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Ifollowed her inside, not willing to leave her alone looking this miserable. Ibrought my hand to her forehead, ignoring her narrowed gaze and letting go when Isensed her chilled skin.
“Zach, what are you doing here?”
Oh that, right. “Iwanted to surprise you, you know, asex attack.” She lowered her brows at my stupid choice of words. “Imean, aconsensual sex attack, to spice things up.”
Her expression relaxed, then scrunched again, sniffing once, twice, three times before she sneezed.
“Bless you.”
“Thanks.” She blew her nose and shuffled her feet to the waste container, then picked up another tissue from abox she had on the kitchen island. “So, yeah, on any other day I’dlove to be sex-attacked, just not”—asneeze followed by nose blowing followed by awalk to the trash can—“not today.”
“I’mwith you there.” Iraised my hands when she returned her gaze to me, slumped against the counter. “Wouldn’twant snot in my mouth while we kissed or anything.”
Laura grunted, then hugged her arms to her chest. “Look, Iappreciate the attempt to make me laugh, but I’dreally like to crawl into bed and sleep it off. It’sprobably abad case of allergies. It comes and goes for me in the spring.”
When Laura finished her sentence, she outstretched her hand to pat me on the shoulder for aniceThank you and go away. The friendly gesture ended with Laura stumbling, her feet entangling one with the other and falling right into my arms. Icaught her by the armpits, balancing her just before she fell face-first into the floor.
“Come here, Ms. Allergies.” Istraightened her, then held her from beneath her hips and back and carried her to her bedroom.
“I’mokay. Put me down.” In her weak state, her aims to swat my chest felt more like caresses. “Ijust need to sleep it off. You don’thave to carry me.”
Ishoved open her bedroom door and gazed down at her. Laura’shead lulled forward, without the hint of strength to hold it in place. “If you think I’mgoing to throw you on the bed and leave to let you deal with this by yourself, then you have severely underestimated me not only as afriend, but as ahuman being.”
After laying her on the bed, Laura scooted up to lean against the headboard. Iarranged the duvet and brought it up to her shoulders, not oblivious to the fact that she examined me throughout, anotion that proved right when Ilooked back up at her.
Her glossy eyes probed me for some hidden agenda, which Ididn’thave. All Icared about at that moment was her not being left alone like this. Iunbuttoned my jacket and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.
“Did you have dinner?”
Her cough caught both of us by surprise with its intensity. Laura gasped for air as Imassaged her back in soothing circles, goading her through that attack.
“Allergies?” Itilted my head to meet her gaze with ahalf smile when she had recuperated.
“Ha-ha, very funny,” she said, her voice sounding like it’dbeen rubbed off with sandpaper.
“Ilive to serve.” Ipulled out my phone from apocket in my suit jacket and started placing an order for dinner for her.
“Who are you texting?” She sounded more likeWho ayoutexing?through her stuffy nose.
“There’sachef Iorder from when Iwork late nights.” Iplaced it on the side of the bed when Aron answered that it’dbe delivered in the next thirty minutes. “You’ll have chicken soup in no time.”
Acough came, then ahard swallow. “Why?”
Iflinched, not because of the sound, but for how painful it sounded.
“Because the hell if Iknow how to make it.”
“No, Imeant why did you order food?”
Ipaused to wonder if I’dbeen that shit of afriend or acquaintance to her in the last few years that she thought these small acts of kindness from me verged on the unbelievable scale. They weren’teven that much; taking care of someone who’dbeen unwell and ordering them soup shouldn’thave prompted such an incredulous look from her unless Ihad made adifferent impression, afucked-up one.
“Well, from your no reply and the state you’re in, it doesn’ttake agenius to realize you haven’teaten.” Istood from the bed and headed to the door, reluctant to start adiscussion of what alittle shit Imight’ve been. “And you need your strength if you actually plan on waking up better tomorrow.”
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“Be right back.” Istopped at the door and pointed what I’dhoped was amenacing finger at her. “Stay there.”
Laura blew her nose again and nodded. Ifelt satisfied she wouldn’tget up and scurried to her kitchen, putting on the water to heat up while Iraked through her cupboards for tea, glasses, mugs, and aspirin.
