She grimaces. “Yes, but also no. But yes.”
I chuckle. “Maybe try a few bites, then reevaluate?”
She nods, pushing up to a sitting position, then scooting over.
I toe off my shoes, then climb in beside her, careful not to jostle her too much. The bed is comically small for me, and even Summer notices.
“You look absurd in my bed.”
“I’m sure you tell all the boys that.”
She rolls her eyes, still somehow sassy even when she’s sick. “There have been no other boys in here, Ezra.”
“Not even when you were a teenager?”
“Are you kidding me? I wasn’t cool enough for a boyfriend back then.”
“And are you now?”
She raises a brow. “Careful. That almost sounds like you’re asking to be mine.”
I wait for that familiar panic to settle in whenever something is mentioned to me about relationships, but it doesn’t. In fact, it never comes. Not when I practically hand-feed Summer soup just like a boyfriend would do, or when I open her Gatorade. And it doesn’t even come when she gets sick again, and I end up holding her hair back for her.
That’s scary in and of itself, but I try my best not to read too much into it as I get her back in bed.
“I’m sorry,” she says as she curls against me, shaking from the chills.
“For what?”
“Getting sick. I know it’s trivia night, and I’m sure you have a lot better things to do than sit around taking care of me.”
“I’m exactly where I want to be.”
It’s the truth. I would much rather be here than at the cidery listening to the remodel construction or poring over the invoices I was working on before Warner came and told me about Summer.
I feel her smile against my side. “Thank you. It’s nice of you to risk getting sick for me.”
I think I’d risk a lot more than just that, but I don’t say anything.
Instead, I wrap my arm around her tighter and hold her close as she falls back asleep. After a while, I feel a wet spot form on my shirt, but I don’t dare move. I couldn’t if I wanted to. I’m too determined to see this through, and honestly, even though she’s sick, I don’t want to leave her. I want to be the one there to take care of her for whatever she needs, and I’m not sure what that means, but it’s something for me to sort out later.
Right now I just want to be here with her, so that’s exactly what I do.
I jolt awake, and the first thing I think of is Summer.
I reach beside me and am surprised to find that the bed’s empty and cold.
What the hell?
I groan as I lift off the tiny mattress, my hip stiff and aching as I set my feet on the floor.
My eyes go to the old-school alarm clock on the bedside table.Holy shit.It’s after eight, which means I’ve been out for a solid three hours at this point.
I scrub a hand over my face, then go in search of Summer. I find her quickly, the light shining from beneath the bathroom door a dead giveaway.
“Summer?” I call out to her. “Are you okay?”
There’s no answer, and I lean closer, straining for any signs she’s getting sick again, but there’s nothing.
