“I might have lied and said you were going to check in on me.”
“That settles it,” he said. “You’ve already virtually promised me to look after you. If anything were to happen, your family’s going to hold me accountable, right? So, I’d better be there to make good on that promise.”
“That’s ridiculous, you know,” she said, but her tone had softened.
“Not at all. I won’t get in your way, I promise. I’ll even book my own room. But you’ll have someone to bring you soup and ride with you if you have to go back to the clinic.”
She coughed, and when she spoke again, her voice was raspier than ever. “I’m not at the hotel anymore.”
“Where are you?” He sat upright, envisioning her in the hospital, an oxygen tube in her nose and an IV pinned to her hand.
“I booked an Airbnb since I’m going to be stuck here for another two weeks or so,” she said quietly. “Now, I have a kitchen and laundry and stuff.”
“Would you like me to get a hotel room nearby?” he asked carefully, not wanting to overstep any bounds, since he was already sort of forcing this visit on her.
“No,” she whispered. “It’s okay. You can stay here with me.”
“All right, then. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
10
Ruby was awakened by the doorbell, confused as she squinted at her phone, because Flynn wasn’t supposed to be here for another two hours. But when she shuffled downstairs to the door, a deliveryman stood there with a large paper sack, which he handed to her, speaking rapidly in French. She didn’t catch a single word, but the package was warm beneath her fingers, like it contained food.
“Pardon,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t order anything. I think you’re at the wrong door.”
He pointed at the receipt stapled to the bag, which had her name on it, before walking to a blue sedan parked at the curb. Ruby stood there for another moment in confusion before she closed the door and made her way slowly back upstairs to the little one bedroom flat she’d rented here in Paris until she could fly home.
She paused at the top of the stairs, coughing and wheezing while she caught her breath, one hand pressed against her chest. Those stairs were killing her, but unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to find a ground floor rental on such short notice.
Once she’d recovered, she bolted the door behind her and carried the package into the kitchen. What was it, and where had it come from? Inside, she found a large plastic container of soup and a loaf of French bread. Her stomach gurgled at the sight. Damn, that looked good. Her first thought was that Flynn had done this, but it could have easily come from her parents, her sister, or even Megan. Ruby knew they were all worrying about her.
And while she was really and truly capable of handling this on her own, she also couldn’t deny that it would be nice to have someone else around, someone to hang out with while she was confined to her rented flat, someone to run down to the market and grab food or medicine so she didn’t have to go out herself. Plus, it would be good just to see him. She’d missed him…a lot.
If only she was seeing him again for happier reasons. It definitely wasn’t ideal to let a man she’d recently slept with for the first time and liked more than anyone she’d dated in recent years to come take care of her when she looked and felt like shit. Her vanity cried at the injustice.
But still, she couldn’t wait to see him.
She pulled out a bowl from one of the cabinets and a ladle from the drawer next to the oven and scooped out a bowl of soup. She stirred, inhaling the scent of chicken and herbs. It seemed to be a French approximation of chicken noodle, and it smelled delicious. She pulled up a barstool to the counter and sat, ridiculously glad for a hot meal she hadn’t had to prepare herself.
The soup was seasoned in a way she wasn’t used to but really liked, despite her compromised appetite. She’d eaten several spoonfuls when her phone began to ring. Her sister Liza’s name showed on the screen.
“Hey,” she said as she connected the call.
“How are you feeling?” Liza asked.
“Pretty crummy, but nothing unexpected.” Ruby sipped from her soup.
“Is Flynn there yet?” she asked.
“No, but he will be soon.”
“And you’re sure this is what you want? I could fly out. Or Mom. She’s having a fit knowing you’re stranded over there by yourself, you know.”
“I know.” Ruby smiled into her soup. Her family knew as well as she did that she could handle a bout with pneumonia, but they worried. They’d always worried about her, and they always would. “Flynn’s great, really. I’ll be in good hands.”
“You like him a lot, huh?” Liza asked.
“I do.” Ruby stirred her spoon through the soup, watching as various herbs swirled across the surface. “I’m glad I’ll get to see him again before I come home.”
