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19
CLAIRE
The past twoweeks have gone by so slow. I didn’t realize how intertwined my life was with Griff’s. It was such a natural progression for us. I mean, we both fought it at different times, but, ultimately, we just ended up fitting together so well. I didn’t expect to feel this ache in my heart.
I’m working through the steps of the Pas de Deux with Friday in my home studio. She’s been coming over and helping me practice almost every day. I’m halfway through a turn when everything goes black, and I fall to my knees.
“Claire!” she yelps as she runs to my side. “Are you okay?”
My ears are ringing, and my mouth starts to water right before I get sick all over the floor.
“Fuck,” she stands and runs out of the room. She comes back a minute later, and I’m still on my hands and knees on the floor. A glass of water appears in front of me, and she wipes up the vomit with a handful of paper towels.
I pick up the glass with an unsteady hand and bring it to my lips, the cool water soothing my raw throat. After I take a few sips, I set it back down and lay on the floor.
“I think maybe we should stop for the day.” Friday touches the back of her hand to my forehead. “I don’t think you have a fever or anything. Is this from the MS, or are you just pushing yourself too hard?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble into the floor. “Thank you for cleaning my vomit, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Girl, please, I spent my youth mucking horse stalls. This is nothing.” She finishes wiping up and comes back to help me up. “Should we call your doctor?”
“No. I’m already feeling better. It must have been a fluke. Maybe I just made myself dizzy.”
She looks at me doubtfully but gives in. “Okay, but if it happens again, I will be making that call.”
“Fine with me.”
“I’m going to run this,” she holds up the trash bag, “to your trash chute.”
I give her a thumbs up and lay down on the couch. It must have been exhaustion because my eyes start to feel heavy within seconds. I drift off into a deep sleep full of dreams with Griff.
It feels like it’s only been a few minutes when I hear murmured voices in the room. It’s Con and Friday, and she’s telling him what happened. I try to open my eyes, but they’re still so heavy. It’s dark outside now, so I must have slept for a while.
“She passed out after we practiced, and I didn’t know if I should try to wake her or move her myself,” Friday whispers. “I’m glad you knocked. You can move her, so she doesn’t wake up too stiff in the morning.”
Con says something I can’t make out, and then I hear the door close quietly. The next thing I know, I’m being scooped up off the couch. Con carries me into my room. Friday must have already pulled my covers down because he sets me right down in the bed.
I try to mumble thanks, but it just comes out as a grunt. He tucks me in the same way our nanny used to. Then I hear him leave the room, only to come back a minute later with a glass of water that he sets on my nightstand.
“You need to take it easy and quit working yourself so hard.” The bed dips when he sits down on the edge. He tests my forehead, apparently appeased when he realizes I don’t have a fever. “If this happens again, I’m taking you to the hospital. Don’t be stubborn.”
I actually get a scoff out at that. “The nerve of you telling me that,” I croak.
“Well, I’m not the one who lives alone. Has a serious illness. Keeps secrets.”
I manage to rise up on one elbow. “Oh really, are we going down that road? Because I’d have to say it takes some real audacity for you to accuse me of keeping secrets. I was planning on telling everyone eventually. You were going on a full solo revenge tour without saying anything.”
“Take a drink while you’re up.” He hands me the water.
I roll my eyes at his deflection but take a drink anyway. I hand it back to him when I’m done. “Thank you.”
“No problem. How do you feel now that you’re awake?”
“Okay, just really tired. I think I probably have been pushing myself too hard.”
“I think that’s pretty obvious. Why don’t you go home this weekend? You can rest and let Dad take care of you. Sit by the pool and be lazy.”
I had actually thought about going up to the estate for a weekend to rest before the exhibition, which starts in ten days. The only downside is being under the same roof as Mom. I could drag Friday with me, provide a buffer.
