Loving Merritt Forever

7

Her

I awoke in bed alone, feeling significantly better than I felt I was entitled to. I winced, wondering what had woken me, when there was a knock on the door with a peppy, young masculine voice announcing room service. By the tone of their voice, it wasn't the first time they had announced themselves.

I was still dressed in the tank top and leggings Levi had helped me into, my shoulder was barely even a dull ache as I plodded to the door, letting a plain faced bell boy deliver his cart before he left. Nothing but professional the entire time. I certainly hadn't ordered anything since I had just woken up from a dead sleep. Levi must have preordered food for me, since I had proven I couldn't be trusted to even take care of myself. I smiled, he was taking care of me even when he wasn't here. No one had taken care of me in any way since before my parents had died.

The cart of food was left behind, and I went to uncover the various treasures hidden under silver domes. Hashbrowns, toast, variety of jams. Along with waffles, and french toast, and pancakes with cream and berries in abundance. Sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. Again it was far more food that I could ever hope to eat, but I was glad it had arrived. As I sat down to eat, carefully testing my damaged shoulder and finding it felt almost healed.

Well fed from the generous brunch that had been provided, I was feeling almost like myself. I undid the sling I had slept in, and found my arm and shoulder far more healed than I thought they should be. I had seen the bruises and swelling, felt as I guided the joint back into place with Levi's help. It should still feel terrible. But it really was nothing but a slight ache sometimes. No swelling and the bruises practically gone. It didn't make sense, this wasn't the first time my shoulder had dislocated. I knew how the recovery should go.

Unless perhaps I wasn't as badly hurt as I had thought? Maybe I had exaggerated things in my mind. It would make sense, I was apparently an unreliable narrator to my life since I hadn't ever had any idea that my brother was screwing my fiance behind my back. Who knew what else I wasn't noticing. What else I had missed in my life.

Awake, full and feeling like myself aside from a deep numb feeling in my heart that I knew was my body's way of protecting me from the awful things I had experienced, I finally got to read the note Levi had left for me.

Merritt,

I hope I have provided all comforts you may require. Please feel free to make use of room and concierge service for anything else you may desire, the hotel has access to my personal assistants for anything you may need. You are a welcome guest as long as you require. Below, please find my phone number, should you wish to contact me for any reason.

With all due care,

Leviticus Wallace

His penmanship was elegant, a flowing beautiful script like professional calligraphy. People would pay money to have things written in his hand. The flourish around his signature was strong and masculine. I regretted not reading it yesterday.

Levi made as much sense as anything else in my life right now. I couldn't figure out why such an attractive, connected, wealthy man was repeatedly rescuing and helping me. I had been nothing but a mess since he had first seen me at the dive bar I had stumbled into in my wedding dress.

I blushed, feeling my cheeks burn as I remembered last night, how he had so expertly helped me push my shoulder joint back into place, his deep voice talking me through it. How I had pressed my body against him on the couch while I thought about his voice telling me I could take more while he spanked my ass raw. Wanting him to hurt me, take me over his knee and make me beg him for things I had no words for.

David and Verity had broken some fundamental part of me. I was never this bold, not even in my fantasies. But Levi made me want things I had no idea were hiding deep in my brain. I had spent years focused on my naive dream of a perfect wedding night with my husband. It was outdated, and now seemed so stupid.