Page 168 of Ice Mechanic

“Where am I?” I ask out loud. “What happened?”

“You’re in bed at home. You’re sick with the flu,” Chance says.

I glance at the discarded tissue paper and the empty flu medicine packets on the ground. “Really?”

He nods and his dark, Prince Eric hair flops forward. “May said you don’t get sick often, but when you do it’sbad. You’ve been struggling to breathe for two days now.”

I blink once. Then twice. The dream where I fell in the mechanic bay feltsoreal. I can’t believe it was just a figment of my own, sick mind.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Chance asks as he wrings the excess water from the rag and sets it neatly against the edge of a bowl.

“You can say that.”

“Was the nightmare that I wasn’t there when you needed me?” he teases.

I crack a small smile. “Whatareyou doing here? Don’t you have that commercial this week?”

“It’s later today,” Chance says.

I try to shoo him away. “What are you doing here? You need to get to the airport.”

Chance doesn’t look flustered at all. He instead takes a cup of orange juice from the desk and offers it to me.

I push his hand away.

He insists.

I finally accept the drink. “How long until you have to leave?”

“Not sure.”

His answer makes my insides twist and wrench. “Let me drive you back to the airport.”

“You’re not strong enough to drive. Even if you were, I’m not flying out today.”

“Chance, you can’t ditch your commercial. Derek was very clear. You’re on probation with the team. You have to fulfill all your obligations before they announce that you’re back officially.”

“Skipping one commercial won’t hurt me.”

“Really? Because I read the contract and you’ll be next to bankrupt if you don’t. They were very clear about the penalization fees.”

He clears his throat and mumbles, “I knew I shouldn’t have shown you the contract.”

“You have to go.”

“Then… I should probably head out now. I’m already late as is.”

Immediately, a lump forms in my throat. Despite telling him to leave, despite knowing hehasto and it’s what we agreed on, my heart screams with pain and I feel a distinct sense of loss.

Chance braces one hand on my headboard, leans over and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead.

“Feel better soon. And call me.”

I nod, watching him turn.

The moment he starts to leave, my hand takes on a mind of its own and I’m suddenly shooting out my arm to grab the hem of his shirt.

Chance turns around with a startled expression.

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