AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod and sneeze again. “Y-yeah, that would be wonderful.”
Pulling on his jacket, he walks into the landing and starts making his way downstairs. “Right,” he shouts. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Call me if anything happens, okay? ”
“Okay. Love you.”
“I love you, too, my dear.”
I wait for the front door to slam. Then, reaching for the dresser, I grab a glass of water and gulp down two painkillers. With a low sigh, I sink back into the pillows, pulling the duvet up to my chin. It feels like I’ve got the mother of all hangovers and every part of my body is numb. To make matters worse, my period has started today and I can feel those old, familiar cramps kicking in. Still, despite feeling so poorly, I’m in wonderful spirits. Nick has already sent three texts this morning, telling me how much he loves and misses me. He knows I’m not feeling well but regardless, I still plan to meet up with him tonight. There’s no way I’m going to break our date. I’m hoping if I get a few hours’ sleep, I’ll be strong enough to leave the house later.
Some hope.
As the morning passes, my condition seems to be getting worse. I keep sneezing and my eyes are so watery I can barely see. At this rate, I won’t be leaving this bed, let alone the house.
Then around midday, someone rings the doorbell.
I freeze. I haven’t ordered anything recently, so I’m not expecting any deliveries.Perhaps it’s the Jehovah Witnesses or something.Before I can react, my phone starts vibrating. Sitting on my elbows, I scour the room to see where I left it. Following the buzzing sound down the side of my bed, I wrestle the phone from under a magazine.
My mouth drops open when I see Nick’s caller ID. “Hello?”
“Darling, I’m outside.”
“Outside where?”
“Outside your house. Let me in.”
I stop the phone against my chest. Nick’s outside my house?
Excitedly, I clamber out of bed, throw off my dressing gown and pull on an old T-shirt and shorts. Then I race downstairs.
For a second, I forget to breathe.
Nick’s standing on the doorstep looking all suave and debonair in a long, black overcoat and two-toned shoes. I grin goofily and lower my gaze; he’s holding a shopping bag and a bunch of red roses.
“For you,” he beams, handing me the flowers.
I inhale their glorious scent. “Thank you,” I whisper, trying not to sneeze.
He raises his eyebrows. “Oh, darling, you’re really not well, are you?” I shake my head. Peering beyond me into the house, he asks if my father is home.
“No, Dad’s gone to a meeting in town and won’t be back till this evening.”
With a relieved smile, Nick follows me through to the kitchen, where I lay the roses on the sideboard. He places the shopping bag next to them and I peer inside. It contains a loaf of bread, a bottle of cough mixture and a carton of New Covent Garden Soup.
“What’s all this?” I frown.
“Supplies to help you get better. I’ve come to look after you.”
“Oh, my gosh, that’s so sweet. But what about work? Don’t you have patients to see today?”
“I did, but you’re my number one priority. When I heard you were sick, I cleared my schedule for you.”
My heart melts and I get a little choked up. “I can’t believe you did that for me. I-I don’t know what to say.” I look up into his warm, hazel eyes and fall in love all over again. All that is kind, all that is good, radiates from him like a soft ray of sunshine.
Suddenly, I let out a massive sneeze that renders me momentarily deaf in one ear.
“Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry.” Hurriedly, I reach for some kitchen paper and dry my watery eyes. I’m beginning to feel very intimidated. Nick’s towering over me, his face barely suppressing the intensity of his longing. I start to fret about my appearance. God, I must look such a state, what with my runny nose and everything.
Turning away, I mumble that I need to find a vase for the flowers.
