“Um, okay. Yes, sorry. Thank you.”
I pause briefly before stepping aside from the doorway to let him enter. After closing the door, I head to the bed and lie down. My clothes still line the floor to the bathroom. There was no energy left in my body to pick those up after showering.
Jude places the water on the counter near the coffee maker. “Kendall mentioned hydration packets,” he says, opening a bottle.
I barely turn to point at the nightstand and say, “There.”
As I lie in bed, my brain is foggy, and I can’t stop sweating. More water is going to help, and I’m grateful I brought those packets. Jude walks over to the bed. I hear him open a packet and shake the bottle.
He shakes it up one last time and takes off the cap. “Sit up and sip on this.”
I do what he says. The water is refreshing.
Jude walks to the bathroom. The sound of running water catches my attention, making me curious, but I lack the energy to do anything about it. He walks back into the room holding a couple of wet face cloths. I can’t drink anymore of the water, so I slide it on the nightstand. Jude places one of the face cloths on the back of my neck and the other on my forehead. He glides his fingers down my cheek. All I can smell is his fresh rain scent, and it calms my body.
“The face cloths are a good idea, thank you.” I somehow sink even further into the bed. “I’ll be fine. You can head out.”
“That’s not happening.” He pulls the chair closer to the bed and sits down. Kicking his feet up on the bed, he says, “I’m staying right here.”
Exhaustion takes over, and I don’t have it in me to argue with him. These face cloths are cooling me down. I lean up to take another few sips of my water, but he does it for me. I definitely didn’t drink enough water today. I’m a bit distracted by him, but I need to relax and focus on drinking this water.Don’t drink it too fast, you’ll end up nauseous and you don’t want to vomit all over him.
He takes the bottle from me, and I lie back down on my side. Next thing I know, there’s a hand on my back, rubbing it.
Is Jude rubbing my back?
My brain can’t comprehend what I’m asking of it. All I know is the back rub is relaxing, and I let out a slight moan. It’stoogood. Jude continues to rub my back, as I realize he is lying next to me. He is really close.
“Hey, can I get you some more water?” he asks with concern in his voice.
With my face now buried in the pillow, I nod. I’m avoiding his gaze. My cheeks are flushed, and I can’t figure out if I still don’t feel well or if it’s because he is so close. When he stops rubbing my back, I feel the bed dip, and he gets off. Takinga deep breath and letting it out, I turn over and scoot up the headboard to sit up. He already has the bottle ready with the powder in it, and he hands it to me.
I am extremely thirsty, but I need to be careful not to chug it. Checking my phone’s time, I see it’s 5:30 in the evening. I slept for a couple of hours, or so I think. Right now, I have a distorted perception of time. I take one last sip and give it to Jude, who sets it on the nightstand.
“Do you want me to get cool face cloths for you again?”
“Yes, I’m still hot.” This makes me think about all the times Jude was there taking care of me when I got sick. My heart races. He cared for me back then, and he is caring for me now. It’s surreal. Tingles shoot throughout my body as I realize he still cares about me. I should have known after last night, but this confirms it. He wouldn’t have invited me last night, nor would he be here now, if he didn’t care.
I’m getting hot again. I hear the door open and a quickbangon what I think is the door latch. Smart guy. He can get back in without bothering me. A few minutes later, he comes back in with an ice bucket. He places cool cloths on my head and neck, adding an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the back of my neck. My temperature feels like it is going down. But my heart? Well, that’s racing faster now that he’s so close to my face. The thought of reaching up and pulling his lips to mine is tempting.
He walks around the bed and gets on it. “You should try getting some more rest,” he says as he swipes a piece of hair off my face. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No, don’t leave me.” I’m in a daze of my own making. The words come out, and it feels like twelve years ago.
I want him to kiss me, but he rests his head on the pillow, and he rubs my head. Oh my, I think, as a wave of relaxation washes over me and my eyelids flutter shut. A tingling races up my spinewith every soothing motion of his fingers. The room feels cooler, and soon, the world fades away as I drift into a peaceful sleep.
The sun’s rays may be shining on me, but I have no intention of leaving this bed. Exhaustion clings to me. Wait, I’m not on a pillow. There’s warmth underneath my head.
What am I on?
Curiosity stirs me to shift my head and slowly open my eyes. It can’t be. A sudden realization courses through me—my head is resting on Jude’s chest. His gentle hand moves across my back, sending a shiver through my body. I can’t help but smile as I tilt my head upward to meet his gaze, his eyes reflecting the morning light. Wait, it’s morning already?
“How are you feeling? You aren’t burning up and shaking anymore.”
“Is that why I’m snuggled up to you?” I’m questioning all my life choices. Allowing him to invade my space, take care of me, and sleep beside me? God. I clearly wasn’t thinking last night. My brain overheated. The last thing I remember, I was falling asleep on my side of the bed with Jude using his fingers to caress my head. I remember how my body reacted to his touch, but then it was lights out.
“I wasn’t sure what else to do when you were shaking, so I scooted you over and held you.” He’s brushing his fingers through my hair. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid to move in case it starts all over again,” I say, playing with the hem of his shirt.
