Page 100 of Side By Side
“Sorry?’
“Is there a TV in the bedroom?”
“No, there’s my laptop.”
“We can watch something on that, if you want.” Chandler stood up. “Let’s get you in bed. You can lie down, and I’ll wrap you up so that everything heals properly.”
“I’m okay, Chandler.”
“Now, Belle.”
“God, you’re bossy,” Belle said and stood, holding out the ice packs for Chandler to take.
Belle changed into a pair of sweats before she climbed onto the bed while Chandler pulled out the various ACE bandages that Belle had stored in a drawer over the years. Chandler then wrapped both knees for her, and Belle just watched her, thinking about how nice it was to have someone take care of her for a change.
“Can you handle a massage?”
“What?”
“For your thigh? Where he hit you? God, why do you play this violent sport? You get hit with pucks and sticks.”
Belle smiled and said, “I can handle it.”
Chandler sat down on the bed, and her hands moved to Belle’s thigh. She began rubbing the tight muscle, and Belle swallowed because Chandler’s hands were in a very interesting position.
“Is this okay?” Chandler asked.
“Yeah, it’s great,” Belle replied.
“I’ll get the pizza when it’s ready and bring it in here, okay?”
“Okay,” Belle said, giving in fully now.
Minutes later, Chandler stopped her rubbing, and Belle missed it immediately. Chandler then stood and disappeared into the kitchen, where Belle could hear her pulling the pizza out of the oven. Belle pulled out her computer and tried to find something for them to watch, setting it on her stomach and waiting for Chandler to return. When she did, it was with two plates and the bottles of water in her pockets. Belle put the computer between them on the bed while they ate, but when they finished, she moved it back to her lap to have it closer. Chandler put the ice packs away for her and returned to the room and into Belle’s bed. Then, she moved her head to Belle’s shoulder, and they watched a TV show Belle would remember nothing about tomorrow because Chandler Wolfe fell asleep on that shoulder, and it made Belle never want to move from that spot again.
CHAPTER 28
Chandler hadn’t done it on purpose. Not initially, anyway. But when she’d moved and found herself sleeping half on top of Belle, she hadn’t done anything to remove herself from Belle’s body. She’d burrowed in deeper, actually. Belle had moved the laptop at some point, and it was on the bedside table now. That meant Belle had been conscious enough to know that Chandler had snuggled into her side, and she’d moved back into the same position, maybe even hoping that Chandler would do the same thing again. Chandler must have done that. She didn’t remember that part. But she did remember waking later, finding them wrapped up in each other, smiling, and then moving her arm over Belle’s waist, keeping it over her shirt so as not to wake Belle up accidentally.
She couldn’t believe she was lying in Belle’s bed, that she was holding her, and that she was going to wake up next to her. Yes, they’d technically woken up next to each other in the hotel room, but not really, because Belle’s dad had been injured, and they’d needed to rush out of there. Chandler hadn’t gotten the chance to wake up and see how Belle would react to them sharing a bed, having breakfast in bed together, and then leaving to go home. When Belle finally stirred at the sound of the alarm, she moved quickly to shut the thing off.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
‘So, she knows I’m here?’ Chandler thought to herself.
“It’s okay. I’m up.” She rolled over and watched Belle check her phone.
“Is he okay?”
“How did you know I–” Belle stopped and looked at Chandler.
“You’re you. Of course, you’d check on him first thing.” She put her hand on Belle’s thigh without thinking. “Did he message?”
“No. I guess he wouldn’t, right? Sheryl’s probably still there.” Belle dropped the phone between them and lay back again. “You slept over.”
“I did,” she replied. “We fell asleep.”
“Yeah,” Belle said.