CHAPTER 340: STUPID LITTLE FLIP (1)

Georgia’s POV

My jaw practically dropped to the floor as I stared at the mountain of food Nick just brought into my hospital room, together with the bodyguards. I swear, it looked like a full buffet spread—bags from every fast-food chain and restaurant I could think of, and even a box or two of desserts. The man had officially lost it.

"This is too much... Are we having guests again?" I asked, blinking at the sheer number of dishes on the three overbed tables around me. "Because the doctor strictly said no more visitors until tomorrow."

Nick grinned like he just solved world hunger. "These are all for you, babe."

I gawked at him. "What do you mean, all mine? I told you to surprise me and get my favorite food."

He spread his arms dramatically. "Exactly. Surprise!" he said with that smug, proud smile of his. "You’ve been eating a lot lately, so I bought everything you’ve liked recently."

I gasped, narrowing my eyes. "Are you saying I’m an overeater, Nicholas Knight?"

He immediately waved his hands in panic. "No, no, no, not at all! I just thought maybe, you know, pregnancy cravings and all that, so I wanted to cover all bases. But if you don’t like them, I can tell the guys to take everything back and buy something else."

He started turning to signal his bodyguards, and I nearly lunged out of bed. "Don’t you dare! I didn’t say I don’t like them—it’s just... too much. Stay still."

I grabbed a plate and started sampling small portions of everything. "Okay, take the rest. I’ll eat these... and the cheesecake and pudding." I pointed like a queen issuing royal commands.

Nick chuckled but obeyed. I handed him another plate. "Here, go first, so they can step out and take everything with them before the doctor catches us and starts another lecture."

He did as told, filling his plate with a few things before signaling his men to clear the table. They were so fast I barely blinked, and the feast disappeared.

The room finally quieted down. I switched on the TV and glanced at Nick sitting on the sofa, eating quietly as if he hadn’t just caused a food apocalypse in my room.

He was so composed now, so calm. Earlier, he’d been laughing at me, teasing me, even kissing me until my head spun—and now? He was acting all proper and distant, like a perfectly innocent husband who didn’t make my blood race an hour ago.

I shook my head and smiled to myself. "You’re weird, Nick," I muttered under my breath.

He looked up, eyebrow arched. "Did you say something?"

I tapped on the overbed table. "Put your plate here," I said, then patted the empty space beside me. "Sit here. I took too much—I don’t think I can finish all of this. Eat with me and help me out."

Truthfully, that was a lie. I could absolutely finish everything on my plate—I was starving. But Nick looked thin, the type that looks like it was a sudden loss of weight that a person can only get from stress, a little worn out. The faint hollowness on his cheeks told me he hadn’t been eating properly since I went missing, and that bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

He didn’t argue. He just quietly stood, crossed the short distance between us, and sat beside me. Without meeting his eyes, I started transferring a few pieces of chicken to his plate. "Eat," I muttered, pretending to be absorbed in my food and the TV.

We ate in silence, side by side. The only sounds were the clinking of utensils and the murmur of whatever show was playing. It was... awkward. Not the bad kind, but the kind that made my heart race for no reason.

Say something, I begged him silently. Anything.

But he didn’t. So I gave in. "Were you able to hire a private nurse?" I asked, keeping my tone casual to break the silence.

He nodded, still chewing. "Yeah. I was supposed to hire three for a 24-hour rotation, but I ended up hiring only one."

My jaw dropped. "One for twenty-four hours?! Are you trying to kill that poor nurse?"

Nick chuckled, setting down his glass of water. "No, she’ll just cover the eight-hour shift in the morning while I am not here. I still have to work and handle video calls in the mornings for the new ships, the merger of your company with mine, so I can’t be here the whole day."

He paused for a moment, as if thinking about how to phrase the next part. "You need proper rest, too. I can’t do calls here while you’re sleeping, so I’ll stay at the hotel with Katie and Wendy. They’ll visit you every day, and my mom will probably drop by too. She’s... very determined to look after you while I’m gone."

I couldn’t help but smile. "So, you’re sending your mom to babysit me?"

"You could say that," he chuckled.

"Your mom looked nice," I said between bites, trying to sound casual even though I’d been secretly wondering about her since earlier. "Does she... like me?"

Nick gave me that teasing half-smile of his. "Pretty much. She likes you more than me anyway."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I can see why. I’m adorable."

He smirked and leaned a little closer. "That’s one way to put it. Though I think irresistible suits you better."

My heart did a stupid little flip, and I had to look away before my cheeks gave me away. "You really should eat your chicken before I change my mind and take it back," I said, stabbing another bite just to distract myself.

Nick spoke again, that low, confident laugh that somehow made my chest feel too small. "You see... My mom... She loves you," he said simply, then scratched the back of his neck. "But—uh—is it alright if she comes here every morning? I’m really sorry I can’t stay the whole day. Melanie, Bella, and Jenny are doing great, but they still need some guidance from me."

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Thank you for the Golden Ticket!

Noni_Byz