AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I took a sharp breath. “What do you do when you’re sick, then?”
“Nothing,” he replied as if it should leave me unbothered.
Why was he so reckless with his body? The drugs, and now he didn’t even bother if his temperature was beyond abnormal.
“What do you mean bynothing?” Glaring at him, I tried not to seem too alarmed.
“I always had you before … But after you left, I just didn’t care anymore.”
“God, you can be so dumb sometimes!” Disconcerted, I knew it wouldn’t be wise to leave him while his fever was climbing. Men, I could never understand why they threw caution to the wind when it came to their health. “I’m calling an ambulance.”
“Don’t you dare. I won’t speak to you if you do that. Promise me.” He almost jolted to his feet, but had a dizzying spell so he fell back down.
“I promise.” Why did I just say that? Damn, I have to exhaust all options before resorting to hospital. He wasn’t critical, was he? Well, for one, the man was conversing with me, so that was a good sign.
Okay, think, brain, think! My mind zoned in to the only person who could help me.
“I need your help, like, right now,” I apprehensively asked Anton after dialing his number. “Can you get medications for me?” I gave him the rundown, and that I was at River’s condo.
Frantically going toward the kitchen, I almost said hallelujah when I found a Ziploc baggie before filling it with ice then scrambling back into the living room.
In the small span of time I left him, River had cushioned his head on the pillow and seemed to have fallen asleep. I was torn between waking him up and letting him rest. But worry won out. If I didn’t get his temperature down, I would most likely have to call the ambulance and our so-called relationship would cease, or whatever was left of it.
Touching his forehead with the back of my hand, I cursed myself. I had become too caught up in my own feelings that I didn’t notice how sick he was.
“I have an icepack,” I murmured softly, hoping to reassure him. “It’s going to be really cold, but give it a minute or so, you’ll get used to it.”
“Thank you,” he responded with a wince as the makeshift icepack touched his skin.
“Don’t fall asleep yet. Anton’s on his way over to bring some meds … so just hang in there.” Guilt ate at me. I couldn’t stand seeing him in such as state. A major part of me thought he was heading into a dark path, one that he wouldn’t be able to get out of if I left him be.
“You don’t have to do this, you know. Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ll be okay,” he whispered.
I wanted to take care of him, but it seemed that he wasn’t comfortable in letting me nurse him.
“I’ll leave once you’ve taken your medication.”
His phone rang in his pocket, breaking the awkwardness between us.
“Do you want me to check that?” I offered, knowing he was too out of it to move.
“Could you?”
Doing the utmost effort not to touch him, it took forever to maneuver the phone out of his pocket. And when I did, I wished I had let it go straight to voicemail.
“It’s your girlfriend.” Yeah, it was difficult not to say that without sarcasm.
“Don’t sound like that, or I might accuse you of jealousy,” he muttered under his breath.
Though his eyes were closed, I felt him sensing me, picking up on my emotions, which was beyond bewildering.
I kept my mouth shut and instead of wondering if he was ever going to pick up his girlfriend’s call, I stood up and busied myself with cleaning the litter around me, starting with the blasted white powder that irked me to no end. Every speck of it went to the sink.
“You just couldn’t resist throwing that out, huh?” he grumbled in the background, but didn’t sound angry.
Striding back to the living room, I harrumphed with both hands planted on my hips. “You know better than to waste yourself in this. I’m so pissed that you did. What happened to the vow you took about never touching drugs?”
River gradually opened his eyes, gazing at me with a deadpan look. “I could ask the same of you. You seemed to abandon yours, too.”
