Page 20 of Toxic

“But what?” I demanded.

“He’s a bit of a player.”

“Oh, I figured that. He’s too beautiful not to be,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

She chuckled. “I’m sure Toxic would be thrilled to hear you calling him beautiful.” Her tone said that he wouldn’t care for it much. Probably too pretty of a word for his overlymasculine self. “Well, I’ve always gotten the impression that he’s just been…having fun…until he met the right woman. Toxic is actually a really good guy.”

“Hmmm,” I said in answer. When she started to speak, I cut her off. “No, I can see that though. He didn’t have to come help me out. Or make me breakfast. Or insist I shower and sleep. I just-”

“He what?” she asked, sounding shocked.

“He’s just been helping,” I told her.

“Honey. That’s not helping. Helping is feeding the pigs. He’s taking care of you.”

I knew it, but wasn’t ready to face that reality. “Because you asked him to. Which was why I thought maybe you and him were-”

“We’re not,” she said, cutting me off. “That’s him doing all that. I had nothing to do with it.”

“Why do you sound…smug?” I asked, suspicion coloring my tone.

“Because I think Toxic may have found his old lady,” she said, now sounding gleeful.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“I know,” she said with a little laugh. “But you will. And something tells me it’ll be soon.”

“Youcould just tell me instead of speaking in riddles.”

“Hmmmm, no. I don’t think I will. He’s got this under control.”

“Keels-”

“I love you. Good luck. Give Gramps a kiss from me.”

I stared down at the phone as she disconnected the call. “What the-”

“Oh, you’re back!”

I looked up at the smiling nurse. She was the same one who’d been working this morning when I left to head home. “Yeah. How’s he doing?”

She frowned at me. “He’s resting. Hasn’t woken up again, but the doctor said that’s to be expected. Ummm…Honey?”

“Yes?” I asked. She was so sweet. I’d heard her calling everyone honey as she spoke to them.

“You’re not looking so good.”

I patted my hair. I hadn’t thrown up so I knew there wasn’t anything in it. “What do you mean?”

“You’re really pale and looking a bit green around the gills,” she told me in an unnaturally happy tone as she grabbed my arm and led me into a room. “Hop on up there.”

I climbed up onto the bed, listening to the paper crinkle as I twisted to follow her around the room with my gaze. “What are you doing?”

She popped a thermometer into my mouth before I could close it. “Just checking you out.” There was a little clip on the end of my forefinger and a blood pressure cuff on my upper arm before her words were processed. “Oh, Sweetie,” she said as she pulled the thermometer out of my mouth. “You’re running a fever.”

No. That wasn’t possible. I didn’t get sick. Like…ever. “What?” I whispered.

“I’m going to have to send you home.”

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