Page 48 of A Lab Rat's Guide to Fated Love
Before Nori began sprinting from roomto room, to grab essentials and throw them in their backpacks, she handed Vir a paracetamol and a glass of water, with orders to stop trying to help her pack, sit his dizzy ass down,and find the earliest available flight out of there. She didn’t care where they were going as long as it was somewhere far—and safe—where none of those scheming quacks or their underlings could reach them.
While Vir’s stats looked okay on the algorithm, and he didn’t seem concussed otherwise, he kept swaying on his feet every time he attempted to move faster than a sloth. She didn’t want to have to piggyback him out of the house all the way to Chandigarh airport, but that was exactly what she was going to do if she had to. She hadn’t brought him this far just to give up now.
“There’s a five am bus we can catch to the airport,” Vir announced minutes later, peeking from behind the laptop screen. “The depot is fifteen minutes from here, on foot. I have both bus and flight tickets on my phone.”
“I’m all done, too.” Nori took the laptop and slid it into one of the bags. “Are you sure you can walk that much?”
“Yeah, I’m good now. I guess the pain was making me nauseous.” He grabbed their jackets and a pair of ripe bananas off the dining table on his way to the front door.
“Can you do me a favor?” Nori took her jacket from him.
“Anything.”
“Complain a little, will you?”
It was still dark outside when they shuffled their way through the driveway.
After locking the property gates from the outside, Nori turned to face Vir to find a dusting of white, flaky stuff on his shoulders. Her hand reflexively flew out to brush it off, while she made a mental note to switch shampoos. Hers was clearly giving him horrible dandruff. Why hadn’t she noticed bef—
“Oh.” Her hand paused, hovering mid-air while more of the white stuff came sprinkling down. The fresh flakes melted as soon as they landed on her skin.
Notdandruff.
After all that waiting, Shoja’s first snowfall had finally begun, right when she had to leave. Angry tears blurred her vision as she let her hand drop back to her side.
“What’s wrong?” Vir’s concerned expression came into view.
“Nothing.” She started to walk off, blinking rapidly against the dumb moisture. “Let’s go.”
She’d only taken a few steps when she felt Vir tugging at the bags that hung awkwardly from her shoulders. She ducked and swiftly pushed both her arms through the straps of one bag, wearing it on her back, before proceeding to do the same with the other to wear it on her front.
“Nah uh.” She smirked at her victory. Too soon, because right before she could properly put it on, Vir swiped the second bag from her. “Hey!”
She’d underestimated the beat-up lab rat’s agility.
“Don’t fight me or I’ll take the other one, too.” Vir’s answering smirk had her glowering at him. Half a second later, his features softened. “I’m much better now. I’ll tell you if something feels off, promise.”
“Fine.” She let out a huff. “Just tell me right away if you’re dizzy. And don’t fall. Here, take my hand.”
As Vir’s cool fingers curled around her palm, she briefly considered rescinding her offer. It wasn’t like shewantedto hold his hand. Of course, not.But there was the possibility of him falling flat on his face, if she didn’t. And she didn’t want him to fall flat on his face. Absolutely not.
But the way her small hand fit perfectly into his—her mind conjured an image of two puzzle pieces clicking into place—
No. No puzzle pieces. Just hands. She was only lending hers as a walking stick. For balance and support. For a sick man. Especially since he was sick because of her. No other reason.
Biting down on her lip, she let her hand grip his even tighter, but only because Vir kept grinning to himself like he had a concussion. And she didn’t want him to fall because of a concussion. Right, she’d covered that already.
Although, to a tiny, irrational part of her brain—and she was never going to admit it out loud, ever—lending this sick man the walking-stick-support of her hand felt a little too good to be permissible.
“Breakfast?” Vir offered her a banana.
Nori squinted sideways, and a laugh bubbled out of her.
She’d nearly broken his nose and was now making him walk fifteen minutes uphill so they could sneak awayagain. And yet, here he was, beaming while he happily chomped on a banana like it was some fancy Michelin starred meal.
“Do you think you might be concussed?” she asked.
“Not at all.” His grin widened as he looked sideways and caught her eye. “I feel great.”
