Liam woke to the smell of food.
Not just food.
Something savory and warm, the kind of smell that pulled you out of sleep whether you wanted to wake up or not. Garlic. Butter. Something else underneath it, rich and slightly sweet.
He lay there for a moment, eyes still closed, his body sinking into the mattress.
His ribs ached. A deep, persistent throb that had been there when he fell asleep and was still there now. His back was stiff. His left side felt tender when he breathed too deeply.
'Worth it,' he thought.
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the morning light coming in through the window.
The apartment was quiet except for the soft sounds coming from the kitchen.
A pan scraping against the stove. Water running briefly in the sink. The faint hum of the refrigerator.
He turned his head.
Tasha was in the kitchen.
She was wearing one of his shirts again.
