Slowly We Trust (Fall and Rise #3)(58)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“Oh, okay. I still wish you would have asked me, but I can’t blame you for turning down an opportunity to drive a really nice ride. Your plans tomorrow wouldn’t have anything to do with secret Valentine’s Day plans, would it?” His eyes sparkled and it took me a second to realize what he thought I was doing tomorrow.

In all the chaos, I’d almost completely forgotten about Valentine’s Day. I’d have to do something good for Will. He was definitely going to do something amazing. I didn’t know how he could top the Universal tickets, but he would. I knew it.

And it made me feel awful. Lying was a sickness. It started out small, but then grew, eating away at you until you were so sick with it, there was nothing you could do. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up.

I just had to get through tomorrow, and hope that Eddie was a match so they could do the transplant. Emily would be fine and I could go back to my life with Will.

“It might,” I said, lying.

“Gotcha. Well, I’ve got something in the works for you, too. You’re going to die. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t wait to see your face. It’s going to be epic.” I had no doubt that it was.

“You done?” I nodded and he picked up the containers and put them in the trash for me.

“Why is it that you’re so clean here, yet your place is a wreck?”

“Don’t spare my feelings, Aud,” he said, pretending I’d wounded him.

“You know what I’m asking. And I mean a wreck in the best sense of the word.” He knew I was teasing.

“Because this is your place. It’s not mine. I’m a guest here and I want to keep it nice for you. I’m afraid that one of these days I’m going to leave a mess and you’re going to realize I’m a slob and break up with me.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I know, but I’m always afraid you’re going to break up with me. You know how they say if something feels too good to be true, then it probably is? This is one of those things. You are one of those things.”

No, I wasn’t. I’d just let him believe I was. I’d gotten angry with him for putting me on a pedestal, but I’d let him put me there. I needed to show him more of my flaws. But, being Will, he probably wouldn’t see them as flaws.

“I’m not going to break up with you,” I said. But he might break up with me.

“Well, I’m definitely not breaking up with you. You’re awesome.” He flopped back down on the bed and kissed my knee. I knew that him kissing any part of my body below the waist was going to lead to more kissing in other areas. I was still using sex to deal with my problems, but as long as it was working, I was going to keep doing it.

“You are also awesome. Even if you’re a little messy.” I picked up after him every now and then, but I never said anything about it. I didn’t mind. It was so minor. I kept waiting to discover something about Will that would drive me crazy and make me want to strangle him in his sleep, but as of yet, no luck. Maybe I had to give it a few years. If we’d have that together. If I could get through tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Aud left early the next morning. I tried to wake up with her, but I still felt like I was coming down with something, so I stayed in bed. She just kissed me on the cheek and said she’d call me and let me know when she was coming back.

“I’ll be here. Waiting,” I mumbled and she stroked my face with her long fingers before softly shutting the door.

Most of my day was spent in bed. The sickness I’d tried to somehow ignore had hit me full force. Between the bathroom and the tissue box, I was miserable. I wished Aud could have stayed with me, but on the other hand, I didn’t want her to see me like this. I was disgusting.

I wasn’t surprised Lottie showed up with a sickness kit she’d put together.

“How you feelin’, little bro?” She felt my forehead and stared into my eyes. I squinted up at her.

“Like shit.”

“I know. I can tell. And you don’t have your woman here to take care of you.”

“Aud doesn’t need to take care of me. I’m not some helpless guy who can’t tie his shoes,” I said, but she ignored me and started clearing a space on Aud’s desk and taking things out of the bag she’d brought.

“I brought stuff to make Mom’s soup. I didn’t know how I was going to make it in the microwave, but Stryker had a hotplate, so I borrowed it from him.” She searched for an outlet and plugged the hotplate in. “Be right back, darling.” I just closed my eyes and willed my stomach to stay still. She came back with some water and then proceeded to start chopping onions on a little cutting board she’d also brought with her. Mom’s soup definitely worked, but it was kinda disgusting. Onions, garlic, herbs, chicken broth, a whole lot of other things that I couldn’t remember. I’d tried to make it before, but I guess only the women in my family are allowed to have the recipe.

“That smells disgusting,” I said as the onion smell wafted across the room to my bed. I turned my back on her and stuffed my face into Aud’s pillow which was still drenched in her scent.

“But it will make you better, so shut up.” The sound of the knife against the cutting board was soothing, and Lottie hummed as she chopped.

“I think I’m going to die,” I said as my stomach lurched again. I’d already thrown up everything that could possibly be in my stomach three times over.

Lottie just pushed the trash can closer to the edge of the bed.

“You’re just being dramatic. I wouldn’t let you die. Then Audrey would get mad at me and she’s going to be a lawyer. You don’t piss off a lawyer. They know how to get around the law.” That was true. If Aud and I got married, I’d already resigned myself to losing every argument we’d ever have, and not just because I was a guy.

“Your humming is driving me crazy,” I said a few minutes later.

“Fine, then turn on the TV.” I did, and flipped it to a Walking Dead marathon.

“Seriously? You’ve been throwing up and this is what you choose to watch?” Lottie said as one of the characters sunk an axe through a zombie’s skull with a wet crunching sound.

“This is my comfort show. I don’t make fun of yours, so don’t make fun of mine.”

She snorted.

“You make fun of my shows all the time, you liar.”