Someone To Watch Over Me

Chapter Seventeen

Sunday passes in a bit of blur. I leave a message for my OB. I try to get the work done that Alex has brought home for me, but although I get some things taken care of, my brain and I come to the comprise that the rest can wait until tomorrow.

Once again, I'm slacking on my duties as a chef since I'm not really getting up for meals and have been sleeping the day away. Alex doesn't even complain. I still can't get over how wonderful he was at the fundraiser and the hospital. There's a knock on the door.

"Cat, can I come in?"

"Sure."

Alex opens the door, and he has a plateful of food in his hand. "I am heading off for work. I kinda figured you were having a kickback, PJ, sleep all day, thing going on, but you have eaten nothing all day, so I made you that spaghetti you like for dinner."

I scoot up in bed. "Thank you!" I say, taking the plate from him and making room for him to sit down. He puts a glass of water on the bedside table.

"I feel bad," I say, after eating a forkful.

"What? About the cooking thing? No biggie," he tells me, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me.

"Well, that and other things."

"What other things?" he asks.

"Oh, I don't know. How about the fact that I've completely disrupted your life? That I've commandeered your bed.... which is REALLY comfortable by the way." He grins at me. "That you're making ME meals. That I made you work on your only day off and then go fainting on you. Take your pick."

I eat another forkful and decide never to eat spaghetti without sugar in the sauce again.

"Have I complained at all?"

"No, you haven't, but that just makes it worse."

"You want me to complain?"

"Well, if you are really unhappy with the situation, yes, or how will I know I need to fix things?"

He chuckles. "Who says there's anything to fix?"

"There's always something to fix," I say, followed by, "This is really good spaghetti."

"Cat, where is this all coming from? Are you..." He appears worried and looks away for a second. "Are you unhappy here?"

"NO!" I say, reaching out to him, and he immediately looks relieved. "I mean, yes, of course, I am happy here. But that's just it. I'm settling in. I'm too comfortable. This can't be what you signed up for. It was supposed to be a room for one night and well, it's been a lot more than that."

"Again, not complaining here, Cat. But if you really feel the need to move on..." He makes a face like the thought is unpleasant. "I'll help you find somewhere else to go, but just so you know, I'm happy with you staying here as long you would like."

"No, I don't want to go. I enjoy being here. I feel... safe, but I feel bad that I've made things so messy for you. Can we at least share the bed?"

Alex blinks, and his eyebrows fly up. "Come again?"

He's grinning and I flush at my mistake.

"I uh... I wasn't implying together. Um... I mean, maybe we can do every other day or every couple of days. I don't know. Maybe every other week we'll swap beds. I'll sleep on the sofa bed and you can sleep in your actual bed."

"Ah," Alex says, "and here I thought you were hoping to cuddle again."

I drop the fork that was halfway to my mouth, and it clatters on the plate. He said again, as in we have done it before. Oh, God...