Page 48 of Love Me Again

"I know you are, but the doctor said you need to sweat out thefever soyou can feel better. You have to stay covered up." Iinformher,andshesighswhen I press the cool compress to her face.

I wait for her to fall asleep again before I move off the bed, but she wraps her hand around my wrist and looks up at me pleadingly. "Don't go."She whispers,closing hereyesagain. "Don't leave me."

I set the compress on the side and lay down beside her. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," I reassure her while I comb my fingers through her hair. Shayla shifts closer and lays her head on my chest, nestling herselfinto me further. Iwrap myarm aroundher,pulling hercloser, and Ipress mylips toher forehead.

"Mm, I love you,love of my life," Shaylawhispers with a breathy sigh. I still at her wordsandclose myeyes, biting the inside of my cheek hard.

I press my nose into her hair, inhaling her scent. "I love you too, sweetheart," I declare, and her lips quirk ever so slightly.

"Say it again,baby." Shaylamoans while nuzzling my neck. I couldn't contain my smile.

"I love you, Gorgeous girl," I affirm,kissing hernose affectionately, and she smiles, content, before she drifts off to sleep. I don't know what made me say those words to her, but it felt—right. It didn't feel forced or fabricated, which left me somewhat bewildered. I thought I was just telling her what she needed to hear in an attempt to comfort her whileshe's sick, but what if, deep down, I actually meant it?

I feel the baby's movements against my hip, and I look down at her stomach. Shayla did mention before that she gets active late at night. Ipress myhand against her tummy and feel the baby move under my touch. She kicks, and Shayla jumps a little, stirring in her sleep, her hand coversmine, and shedozes off again. I felt that all-consuming warmth engulf me again. I don't know why or how, but I felt at peace for the first time in a long time, so Iallowed myself tosoak up that feeling for as long as possible before she wakes up and remembers she hates me.

* * *

I kept stirringout of sleep throughout the night when I heard Shayla cough or whenever she started to shiver in my arms. I had to wake her up in the middle of the night to take her tablets to reduceher temperaturewhen she started to burn up again.

The sun was coming up by the time her fever dropped, and I finallyallowed myself todoze off and get a couple of hours sleep. Shayla's stirring rouses me from my slumber. I peel my eyes open and look down at her.She groansandrubsherhead beforesheopens hereyesentirely and looks at me, confused. "Cole?" Shecroaks, her voice raspy from a night spent coughing.

I lift my head and look at her. "Hey, you okay?" I reach up totouch herfaceto checkshe's not running a fever. Shaylacloses her eyesand licks her lips.

"Ow, my head."She groans, covering her face with her hands, "How did I get here?"

I lean on my elbow and look down at her. "I brought you. You were sick, and I didn't want to leave you by yourself.Are you feelingokay?"

Shaylashakes herhead, coughing. She winces a littleandrubsherchestwitha groan. "No, I feel like death."

"The doctor said you caughtaviralinfection," Iinformher,andshesighs,closing hereyesfor a second.

"Great." She drawls groggily andopens hereyesto look at me again. "Did youtakecareofmeall night?"

Inod,andshe blinks, chewing on her lip gingerly. "Of course I did. I wasn't going to leave you all alone when you're sick. You couldn't even stand on your own."

"You didn't have to do that, Cole. I would have been fine." Shayla states, clearing her throat a little. "But thank you."

I smile at her a little, and she looks at me for a long moment. "I'd be a pretty shitty husband if I didn'ttakecareofmy wife whenshe's sick." Shayla sighs tiredly,shaking herhead. "Do you recall anything from last night?"

Shayla coughs,shaking herheadagain. "No, the last thing I remember was arguing with you in my office about the baby.”

Inod andsit up, cracking my neckwitha groan. "You were pretty out of it, so I'm not surprised,"

Shayla frowns alarmed. "Oh god, I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" I smile, and my eyes linger on hers for a couple of seconds before Ishake myhead, rubbing the back of my neck.

"No, as I said, you were out of it, so you slept most of the night," I assure her and get out of bed. "Do you need anything?"

Shayla sits up and holds her head. "No, I have to pee." She pushesthecoversoffher body and looks down at herself and then at me. "Why am I in your clothes?"

"Oh, uh, you were runningahighfever, sothe doctor told me to get you under a lukewarm shower to help cool you down. Your clothes got wet, so I had to get you into some dry clothes."

Shayla winces andcloses her eyes, her cheeks aflame. "Wow, okay."

I bite back the urge to smile when she gets all flustered. "What? You're not...embarrassed, are you?" I tease her a little, and she looks at me with a frown.

"Of course I am," She grumbles, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't believe you saw me naked and in such a state."

I chuckle, licking my lips, "Shayla, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about. I've seen you naked before, remember? Besides, I was a little too worried about you actually to stand there and admire your naked body." Shayla groans,rubbingherforeheadbefore she gets out of bed and staggers a little. I place my hands at her waist to steady her while she lays her hands on my bare chest. Those jade eyes slowly flitter and lock with mine. I raise my hand and brush a loose strand of her hair away from her face.

"You shouldn't get too close, or you'll get sick too." She speaks quietly, her eyes never leaving mine.

I smile, pressingmyforeheadtohers, "Good. I hope I do. Then you can stay andtakecareofme." I state while my thumb strokes her jaw. Shayla's eyes close when I brush my nose over hers softly.

"Cole, what are you doing..."

"I don't know." I breathe, my lips inching closer to hers.

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