Page 33 of The Sweetness of Life

“No, this one just hit me . . . blindsided.” He groans and rubs his forehead back and forth across my shoulder and massages the back of his neck.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” I rub my hand across his lower back, and he leans farther into me, his weight pressing me down.

Minutes pass as he takes one breath after another, a few getting caught in his throat. Eventually, he pulls away but still holds on to my arm for balance. “Drive fast?” He digs in his pocket and holds out his hand with his keys in it, the pain so evident on his handsome face I feel nauseous for him.

“Wow, I didn’t think guys liked to have their trucks driven,” I say softly, trying to lighten the mood while hitting the unlock button and opening the door for him.

“I don’t, but I don’t have a choice. This one is messing with my vision.” He climbs into the vehicle and moans as he places his head on the dashboard.

Running around to the driver’s side, I climb in, adjust the seat, and start the truck.

“Do you have any medicine you can take?” I’m anxious and worried to the point that I’m tempted to dig through the center console and the glove box for anything that might help him.

“It’s on my desk in my office.” He groans again as his eyes shut and squeeze tight.

“Should we stop and buy something?”

“No. Won’t help, unfortunately.”

“All right, hang tight. We’ll be home before you know it.” I shift into reverse and back out of the spot.

Home.

Somehow, over the last couple of days, the winery has begun to feel a little bit more like a home and less like a vacation spot. While I still don’t understand his mood swings or why he initially disliked me so much, I keep reminding myself that if he’s friends with Lexi, there must be something about him.

The truck goes over an uneven bump in the road, and he moans next me as I turn the corner.

I’ve had migraines here and there over the years, but none of them have been as debilitating as this. It’s as if it’s morphed him into someone else. That spark and fire he constantly breathes out onto everyone is gone.

A few minutes later, I hop on the interstate, and we’re on our way. Without thinking, I reach over so I can thread my fingers through his hair and begin to rub his scalp. He lets out a sigh at the sensation, and I don’t even think he realizes he did it. A few minutes later, he slumps my way over the center console, tucks his arms under him, and hangs his head toward my lap. As much as my opinion of him has wavered over the last couple of days, my heart aches at the apparent pain he’s in. Keeping the radio down, I press on and hope I don’t get pulled over.

We’re an hour into the drive before I reach down by my feet and dig my hand in my purse to find my cell phone. I know he isn’t sleeping because he’s moaned a few times while keeping his eyes shut, and it crosses my mind that maybe I should take him to the hospital or an urgent care or something. Very carefully, I shoot Michelle a text.

Me: Hey, Zach has a really bad headache, what do I do?

Her reply comes in almost immediately.

Michelle: Where are you?

Me: A little over an hour north, just turned onto sixty-four at Sylvia. We’re on our way back from Asheville.

Michelle: Did he take anything for it?

Me: No. He says it’s on his desk.

Michelle: Oh, no. Okay, just get back safe and Kyle will get him when you get here.

Me: Does this happen a lot?

Michelle: Yes. See you soon.

Fried Green Tomatoes

NO ONE LIKES to show their weak side . . . and that’s exactly what happened. She already knows how I feel about weakness, and now she knows mine. A fucking migraine hit out of nowhere, and I folded into her like a deck of cards. I didn’t even think twice about it.

Most people don’t know about the migraines. It isn’t something I talk about publicly, but after yesterday, there’ll be no way to evade her questions—not that I blame her. She was scared shitless; I saw it all over her face, but she held it together and took care of me. Thank God I wasn’t out by myself somewhere. I never would have made it home. Even today, I’ve spent most of it flat on my back. Kyle checked in a few times, but when these episodes happen, Nurse Michelle takes over.

The thing about being laid up and bored is that it allows for a lot of time to think and reflect, both of which I did today.