Page 39 of Luck Be a Genie

He ran a finger across my cheek, his gaze tender. “Anywhere, Lucks. I’d go with you anywhere.”

He stood. “You’ll be okay until I get back?”

I gave him a look. “You’ll be right back. I’m not going to take a header out of the bed in that short amount of time, I promise.”

He laughed bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced away. “Yeah, I guess I’m just...”

“Being protective,” I said softly. “It’s okay, Nick. I won’t even get out of bed to use the bathroom.”

His eyebrows went up. “Do you have to use it before I go? I picked up that wheelchair for you, or you can use the crutches. Although, your doctor recommended the wheelchair for you.”

Lucky, lucky me had gotten the same doctor as last time. I swear she’d been hiding a smirk the entire time she’d sewn up my foot.

“I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m accident-prone.”

Nick smirked. “Aren’t you?”

I threw my stuffed elephant at him, but he laughed at me and caught it instead.

He set the elephant down on the bed. “I could just carry you, if you want?”

I scowled at him. “And then what?”

He made a face. “I could... turn my back?”

“Absolutely not. Maybe you could just get me my crutches?”

I hadn’t even been able to shower yet, and I felt gross. I wasn’t supposed to get my foot wet for 48 hours.

“Sure. Hold on.”

He’d dumped the wheelchair and crutches in his room earlier so he could help me when I needed him. He came back with them with a hesitant expression on his face. “Are you sure? I could help you in there. It’s not a problem.”

“Nick.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn’t his fault. I was hurting, tired, and hungry. A trifecta of irritants basically begging for a bad decision.

Also, he was being sweet and protective, and I loved that about him. I was just grumpy at the moment and struggling to appreciate it.

I also knew that he must be feeling pretty helpless right now. This was his way of handling that feeling in a situation where he otherwise couldn’t do anything.

I opened my eyes to see Nick standing in front of me, looking worried. It didn’t take a genius to know that he was also worried about whether or not he’d just screwed up by offering to help me.

“I’d love that,” I said softly, smiling tiredly at him. “Thank you. It’s so sweet of you to help me.”

His face lit up and the glow around his skin brightened again. It had been absent since I got pushed off a cliff, understandably.

“Really?”

I laughed. “Yes.” I lifted my arms up, feeling like a toddler, but Nick got an arm under my bent legs, and against my back, and picked me up bridal-style. He set me down in the bathroom. “Hold up. Let me get your crutches so you can get up again.”

I groaned and let my head fall back, staring at the ceiling. “This is so embarrassing.”

Nick came back in with the crutches. “Why is this embarrassing?”

I shook my head in exasperation. “Because every new relationship starts with them wanting to show their best selves to the other person.” I gave him a look. “This is not my best self.”

He kissed my forehead. “Finish up. We’ll talk when you come out.”

I did, and managed to wash my hands, and even open the door without knocking myself in the head with one of my crutches, which I was pretty proud of. Nick looked like it was physically painful for him to watch me fumble my way back to the bed without his help, but he didn’t say anything.