Page 56 of Tempt Me

He doesn’t leave me.

He sits beside me on the bed, whispering quiet words of comfort. He presses a cool cloth against my forehead, and sometimes I feel his fingertips on the inside of my wrist. He cradles me against his chest as he holds a glass of water to my lips. It soothes my aching throat. He tells me stories about Argentina, and they filter into my dreams. Vineyards bursting with deep purple grapes that smell earthy sweet. A sunset over mountains, brilliant ribbons of orange and pink.

In the middle of the night, I wake up drenched in sweat. I moan, shivering, my apartment dark and empty. For a moment, I panic, feeling disoriented and alone.

“Caden?” I whimper.

Suddenly, he’s there.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I’ve got you.” I’m lifted in the air and placed on my couch. I hear the shuffle of movement as Caden strips my bed and changes the sheets. He changes my clothes too. I don’t even have the energy to be embarrassed. None of this feels real. I’m in a dream state, the lines between reality and hallucination blurring. Maybe Caden isn’t here at all. Maybe I’m just imagining him.

Time passes and I must fall back to sleep because suddenly, I’m waking up to a knock on the door.

I hear Caden’s footsteps. I’m too tired to open my eyes.

The door creaks open and then I hear a surprised, “Oh. Hi.”

“You’re still here?” Charlotte’s voice wraps around my consciousness.

I don’t hear a reply to that.

“Is she okay?” Charlotte demands.

I try to peel my lids open but they’re so heavy.

“She’s sleeping,” Caden says quietly. “I had a doctor come by yesterday. He says it’s a really bad case of the flu. He told me to monitor her for forty-eight hours. So I’ve got…twenty two hours to go. She doesn’t seem to be getting worse, but she’s not really improving either.”

“What about Luke? Does he know she’s sick?”

Luke is on a dragon,I think.

“I texted him from Isla’s phone yesterday,” Caden says. “I still haven’t heard back. She said he’s at a bachelor party?”

“Right,” Charlotte says. I feel like I can hear her eyes roll. “The private island. It’s all weekend. He told her he probably wouldn’t have service.”

There’s a long pause.

“Well, thanks, but I can take it from here,” Charlotte says.

“I don’t mind staying,” Caden says quickly. “I’m already exposed to whatever this is. May as well stay the course.”

I don’t want Caden to leave. He’s made me feel so safe. But my mouth feels gluey and I can’t find the words. I hear Charlotte make a slight noise, like a combination of a huff and a growl.

“Please,” he begs. “Let me take care of her. Just until the forty-eight hours are up. I have a doctor on speed dial. If anything happens, I can get her to a hospital. You know my name can open doors, get her care as quickly as possible. I just…the fever needs to break.”

There’s a pause. “Fine. Here’s my number. I want updates every hour. Got it?”

“Every hour,” Caden promises.

“This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you for what you put her through. For leaving her the way you did.”

I hear a catch of breath. Then silence.

“I understand,” Caden says at last.

There are more footsteps and then I feel the cool press of Charlotte’s lips against my forehead.

“Get some rest,” she whispers.

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