Page 69 of Take Her On

I miss you

She reread the words, feeling them weave around her heart and squeeze.

Dammit. She missed her, too.

She forced herself to sit upright, an avalanche of tissues tumbling down her chest, and slowly made her way down the stairs and to the front door.

When she opened it, Jamie’s mouth dropped. Her eyes widened as she took in Maya’s dishevelled appearance, her short blonde curls dancing in the chilly breeze. “Wow. You look terrible,” she said, her voice a mix of concern and teasing.

“I’m so glad you came,” Maya grumbled, pulling the covers tighter around herself.

Jamie shuffled inside, closing the door behind her, and Maya painfully made her way back upstairs.

Arms wound around her, lifting her up, and she squealed. “What are you doing?”

“It’s just too painful to watch.” Jamie carried her up the last of the stairs, and after Maya had nodded which way, took her into her room and laid her on the mattress. “Jesus. It’s like a crypt in here. Let’s get some fresh air in.”

She opened the window an inch, tucking one curtain behind the radiator. When the cool air reached Maya, she started shivering. She pulled the covers higher around her neck. Her head pulsed, like her inner demons were playing a game of air hockey in her brain. Ping. Ping. Ping. She rubbed her temples, willing it all to quieten for just a moment.

It wasn’t until Jamie let out a soft chuckle that Maya realised this was the first time she’d been in her room, her own personal space. Her eyes snapped open. Her gaze caught on the piles of tissues now littering the floor, the clothes abandoned in a heap, and the collection of dirty glasses on her bedside table.

And Jamie was seeing her room like this.

Wonderful.

Her attention moved to Jamie, surprised to find her looking out the window instead of judging the shitshow around them. A pair of light blue boyfriend-cut jeans clung to her legs, and she was wearing an oversized forest green jumper. She turned to her, that silly Jamie grin on her face, and Maya’s belly flip-flopped.

A violent cough ripped from her throat, and Jamie hurried over. She batted her away with the duvet, exhausted from the effort.

“Keep away!”

Jamie laughed.

Maya poked her head from the cocoon to scowl at her. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

“I’m standing in your germ dungeon. There’s little hope left for me now.” She took a step forward, and Maya covered herself with the duvet again. “Maya.” Her voice took on a serious tone, sending flutters between Maya’s legs.

At least that part of me is still working.

“Stop being so bloody stubborn. Have you eaten yet?”

She shook her head, not caring how ridiculous she must look. She just wanted to be better already. She had too much going on: Christmas, exams, football. She couldn’t afford to be ill.

“I brought soup,” Jamie said. “Enough for your grandpa, too. Do you want some?”

She brought some for Grandpa? Maya was glad Jamie couldn’t see her face, because she was swooning hard. Jamie mistook her silence for defiance and huffed again.

“Maya. Can you just let me take care of you?” She paused. “Please.”

Maya poked her head out and met Jamie’s soft eyes. “Fine.”

Jamie disappeared in a whirlwind, leaving disbelief in her wake.

Maya shut her eyes, chest weighing heavy, and listened to the downstairs cupboards opening and closing, creaking in the classic way they did now Grandpa had stopped doing any maintenance.

A soft hand brushed Maya’s forehead, and she woke, startled. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep.

“You’re burning up,” Jamie murmured. “Take these.” She handed her some paracetamol and a glass of cold water.