AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cassie didn’t wake up until almost dinnertime. She was sweating balls and flung all the blankets off.
“Good morning,” Erin said from behind the couch. Cassie didn’t know how she’d gotten out from under her feet without Cassie noticing.
“I’m hungry.”
Erin laughed. “That’s probably a good sign.”
She had dinner ready. It was literally homemade chicken soup, and Cassie felt, for a moment, almost smitten. Give her a break—she hadn’t kissed Erin in more than twenty-four hours; that plus the fever had her a little delirious.
Parker was home for dinner, babbling away about her day, but Cassie didn’t hear a thing. She inhaled the soup and drank four glasses of water and was ready for bed again.
“Cassie?”
“Mmm?”
Cassie wasn’t fully awake when the bed dipped. She opened hereyes to find Erin next to her, smiling gently. Cassie tried to blink away the sleep blur. The sky outside her window was pink, the sun just beginning to rise.
“I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay before I head in for my shift,” Erin said.
“Mmm.” Cassie nodded. She swallowed. Her throat still hurt but it was far better than yesterday. “M’okay,” she said.
“Good,” Erin said, leaning down to kiss her.
“No!” Cassie scrambled back toward the headboard, suddenly more awake. “I still could be contagious or something. I don’t want you to get sick.”
Erin chuckled. “But we can’t have you spending the day pissy with Parker because you didn’t get your good morning kiss.”
Cassie squinted up at her.
“That’s what happened last time I went to work without kissing you good morning,” Erin said. “Am I wrong?”
She wasn’t, but Cassie refused to acknowledge that.
“I’m not to blame if you get sick.”
“Deal,” Erin said.
She kissed her. She kissed her long and deep and with enough tongue that if Cassie was even a tiny bit contagious, Erin was getting it. She smirked as she left, and Cassie stared after her dumbly, then collapsed against her pillows once more, heart going faster than she’d like to admit. She fiddled with her rocket ship necklace and fell back asleep with a smile on her face.
The next morning, in the dark, Cassie stubbed her toe on her packed suitcase. Why the hell did her flight have to be this early? At least Erin had a bagel and a travel cup of coffee ready for her in the kitchen. Cassie kissed her soundly—after she’d taken a huge gulp of coffee.
Parker stumbled downstairs as Erin hefted Cassie’s suitcase into the car in the garage. She rubbed at her eyes and reached for her coat.
“What are you doing?” Cassie asked.
“’mma drive with you to the airport,” Parker said.
Cassie laughed. “No thanks, babe. You look like you want to die being awake this early. Go back to sleep.”
Parker looked at her with disbelief—some joy, too, but not until she was sure this was for real. “Are you serious?”
“I’m going to see you in less than a week,” Cassie said. “I think I’ll live if you don’t take me to the airport.”
Parker hurled her arms around Cassie. “You’re my best friend.”
“I’m telling Acacia,” Cassie laughed.
“I don’t even care,” Parker said. “She’ll understand when I explain this glorious thing you’re doing for me.”
