Page 37 of Best Mistake Ever
Someone crouches back down next to me and I’m aware of them putting their hand on my arm. ‘Here’s the water. Can you take a drink?’
After a few moments, I’m able to lift my head and I look round at whoever’s next to me.
It’s Jonah.
Of course it is.
‘You okay?’ he asks, his expression concerned.
‘Yeah, I’m okay now. Thought I was going to pass out, but… no.’
‘You scared me. I thought you were having some sort of fit. You didn’t even seem to know your own name and thought you were stuck on an island or something.’
I frown, then suck in a sharp breath as panic sinks through me.Dammit. In my dazed state, I’d forgotten I’m supposed to be Dee.
‘Um. Sorry, I’m not sure what happened. I was really woozy and disorientated.’
Jonah shakes his head, then presses his mouth into a line. ‘Perhaps you should go home?’
‘No!’ I shake my head, then reach for the glass in his hand. He releases it to me and I take a long, deep drink of water.
‘I’m all right now. As long as I don’t have to deal with any injuries.’ I flash him a sheepish grin.
‘Okay. Well, I’m just going to find the medical box for our friend here, then I’ll be back to check on you again.’
I nod, then wave a hand towards the poor guy who just came in looking for a plaster and ended up dealing with a fainting woman. ‘Sorry about all this,’ I say in his general direction, not allowing myself to look at him again in case I catch sight of any more blood.
‘No worries. Hope you feel better soon,’ he says.
I’m aware of the two of them leaving the room and as soon as the door shuts, I put my head into my hands and groan.
What a wimp! And how embarrassing to have been caught having a funny turn by Jonah.
He returns a few minutes later, by which time, I’ve got up from the floor and sat with my head between my knees to make sure I’m not going to nearly pass out again.
‘How are you doing now?’ he asks, approaching where I’m sitting in my office chair.
‘Physically, I’m fine. Mentally, I’m in a bit of a state.’ I give him an apologetic smile. ‘I can’t believe I lost the plot like that when I’m supposed to be in charge.’
‘Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it. It happens.’
‘Not to most people,’ I point out.
He shrugs. ‘No, but it’s a real thing. A friend of mine from uni can’t see blood without throwing up. There was nothing he could do about it. It’s not a failure of character, Dee, if that’s what you’re worried about?’
‘I guess I am.’ I frown down at the desk. ‘I’d be useless in a medical emergency if someone needed my help and honestly, that really scares me.’
‘Sure, but it’s unlikely you’d be the only person around to help, right?’
‘Yeah, maybe.’
He perches on the edge of my desk and looks down at me with a steady gaze. ‘Don’t let it get to you. We all have our idiosyncrasies. I know I do.’
His kindness warms me. It suddenly makes him seem so much more human and relatable. He’s nothing like the stereotypical, arrogant, bad-boy rock star I naïvely had him pegged as before I got to know him. I experience a wave of shame about judging him so harshly based on what I’d read on social media.
Looking into his gorgeous, intelligent eyes, which are full of concern, I have to push away another wave of longing.
‘What’s yours?’ I ask to distract myself from my rogue thoughts. I’m also intrigued about what he might admit to. I want to know everything real there is to know about him now.
