Page 109 of The Charmer

Now that he mentioned it, my stomach was rumbling. Though I didn't know if it was with hunger or with another bout of vomit—fingers crossed that it was the former.

After Julian left, I stared at the ceiling, realizing it was a full-blown painting. It looked almost as old as the house and was absolutely breathtaking. It wasn't a pattern, simply swirls of color, sage and light brown and nature hues. I could look at it endlessly; it was so relaxing. I took in a deep breath, breathing out slowly.

Julian returned in no time at all, holding a plate with two slices of toast and a glass of water.

He put them on the nightstand, but when I tried to push myself up, he said, "Stop. I’ll help you. Here."

He slid a hand between my back and the mattress, then pushed me up. God, this side of him was beyond anything I'd expected. He was so gentle with me. I straightened up and didn't get nauseous this time. He propped the pillow against the headrest, and I settled against it.

"How are you feeling?"

"No nausea."

"That's good."

He held the plate of toast for me, and I reached for a slice, munching on it with very small bites. I chewed it carefully before swallowing.

"I think I can eat this," I said after a few moments.

"That's good."

I took two more bites before taking a break.

"This is good. It hasn't made me feel like puking."

I was feeling a bit more optimistic as I moved on to the second slice.

"Don't eat it too fast," Julian cautioned.

"You're right."

"Want to try and drink some water?"

I eyed the glass. Somehow, I felt like that might not work. "Do I have to?"

Julian laughed, and I knew I sounded like a kid. "The doctor said that if you can't keep down liquids, he'll have to give you an IV."

I raised a brow. "That's a bit much, isn't it?"

"No. He asked me exactly how many times you threw up last night. When I told him, he got concerned. That's why he agreed to come."

“Then I'll try a few sips."

I was even more cautious than with the toast. Julian was holding the glass as if he feared I didn't have enough strength to do that myself. It was endearing.

I took a few very small sips and said, "I think I can keep this down, but I don't want to overdo it."

"All right. My instructions are to get you to drink half of this glass before he shows up."

"Which is when?"

"Half an hour, give or take."

"Bossy doctor," I complained. "And you're bossy too. I'm sick. Aren't you supposed to be nice to me?"

Julian cocked a brow but didn’t reply.

Over the next half hour, I dutifully drank while also eating my toast. It all stayed in my stomach, thank goodness.

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