“You sure?”
“Yep. I’m going to bed anyway.”
Giving her a quick hug, I reminded her to have fun but not get arrested. She slapped my butt as I walked past, and Izzy and Ari offered their best wishes as I made a beeline to my car.
***
The moment I stepped inside the door, I started peeling off the layers, dropping them at my feet. Once I was naked, I stepped under the scalding hot stream of water and rolled my neck, hearing the cracking and creaking of my aching bones. When the water started to cool, I stepped out, dried off, swallowed down a couple of cold and flu tablets, pulled on my favourite fluffy pyjamas with ice cream cones all over them, and collapsed into bed. I hadn’t realised how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. Right now, the world could explode outside my window and I wouldn’t have moved. My big weekend plans included sleeping, sleeping and perhaps a nap. After plugging my phone into the charger, I set it to silent and closed my eyes.
I lost track of the hours. I know I’d woken up a few times to use the bathroom, take more medication and grab another bottle of water, but that was about it. I was just so damn exhausted. Even stumbling out to the kitchen to grab another drink took everything out of me. The last time I’d woken, I’d convinced myself a change of scenery would help and dragged my blanket out to the couch.
A banging at the door interrupted my dozing. Blinking my eyes, I waited for them to adjust. When the knocking came again, I kicked off the blanket and sat up, rubbing the crusted sleep from my eyes. As I went to stand, I wobbled before falling back down again. Taking a deep breath, I tried again but the room spun around me, and I was forced to grab hold of the arm of the chair to keep my balance.
Frustrated, I blew my breath out.
“I’m coming in so you better be wearing pants!” announced a voice I’d recognise anywhere.
Realising it was only Jax and knowing he had his own key, I curled back into a ball and yanked my blanket back over my legs, waiting for him to breeze through the door and start lecturing me. True to form, he didn’t disappoint.
“Geez, you look like shit!”
“Love you too, Jax.”
“Sweetheart! Seriously though, you look terrible. You okay?” I loved how Jax could go from pissed-off bitch to kind, caring and compassionate in the next breath.
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you’re not.”
“I’m just tired. And cold. So fucking cold,” I admitted, tucking the blanket up under my chin.
“When was the last time you ate?” Jax asked as I noticed the plastic bag dangling from his hand.
That one was a brain buster. “Um…chips at the football?” I guessed.
“That was Friday!” Jax squawked, and I was waiting for the old lady next door to bang on the wall and tell us to keep it down. “It’s Sunday afternoon. I’m feeding you.”
I didn’t have the energy to fight with Jax right now. If he wanted to fuss about, then he could go ahead. He stormed past me, and I laid back and closed my eyes. When he started banging and crashing in the kitchen, I knew I wasn’t going to get any rest while he was here. This time when I sat up, I moved slowly, giving myself time for the room to stop spinning.
On wobbly legs, I made my way down the hall, leaning heavily against the wall. “I’m going to have a quick shower while you do…whatever you’re doing,” I told Jax, and he just looked up at me.
“Good! I love you, Elise, but damn, girl, you smell rank!”
“Gee thanks.”
After a quick shower and scrubbing the fuzz from my teeth, I was starting to feel at least a little bit human. Stepping out of the bathroom, I saw my bed had been stripped and something smelt amazing. My stomach rumbled loudly.
“Was that your stomach or your arse?” Jax asked crudely.
“Don’t be a jerk. What are you cooking?” I probed, trying to peer around him to the saucepan bubbling on the stove.
“Chicken soup.”
“Yum.”
“I also got chocolate, tea, ice cream, tissues and more cold and flu tablets.”
This right here was why I loved him. He always knew what I needed even before I did. “Thank you.”
