Page 129 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Taylor held out a hand, a green capsule nestled in his palm, and passed me the drink he held in the other.
“Bottoms up.”
The bubbles tickled my tongue as I took a long pull from the straw, then dropped the pill into my mouth. After a few more sips, I handed the cup back to Taylor with a sigh.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Mags.”
“Yes, I do. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Maybe, but I wanted to. I don’t like seeing you in pain. Now come on, you need to eat.”
I groaned, my stomach souring at the mere mention of food.
“You’ll be more nauseous if you don’t.”
“I know.” I scrubbed my hands down my face before letting my head fall back between my shoulders. “You’re bossy as a doctor.”
“Yeah, well. You’re bossy in general, so it all balances out,” he teased before pressing a kiss to my brow and slipping from the bed. “I have a Snickers or plain potato chips. Your fries from earlier are cold, but I can throw them in the oven if you want those instead.”
“Chips, please… Wait, no. Snickers… Both? Yeah, let’s go with both.”
Taylor’s chuckle mixed with the crinkle of the plastic bag on his dresser, and I couldn’t help but smile. Adjusting in the bed, I scooted back against the pillows and crossed my legs beneath me as he brought over the food.
I’d spent so much of my life taking care of others—my sisters, my friends, people in our coven and the witch community—it was nice to have someone looking aftermefor once.
We fell into easy conversation while I ate. Taylor told me about what happened with Meowfoy, how Hermeownie had helped him find everything I needed. I explained what a familiar was, watching his eyes widen with each word. When I finished, he muttered something about how heknewthey understood him, and how unfair it was that he couldn’t understand them back.
And though it made my head throb worse, I couldn’t help but laugh.
I swear, the more that man learned about witches and the craft, the more his mind got blown.
Once I was done, he tossed the trash and handed me the bag from my house. He dimmed the lights in his bathroom so I could brush my teeth, then helped me back into bed, bringing my cold cap along with him.
I sighed in relief as the bitter chill seeped into my skull, dulling the ache. The meds had kicked in, and eating had helped, but nothing worked quite like being enveloped in ice packs.
Once he’d gotten me tucked in—something that was quickly becoming my favorite little quirk of his—he pressed a kiss to my brow.
“Get some sleep, sunshine. I’ll be on the couch if you need me.”
Panic gripped my chest at the thought of being alone.
So much had happened.
And now that my mind was clearing from the pain, I could feel the ache in my chest. Cracks and fissures spread with every breath, the terror I felt when I got that phone call crashing back in.
I’d had flashbacks to my parents’ accident. Memories of our nanny crying as she held Maddie and me, Meredith sleeping soundly down the hall, as she explained we were now orphans.
Black lace dresses and tights.
Tear-stained cheeks.
Countless condolences.
Saying goodbye to the only life I knew.
It all came slamming back into me with resounding clarity. I hadn’t been able to breathe until I’d seen the rise and fall of my aunt’s chest in that hospital bed.
