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He disappeared downstairs. I got up, feeling woozy, but stumbled into the bathroom. After relieving myself, I glanced in the mirror. Damn, I looked like I felt. I should shower and get ready, but five more minutes in bed wouldn’t hurt. I crawled back under the blankets and snuggled the pillow where his head had been.

I must have dozed off again because the next thing I knew, Jeremy was back with a tray. Scrambled eggs. Toast. Fresh fruit. A steaming cup of coffee that smelled like heaven.

“Room service,” he announced, setting the tray on the nightstand.

I pushed myself up against the headboard, wincing at the effort it took. “This looks amazing.”

“Eat up. Big day ahead.”

I picked up the fork and took a bite of the eggs. They were good. Fluffy. Perfect. But my stomach twisted after just a few bites. I set the fork down and reached for the coffee instead, hoping the caffeine would help.

Jeremy watched me with a frown. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just not very hungry.”

“You barely ate anything last night.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you feeling sick?”

“I don’t think so. I’m just so tired.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to will some energy into my body. “The travel really took it out of me. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

He reached out and brushed his hand across my cheek. “As much as I need you with me today, if you want to stay here and rest, I’ll somehow get through the day without you.”

“I’ll be fine. Just don’t expect me to trek up any mountains.”

“Stay. You look exhausted. And I’d rather you take care of yourself than push through and end up really sick.”

I wanted to argue. I hated calling in sick. Hated the idea of not being there doing my job. I needed to be useful. I wasn’t on vacation. I was at work. But the thought of getting dressed and going out into the cold did not appeal to me. My body rebelled at the very idea.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I feel terrible abandoning you on the first day.”

“You’re not abandoning me. You’re recovering from jet lag and too many time zones.” He smiled. “Besides, it’s just the first day. Setup, lighting tests, all the boring stuff. You won’t miss anything exciting.”

I sighed, relief and guilt warring inside me. “Okay. Just for today. I’ll be there tomorrow, I promise.”

“Don’t promise anything. Just rest. Get better.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Let me know if you need anything while I’m gone. I mean it. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing to make sure you’re alright.”

The sweetness of it hit me far more than it should have. My throat tightened. My eyes stung. I blinked rapidly, trying to get control of myself.

“Thank you,” I managed. “For taking care of me.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

He kissed me again, his hand cupping my face like I was a fragile, precious thing. When he pulled back, his eyes were soft.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

After he left, I stayed in his bed. The tray of food sat untouched beside me. The coffee in my hands. My thoughts were going to some pretty dangerous places. I wondered quietly if I was in love with him. Or if that was just the jet lag talking.

I set the coffee aside and slid back down under the covers. The bed still smelled like him. Like us. I buried my face in his pillow and let sleep pull me under.

I’d been asleep maybe ten minutes when a knocking sound woke me up. I sat up and looked around. Did Jeremy lock himself out? I dragged myself out of bed without bothering with the robe. I made it downstairs through sheer force of will. I didn’t know what bug I’d caught, but it was kicking my ass.

I opened the door and found Bernadette. And a whole lot of sunshine. When I’d gone back to sleep, it had still been that quiet early morning light.

“Hey there,” she said with a warm smile. “Jeremy told me you were feeling under the weather. I came to check on you.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did. That’s my job.” She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, heading straight for the kitchen. “I brought Gatorade, soup, and crackers. The holy trinity of recovery.”