Do you have plans for tonight?
Wanna have dinner at my place?
He doesn’t respond, so I go about my day, cleaning up the house and doing laundry. An hour later, my phone dings.
Nick
I’d love to, but I have the flu.
Whatever Jack had…I’ve got it.
Me
Oh no! Can I do anything to help?
Nick
I’m good. Thanks for asking.
Jackie is here cleaning.
Me
Feel better!
If he’s been throwing up, I’m sure he won’t want to eat, but when he’s feeling better, he will. I go through my pantry to locate thingsto add to a care package, shoving what I find into a weaved basket that belonged to Garrett’s mother.
I’m just walking up the sidewalk when the front door opens and a female version of Nick steps out the door.
I’ve seen Jackie once or twice lately as she’s come and gone from Nick’s, but I can’t help but notice how similar they look. She’s quite a bit younger. Tall, dark hair, and beautiful blue eyes.
“Alyssa, right?” she says when she sees me.
I smile, offering an awkward wave. “Yes. Hi.”
She returns the smile, running her eyes over me in a way that makes me feel a tad insecure.
“It’s so nice to meet you. Nick’s told me a lot about you.”
My cheeks heat, and warmth spreads all over my body.
“I came to bring him a care package,” I say, lifting the basket into the air.
She grins. “That’s so sweet of you. The guy’s house is completely bare. I was just running out to grab some things.”
I look down into my basket. “I have soup, Gatorade, ginger chews, a cold compress, antacids, Metamucil, and lemon-ginger tea.”
She whistles. “You covered all the bases. I can tell you’re a mom.”
I chuckle. “Guilty.”
She looks back toward the house. “He’s really at the end of this flu. He’s weak but he hasn’t run a fever or thrown up in twenty-four hours. I just disinfected, so you should be safe to go in. If you want.”
That last part is said like some sort of challenge. As if she’s sizing up just how serious we are, using my decision as the answer.
“Do you think he’ll mind?” I say, pressing my teeth together.
Jackie grunts, waving a hand in the air. “Men don’t care about that stuff. At least, Nick doesn’t.”
