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“I’m not…”
I didn’t believe her. Luckily, it turned out she was telling the truth—I put on some water to boil, navigating the kitchen like I’d never left, since she hadn’t changed much in the time I’d been away, and I rushed downstairs into the bakery and picked through the chaos that was whatever system Paisley used for organization in the bakery kitchen and grabbed a couple pieces of pound cake. When I got back with the plate of cake and a cup of tea, Paisley was hunched into herself in the corner of the couch. She had a little more color back, but she was still entirely too pale, entirely too spacey.
“Here,” I said, setting them down in front of her.
“That’s too much work… feed me.”
This was hardly any time for inhibitions. I pulled off a piece of cake and I pressed it against Paisley’s lips, and it seemed to shock something in her back into awareness. She opened her mouth, taking the piece of cake, and she chewed it for a second longer than usual before she swallowed.
“Damn, you actually did,” she said, her voice sounding more coherent now. I sagged against the back of the couch.
“Yeah, because I’m scared to death you’re about to wipe out. You could tell me to put on a frilly maid uniform to bring you food and I would, at this point.”
She took another piece of cake. “Just jumping right into your newest fetishes, huh?”
I sighed. “Glad to see you’re well enough to be screwing with me again. Drink some tea, too.”
“Sheesh, snack police over here telling me what order to do what…” But she took a long sip of tea, and I saw the moment in her eyes when she realized how dehydrated she was, and she tipped back nearly the entire cup, going slowly but steadilyuntil there was only a bit left, setting it down and coughing into the crook of her arm. I found my hand going to her back automatically, massaging her as she coughed a second time, harder, rubbing her chest.
“Better?” I said, and she nodded, wiping the crumbs and the tea away from her mouth.
“Ugh… yeah. Spots are starting to go away. That’s embarrassing.”
I felt the knot in my chest drop, uncoiling until I could breathe again. I sank forward in the couch, resting my elbows on my knees and hanging my head. “Scared me half to death, Pais.”
She looked down, and we were quiet for a minute before she murmured, “You’re, um… you’re wearing it.”
“Er…” I cleared my throat. Did she even remember calling me hot in my suit? “It’s just dress code at my new job. Well, the tie isn’t, but I like the look.”
“Notthat.” She gestured to her collar. It took me a second to even place it—the necklace was such an ingrained part of me at this point that I forgot most of the time I had it on, tucked away under my shirt. My hand went to it automatically, and Paisley looked away. “Screwing with me,” she muttered. “Wipe me out of your life altogether but keep the necklace. What kind of logic is that?”
“I… Paisley, I…” I shook my head. My thoughts were all so jumbled, so messy, melted and blurred together at the edges. “It’s not that I wanted to wipe every part of you from my life—”
“Then what is it, huh?” She rounded on me, fire in her eyes, and I wanted to shrink away. I held fast.
“It was keeping myself from coming back here,” I said, fixing my gaze straight ahead. “I… I left for a reason. And if I kept hearing from everyone… if I kept hearing from you… I’d come back.”
She watched me for a while, and I felt her gaze on me like ice pressing into my side, before she sighed, turning away. “But here you are. Back and everything.”
“Yeah. Was… worried about you.”
She hung her head, staring at the floor for a while before she took another piece of cake, popping it into her mouth. “Thanks,” she whispered. “It, uh… it means a lot that you did. Even though I’m mad at you right now.”
I couldn’t get into the complicated flurry of emotions that kicked up right now. I took a long breath. “Tell me you’re going to rest now? I should really be bringing you back to the clinic at this point… I’m going to have to call Doctor Hardy and tell her you jumped out the window and are laying low here.”
“I’ll text her. Relax.” She polished off her tea, setting the mug down lightly. “I need to get back to work ASAP, clear up the mess in the bakery—”
“Paisley. You’re getting yourself killed like this. Please.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “Just… just let me help.”
“I’m not a child. I can handle myself.”
“Please.”
She huffed, falling against the back of the couch, and she folded her arms. It was a quiet minute before she said, “How long… are you here for?”
“Er—good question. I wasn’t really thinking… just booked a flight here.”
She laughed, a soft little sound, glancing out of the corner of her eye at me. “Dropped everything and ran, just for little old me?”
