“Don’t mock. You’re precious to me, and Chema guarded you.”
I smile, hopeful for the potential of our life together, and I lean in to kiss him. Shifting under the covers to get closer to him, I reach for the hem of his shirt, but he stills my hand. He shakes his head as he looks deep into my eyes.
“Why not?” I ask.
“You were sore yesterday—”
“I’m perfectly fine today.”
“I’m sure you are, but can we please take it slow? I need to make sure you stay okay.”
My instincts turn to anger, but I can’t let it out because I know he only wants me healthy. It’s coming from a good place, even as infantilizing as his desire to control my health is. We are both going to have to adjust.
“We can take it slow,” I say finally. “Within reason. At some point, you have to trust me too.”
“I know,” Rory says. “We’ll work on it. In the meantime, can loving each other be enough?”