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I need more time.
I was going to be nauseous. It was only a matter of time before I was hugging the toilet seat. The spinning in my head made that painfully clear. The last thing I wanted to do was throw up as Connor was in his office having a meeting.
Connor.
Time.
We needed more time.
To my surprise, he came into the bedroom with a big smile on his face. In one hand, he had a box, and in the other, he had a green drink. “Morning, sunshine. I finished my meeting early and ran down the street to get you some breakfast. I know you’re healthier than me, so I got you a green drink and an omelet.”
The thought of eating anything at that moment made my stomach turn in a way stomachs shouldn’t be able to turn.
The second he caught sight of me, a heavy look of worry filled his face. “Aaliyah, what’s wrong?”
I must’ve looked hideous.
“Hey there,” I said, thinking I’d head over to thank him, but instead I began to experience a dizzy spell as I attempted to walk. Connor hurriedly set the box and drink on the dresser and rushed to help me stand.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“Don’t be,” he replied, lowering me back down to the bed. He then kneeled in front of me, looking as perfect as he always did. Christ, I felt so embarrassed. If I looked anywhere near as bad as I felt, he probably thought I was on the verge of death.
Maybe I was.
“What happened?” he asked. “What can I do?”
“Nothing, nothing, it’s fine. I just woke up feeling a bit off. That’s all.” I didn’t want to go into the full scope of what was really happening. It all seemed too much, and the last thing I wanted from Connor was for him to worry about me.
He rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the bathroom. Within seconds, he came out with a warm hand towel and placed it on my forehead.
The warmth it brought me soothed me more than I’d thought it would as I kept my eyes shut. “Thanks,” I said, trying my hardest not to cry. “It’s probably just a cold.”
“We were in the rain a few days ago for a long period. Damn. I should’ve taken you inside. This is my fault.”
“No. It’s not. Trust me.”
“Regardless, I think it might be best to stay in today, get better fully. When I get a cold, I get knocked on my ass like no other, so I completely fall into sick mode and disconnect from the world until I’m better.”
If only it was that easy for me.
“I’ll rest up today and I’ll be better by morning,” I said as I began to push myself to a better sitting position. Instead of being successful with that, my vision blurred, and I found myself rushing to the bathroom, where I threw up. The pounding in my head was too intense. Not only was I falling apart, I was falling apart in front of Connor, which made it that much worse. By this point, I felt as if he’d seen me at my worst a lot more than at my best.
Still, he stayed, joining me in the bathroom, holding my braids back.
“Maybe it was something you ate last night? Maybe something bad with that salad you ordered? If it’s a bad cold, maybe we need to shift our flights—”
“No!” I quickly said, shaking my head. “Don’t. I’ll be fine, I swear, Connor. By tomorrow I’ll be my normal self.”
“I can stay home with you today.”
I sat up a bit and forced a smile. “No, truly, it’s okay. I know you have a lot of work. Really, Connor. I’m good.”
He was hesitant but he agreed. He helped me back to the bed, making sure to tuck me in. “If you need anything, just call me—even if it’s just to talk. I’ll answer.”
“Thanks.”
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Feel better, Red.”
