Page 55 of Ties That Bind Us

“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to. You need someone to nurse you back to health. Speaking of which,”—he leaned forward, being careful not to jostle me too much, and grabbed a glass from the coffee table—“drink this.”

“Whatever you say, Dr. Nick,” I teased, but took it from him eagerly, hoping to calm my burning throat, thinking it was just water. A horrible taste filled my mouth and I nearly spit it right back out all over the living room. “Ugh! What is this? It’s awful!”

Nick smirked. “It’s a vitamin superpack. My mom used to give them to my brothers and me when we were younger. It’s supposed to build your immune system back up.”

“Well, it’s disgusting.” I cringed and handed the glass back to him without taking another sip.

“You’re going to be a difficult patient, aren’t you?” Nick laughed, shaking his head slightly.

“Did you expect anything less?” A small smile escaped my lips and I shut my eyes, wanting to just fall right back asleep on Nick’s chest.

“Not at all.” He kissed my forehead. “How about this? Tell me a few things you will drink and I can run to the store. You need to stay hydrated, so you’re going to have to drink something.”

“Can’t you just stay right here?” I mumbled, pretending I was falling asleep.

“You need cold medicine and I don’t have any around here. It’s just down the street, I’ll be gone for fifteen minutes. Besides, you need to try to get some more rest.

“Don’t pout,” he scolded gently. “Doctors orders.” He slid out from under me and replaced a pillow where his body had been, propping me up a little bit. “Now, what can I bring back that you’ll actually drink?”

“Hmm, how about Sprite . . . and Gatorade,” I finally decided.

“Interesting combination.” Nick laughed. “But what my girl wants, my girl gets. Try to get some more sleep and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He bent down and kissed my cheek one more time before heading out.

“Thank you,” I squeaked, snuggling down beneath the blankets.

Nick left and at some point while he was gone, I fell asleep. It only lasted a few minutes, though, as I couldn’t get comfortable. First I was hot, then I was cold. Everything hurt and the idea of moving sounded torturous. It had been a long time since I’d been sick like this, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. I was close to finals for my classes, searching for a new internship, and we still had a lot to do for the wedding. Next week, our families were hosting an engagement party for us, and while I was looking forward to it, a small part of me wished we could sneak away and do things on our own terms. And now, on top of all of that, Nick had had to cancel his entire trip for me. He would never admit it, but he was under a lot of stress as he was preparing for his new role as well.

My throat throbbed and I desperately needed some water. I got up and stumbled into the kitchen, which wasn’t an easy feat when my headache was causing me to see double. Somehow, I managed to get a cup and fill it with water, chugging it immediately.

“All right, I’ve got Sprite, I’ve got Gatorade, I have Tylenol Cold . . .” Nick said as he came through the front door. “Ava?” he called, noticing I wasn’t on the couch anymore.

“In here,” I called, my voice nearly gone.

“What are you doing up?” He frowned, setting all of the grocery bags down on the counter.

“I was thirsty,” I said, filling my glass one more time.

“You should have waited for me,” he insisted, rushing to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist.

“I’m sick, Nick, not completely useless,” I snapped.

“I’m going to ignore that because you’re not feeling well.”

I thought about fighting him on it but it was futile. I felt like shit and if he wanted to wait on me hand and foot, who was I to stop him? I let him lead me back over to the couch and lay back down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“Is there anything that sounds good to eat?” He pulled the blanket over me again and felt my forehead. I wasn’t the least bit hungry, but I decided to placate him.

“My mom used to make me chicken noodle soup when I was sick,” I suggested, expecting him to order takeout. I used to secretly like getting sick when I was little. My mom would always make a big pot of chicken and noodles just for me, she’d sleep in my room with me, and spend days just doting on me and nursing me back to health, watching movies and reading books. Anytime any of us were sick, we received the same treatment, and all the other kids would be jealous.

“Sure.” Nick smiled, looking slightly like a deer in the headlights. The only thing I’d ever seen him cook was eggs and bacon. “I can do that.”

Nick disappeared into the kitchen and was gone for nearly an hour. I drifted in and out of sleep during that time, wondering what was possibly taking so long. Did he have to kill the chicken? I was ready to have him come lay with me and cuddle.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nick emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with food and a bouquet of flowers.

“Okay.” He sighed, setting the tray down on the coffee table and arranging a few things. “This is my first attempt at making chicken soup, so cut me a little slack.” He grinned.

I stared back at him and a wave of emotion struck me. Here was a man standing in front of me who had canceled his trip to take care of me, ran out when I needed Sprite and Gatorade on a whim, and had now tried to make me chicken noodle soup even though he hardly understood how to turn the oven on. Those were just the things he’d done for me in the last few hours. Nick was incredible. He was everything I could have ever asked for, and then some. No one had ever cared for me quite like Nick had, not even my parents. How had I gotten so lucky?

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