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“You’re kidding, right?”

“Absolutely not, Zayn,” I tell him firmly. “There’s no chance I’m risking hurting you in any way.”

“You’re hurting me right now by saying all that,” he says with complete seriousness.

Which makes me laugh.

After this insane day—the kind that had started out seeming absolutely normal—I do something I thought, for a few terrifying hours, I might never be able to do again.

I laugh.

“This isn’t funny at all,” he accuses. “I can have sex whenever and however I want.”

“You were told you need rest so your body can heal.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I repeat exactly what all of us heard from the doctor.

“I’m perfectly fine,” he argues.

“No sex, Zayn,” I say with finality. “No unnecessary effort either. No office for at least a week. You can work from home.”

“Jesus…”

He drags a hand through his hair and turns toward the closet again, but whatever else he was about to say dies in his throat when he sees everything inside.

I placed my clothes beside his perfectly. Color beside color—just the way he already had everything arranged. The shoes match too. Even the jewelry is grouped together.

There isn’t a single item of his without one of mine beside it.

“I fucking love it,” he says, his voice rough. “And I love you, Selene.”

He turns to look at me, extending his arm, and I take a few steps closer, letting him pull me into his chest.

“So much.”

“I love you, Zayn,” I whisper, emotion thickening my voice. “Please be careful so we both get to stay here together… forever.”

SIXTY

Zayn

I just now realize it’s past 10 a.m. because last night Selene and I both set sleep schedules on our phones until that hour. Now neither phone will stop vibrating, which means the schedules have expired and all our notifications are coming in again.

Even though I can’t sleep in whatever position I want—obviously because of the cast on my arm—I actually managed to get some decent rest. And even though I tried more than once before falling asleep, Selene didn’t give in, which means it was a sexless night.

Still, I felt her pressed close beside me the entire time. I’m pretty sure she even woke up a few times just to make sure I was breathing, as if she needed to hear the quiet rhythm of my breaths before allowing herself to drift off again.

“Make them stop,” Selene mumbles, her eyes still closed.

I chuckle quietly as I reach for my phone on the nightstand.

A ridiculous number of notifications from the shared group. And dozens from other applications.

“Looks like everyone’s awake.”

“Of course they are,” she mutters into my chest. “They’re probably already at work.”

“Let’s see what all this chaos is about,” I tell her, unlocking my phone and opening the messages.