Page 109 of Forbidden Harmony

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m -”

She sneezed three times in rapid succession.This time she grabbed her cramping stomach and tried not to moan too loudlybefore fishing a tissue out of her purse and wiping her nose.

“Listen, I’d better go,” she wheezed. “Ireally need to lie down, and I’ll make you sick if I stay here much longer.Thank you again for – oh my goodness!”

Preacher had scooped her up and she staredwide-eyed at him as he carried her up the narrow staircase to his apartment.

“What are you doing?” she said.

He carried her to his bed and set her downnext to it. He pulled her sweatshirt over her head. She was wearing a stainedt-shirt under it but before she could be embarrassed by that, he had pulled itover her head too.

Suddenly too damn tired to protest, she lethim take off her bra, her flip flops, and her yoga pants. He pulled the coversback and made her climb into bed. She rubbed at her forehead and kept her eyesclosed as he rifled through the Walgreens bag.

“Sunshine, do you need this right now?”

She cracked open an eye. Preacher washolding the box of tampons and she wanted to pull the covers over her head withembarrassment. “Uh, no, I’m okay for now.”

“I’ll put them in the bathroom for you,” hesaid.

She squeezed her eyes shut as he turned andcarried them into the bathroom before returning. She heard him moving aroundin the kitchen and after a few minutes, he said, “Sit up.”

“I’m tired,” she said. “My head hurts sobad, Preacher.”

“I know, baby.” The bed dipped as he satdown beside her and slid a hand under her neck. “Sit up for me, just for aminute.”

He tugged lightly until she sat up. Shewas shivering despite how warm she was, and he squeezed her neck gently. “Openyour eyes.”

She blinked at him as he pushed the glassof orange juice into her hand. “Drink.”

She drank some juice. It was cold and painfulon her sore throat, but she took the pills he gave her without protest. Shewashed them down with more juice and he smoothed back the strands of hair thathad fallen out of her ponytail and were plastered across her sweaty cheeks.

“Hot,” she said.

“You have a fever,” he said. “The medicinewill help you feel better. Okay?”

“Okay,” she mumbled.

“I have to go back to work,” he said. “I’llput your phone on the nightstand. Just text me if you need anything and I’llcome upstairs.”

Tears slid down her cheeks and he wipedthem away. “Don’t cry, baby.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” shewhispered.

He rubbed her cheekbone with his thumbbefore pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Get some rest. I’ll check onyou in a bit.”

She curled up on her side and he tucked thecovers around her, closed the blinds on the window so the apartment was shroudedin comforting darkness, and left.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When she woke up, he was sitting beside heron the bed, scrolling through his phone. She sat up and scrubbed at her face.

“What time is it?” Her voice sounded likea shovel being scraped over gravel and she swallowed gingerly. She didn’tobject when he pressed his hand against her forehead.

“Just after seven,” he said. “Do you feelbetter?”

“A little, I think. My head doesn’t hurtas bad.”

“Good. Your fever is gone.”

---