Page 85 of Protect

“You can’t guarantee me you won’t get sick—” She stops mid-sentence and looks at me with the strangest look on her face, clamping her hand over her mouth. Neither of us move for a beat and then she’s gone, darting down the hall to her bathroom. I follow her in as she drops to her knees in front of the toilet, grasping for her hair to keep it back before she gets sick, but I’mquicker, scooping it into my hands and grabbing a clip off the bathroom counter, securing the strands back.

Yeah, there’s not a shot in hell I’m leaving this house right now.

“I’ll be right outside the door if you need me, Vi,” I tell her.

She nods and I make my way outside, closing the door and making my way down the hall to double check that Hollie is still sleeping and then I keep busy. I can faintly hear Violette getting sick and there’s not much I can do about that. There’s no way I’d want her in the bathroom if the tables were turned. I can only be there for her after, so instead, I clean up her place one toy and dish at a time.

I use my wrist again to press it light as a feather to Hollie’s forehead, the same way my mother always used to do for me. She’s cool, but covered with sweat, sleeping comfortably, like Vi said, probably through the worst of it.

When I’m done tidying, I head to Violette’s hallway linen closet and grab a fresh washcloth, then lean my head against the bathroom door.

“I have some electrolytes and a washcloth if you want them,” I tell her.

“Okay…” Violette says meekly. I cast a glance at a still sleeping Hollie and then make my way in.

“Is Hollie?—”

“She’s asleep, and cool,” I say.

Violette’s bloodshot hazel eyes snap to mine.

“You checked her temp?”

“Well, it was just the wrist test, but she doesn’t seem feverish anymore.”

Violette leans her head back against the tub. I run the cloth under hot water then ring it out.

“Thank you…but, Rowan, you don’t have to stay,” she says as I make my way over to her and pat her forehead with the cloth for a second. She closes her eyes.

“Let’s just get this outta the way right now. I’m staying,” I tell her.

She must be tired, because she just nods.

“Feel good?”

“Mm-hmm,” she says. Her eyes snap open. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“Nah, you sleep in bed. I’ll stay up and watch over Hollie. Gotta catch up on my sports highlights anyway,” I tell her.

“If she wakes up, come get me, there’s toddler electrolytes in the fridge and?—"

“I told you, I’m here. I’m on it. You just need to rest; we’ll be right in the next room.”

I fold the cloth and place it on her forehead then sit down across from her.

“And just to remind you, I’m a trained medic, you’d have to do a lot worse than a little stomach bug to get me to leave. Even if you did sound like a boot came out of you.” I smirk, handing her a Gatorade. She takes it right away, and sips from it.

“Shut up,” she says, closing her eyes again. We sit like this for all of five minutes before that look is crossing her face again, and I know it’s my cue to give her some privacy.

I huff out a breath when I close the bathroom door behind me as I make my way back to the kitchen, taking some time to wash my hands. I’m notactuallysuperhuman, I could get sick.

I spend the next hour checking between her and Hollie. Violette doesn’t move from the bathroom floor the entire time. When she finally does move, she gets lightheaded, so I pick her up and carry her to her room, tucking her into her bed. I pull the blankets up over her and kiss her hot forehead.

“I’ve got Hols, you just get some sleep,” I tell her.

She nods and her eyes flutter closed. “Thank you, Rowan.”

A tight twinge centers in my chest. The idea that Violette trusts me with Hollie hits me a little harder than I expected. I make my way to the bathroom and give it a quick clean. By now, Violette is asleep and doesn’t even notice what I’m doing.

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