Page 134 of Love Felt Like This

“Do you like parks?” I ask.

“Stop talking. You’re sick.”

“Answer the question.”

“Yes,” she answers. “I like parks.”

“What do you like about them?”

She rolls her eyes with a smile. “Griffin—”

“I want to hear you talk,” I say. “It makes me feel better.”

She bites her lower lip and sighs.

“I like that you can see the stars. In my twenties, I went to the Grand Canyon with my grandpa. The sky doesn’t have light pollution there, so you can see everything at night. Everything,” she emphasizes. “All the constellations and stars. I always assumed pictures of the Milky Way were enhanced for science textbooks or whatever. But you can actually see it with the naked eye. It’s gorgeous.”

I smile. Beverly has a way of making simple things feel magical.

“You want to see the stars again?” I ask.

She nods. “I’d love to.”

“Then we’ll do that.”

“When?”

“Whenever you want.”

“When you’re overseas touring?” she jokes, but I stiffen.

“Whenever you want,” I repeat.

“But you hate heights.”

“I don’t care.”

The back of her hand touches my forehead. “And how sick are you again?”

I turn my head away.

“Big baby,” she murmurs with a grin.

I groan. My body is clammy, cold, but also hot. I’m sweating, and I wish I’d stop. I’m probably the least attractive person right now, yet even in a sick daze, I can’t stop flirting with Beverly. I can’t stop daydreaming about a life with her in it.

“Tell me more,” I say.

“More of what?” she asks with a soft laugh.

“Anything,” I answer. “How did you get so good at playing nurse?”

Her cheeks flush, and she chokes out a laugh. “I’m good at playing pretend, I guess.”

My heart sinks. “You should be working,” I say. “I’m putting you behind.”

She pokes a finger at me. “Bring that up one more time, and I’m gonna sedate you.”

“How?”