Chapter 188
It was Hayden,
He was unlocking his door, holding a bag of vegetables in one hand. My sudden movement must’ve startled him, because he turned around, his eyes narrowing slightly.
I just stood there, staring at him like I was having some kind of out–of–body experience. I didn’t say a word -just watched him, completely zoned out.
It wasn’t until Hayden asked, “What’s up?” that I snapped back to reality. I shook my head, still not fully awake.
“Are you sick?” he asked, setting the bag down and stepping closer.
I couldn’t get my mouth to work, so I just shook my head again, even though I wasn’t sure what I was feeling.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt something cool against my forehead–Hayden’s hand. His voice sharpened with concern. “You’re burning up.”
I was still in a daze, barely registering that he was talking about me.
Hayden seemed to pick up on my confusion. Before I could process what was happening, he stepped inside my apartment and scooped me up into his arms. My already light–headed body felt even lighter in his grip, and without thinking, I reached out and clung to him.
He carried me over to the couch, then glanced around, “Where are your slippers?”
It wasn’t until he said that that I realized I’d come to the door barefoot. I hadn’t even noticed. I blinked at him, too out of it to respond.
With a soft sigh, Hayden got up and disappeared into my bedroom. A few moments later, he returned with my slippers, gently slipping them onto my feet. “Do you have a thermometer?” he asked.
“I want some water, I mumbled, ignoring the question
Hayden paused, then went to fill a glass. But when he checked the water pitcher, it was empty.
Without a word, he came back, scooped me up again, and carried me out of my apartment.
I didn’t ask where he was taking me. Somehow, I just trusted him. It didn’t matter where we were going, I knew I was safe in his arms.
Hayden brought me to his place, setting me down gently on his couch. He went straight to the kitchen, put some water on to boil, and returned with a thermometer. Handing it to me, he asked, “Do you know how to use this?”
I hesitated for a second. Sensing that, he placed the thermometer in my hand and, worried I might drop it. gently held my hand in his. “I can’t exactly take your temperature for you. Just put it under your arm.”
Once he was sure I had a grip on it, he let go. “I’ll get you some water, and then we’ll give you some medicine. If it doesn’t get better, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Check your temperature first, okay?” he added when I didn’t move.
Chapter 188
+25 BONUS
“Oh,” I mumbled, snapping out of it. Without thinking, I tugged down my collar and stuck the thermometer under my arm, totally ignoring the fact that Hayden was right there.
He glanced away fast, waiting until I had it in place before heading to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he came back with a glass of water and a pill.
“Here, take this,” he said, handing it over.
I took the pill and water, ready to swallow it like always. But for some reason, I just couldn’t. The pill sat on my tongue, starting to dissolve, spreading that gross, bitter taste all over my mouth. I cringed and opened my mouth to spit it out.
Hayden was quick. He caught the half–melted pill–and my spit–in his hand, not even flinching.
I froze, totally mortified.
“It’s fine. Just sip some water. We’ll try the meds later,” he said, like it was no big deal.
“You want some candy or something?” he asked when he saw I was still out of it.
I didn’t answer, just lowered my head and sipped the water.
He got up and disappeared for a second. When he came back, he had a little clear candy in his hand.
“It’s sugar-free,” he said, holding it out.
I didn’t open my mouth, but a wave of nostalgia hit me.
When I was a kid, my parents always gave me sugar–free candy after medicine. They worried about cavities, so real sweets were rare. But every now and then, they’d hand me one of these and pretend it was some big treat.
Something inside me softened. Hayden stood there, patient, waiting for me to
