Bed Rest Bonding

The next morning arrived with pale sunlight filtering through the hospital blinds.

I woke to find Calloway already awake, sitting in the chair beside my bed with his laptop balanced on his knees. He'd changed clothes at some point—must have sent someone to fetch things from the estate—and looked almost human despite the dark circles under his eyes.

"You stayed all night," I said, my voice rough from sleep.

He glanced up, a small smile touching his lips. "Where else would I be?"

"Running your company. Doing damage control. Sleeping in an actual bed."

"My company can survive a few days without me. And this—" he gestured to the converted couch where blankets were tangled, "—is an actual bed. Technically."

"It looks uncomfortable."

"It is. But the view's worth it." His eyes held mine, warm and soft in the morning light.

My chest tightened. "You can't st