Page 27 of Strawberry Cake
He laughed and reached for the showerhead to rinse the bubbles out of her hair. “I’ll message you after a day just to double check.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed his fingers combing conditioner through her hair. Once that was in, he let it soak while he massaged her shoulders. It felt good—easy.
Only after Decan had spoiled her rotten—or so it felt—she got up and reached for a towel just outside the glass door. “Where do you keep the other towels? I think I just stole yours.”
He pointed her in the right direction and she handed him a new one. She started to dry off, leaving him to transfer out of the shower, but she couldn’t help but worry just like his mother. Out of the corner of her eye, Decan used the handles to take the necessary steps out of the shower, but with the floor covered in water she was still afraid he would fall. Then she tried to relax, reminding herself that he did this himself every day.
“I usually air dry my hair, but there’s a blow dryer next to the sink somewhere if you want it.”
“I’ll go the old-fashioned way.” She kissed his cheek and walked out to grab her clothes, drying her hair with a second towel. “Do you prefer anything for breakfast?” she asked through the open door.
“Usually, I have cereal and coffee.”
Hope laughed. “I think I’ll have to make myself a new one anyway. Mine’s gone cold.”
“I wonder why,” Decan quipped.
Once she’d dressed and wrapped her hair in the towel, Hope retrieved her mug and went to the kitchen. She was making herself a sandwich when Decan joined her and prepared his own breakfast.
“This might be a stupid question…” she started, but he shook his head.
“No such thing as stupid questions, only stupid answers.”
“Why not lower the countertops?”
“Pride, I guess. I considered it, but I hated how it looked, and at that time my goal was to be able to stand again.”
“So, you kept them at normal height to force yourself to reach that goal.”
“Exactly. Though I’m now thinking of replacing the island with a height-adjustable one.”
“Ooh, fancy.”
She followed him to the table and sipped on her coffee. “Do you have plans today?”
“Gym, then I have a meeting with one of my authors. Will you join me for the gym?”
“Only for the view.”
Decan grinned at her, colour flooding his cheeks. “I might be scolded again for being distracted.”
“I thought you looked pretty well put together on Thursday.”
“I’m glad I can mask well, then. Marco kept making fun of me.”
“Isn’t that what best friends are for?”
“That and kicking my ass when I need it.”
“That’s the best kind of friend.”
They finished breakfast together before he took her back to her car. With a soft kiss and a promise to meet him at the gym, he watched her drive away.
Decan
Damn, he thought to himself, watching Hope’s car disappear from view. That woman would be his death and he would do anything to keep her.
With his heart still pounding a steady staccato against his ribs, he tried to focus on getting at least a single chapter done before his gym time. Just as he was getting into his car, Marco texted to confirm that they were still meeting up. Decan responded, saying that Hope would be joining them, and his phone immediately began to ring.