hadn’t bothered with underwear when I changed, since it’d been too much work to get on—to look at the way it tapered off down my thigh.
“Shit, Iggy,” Harvey said, and I looked up at the mirror to see him standing behind me. “I’m so sorry.”
Was he looking at my ass?
Did Iwanthim to be looking at my ass?
… maybe a little.
Maybe that was the painkillers, too.
Either way, I didn’t exactly hurry to cover up. My excuse was that it was awkward enough one-handed without trying to rush.
“It’s just a bruise, Harv. I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that,” Harvey said.
I took a breath to say that was because it wastrue, Iwasfine, but the thought of Harvey taking it the wrong way and leaving stopped me in my tracks.
I didn’t want him to leave.
“Hey, remember when you broke your arm falling out of that apple tree in the yard when we were like… twelve?” I asked, pulling my sweats back up.
“Thirteen, but yeah,” Harvey said. “You sneaked into my room every night to stay with me.”
“Until your grandma caught us.”
“Then she let you in the front door and started making you breakfast in the morning. I remember.” Harvey smiled.
The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
I’d missed him so much.
“Stay with me?” I asked, heart crawling up my throat at the fear that Harvey might sayno.
“I was planning on sleeping on the couch,” Harvey said.
“Sleep in the bed,” I said, feeling brave. “Like old times.”
Harvey looked between me and the bed, and then nodded.
