Becky watchedhim as he read the list. She studied his profile, his chiselledfeatures draped behind a curtain of black hair, fringed withblood-red streaks. His left hand held the list, his right hand wasfisted under his chin. After a moment, he frowned and crumpled thepiece of paper, shooting it across the room.
“What did do you that for?” she protested, sitting up,attempting to go after the strewn ball of paper.
“Hey… no,” he said, snapping out of his thoughts, placing hishands on her shoulders, he pushed her gently but firmly back intobed. “Never mind that now.”
“But I need that,” she protested weakly. She didn’t fight himwhen he tucked the quilt back around her. “You don’t want mehere.”
“Sh…” he hushed her. “You’re not quite ready to goanywhere.”
She looked athim, doubt and hope, clashing in her green eyes. Then she frownedand averted her gaze. “What’s the matter, love?” he asked, hopingfor her to simply tell him what weighed heaviest on her mind. Heknew already what it was. Yes, he had undressed her. It was true.He’d had to. He couldn’t have just let her wallow in sweaty sheetsand pyjamas all week, could he?
When she didn’tanswer, he felt compelled to fill in the blanks for her. “Crispininforms me that you’re upset over the fact that I had to undressyou,” he said, looking at her face, watching for a reaction.
She nodded andshrugged, looking bereft and miserable. “I’m sorry,” he said,chucking her gently under the chin with his index finger. “I hadto.”
“So, it was you?”
He noddedsolemnly.
“Just you?” she asked, meeting his obsidian eyes for a meremoment before looking away while plucking at imaginary lint on thequilt.
“Just me,” he said with a soft smile. Dorianhad offered to help, butwhile Kell was grateful for his assistance in every other way, inthat respect, he only trusted himself.
“Trust me, love. Nothing bad happened to you while you wereunconscious. Nothing inappropriate took place.” He smiled fondly atthe memory of how incredibly helpless she’d been the entire timewhile under his care. There had been moments when she’d clung tohim so fiercely. Times when she’d burrowed her face into the crookof his neck, trembling with fevered chills. He had never felt soneeded, so important to anyone before.
Of course, ifhe’d been an evil bastard, he could have so easily taken advantageof her. She’d been so out of it and helpless. She wouldn’t haveeven known. The unsettling thought disturbed him to no end.
“Please, believe me when I tell you that it couldn’t beavoided. I couldn’t just let you lie there bathed insweat.”
She furrowedher brow, blinked a few times then bravely met his gaze. “Thankyou, Kelley.”
Oh… there itwas again, his name, spoken in such a way that melted him through.That husky velvety voice of hers did things to his insides that hewould rather not feel at this moment in time.
“I’m so sorry too,” she said, reaching out and placing her handon his forearm.
“Sorry for what exactly?” he asked, giving her an indulgentsmile.
“For getting sick. For being such a bother, and now for makingyou feel bad for looking after me.” She sniffed, lookingmiserable.
“Never mind all that.” He placed his left hand over hers. “Justyou get better, okay?”
“Yes…” she said wistfully. “I’m so terribly behind in myclasses. I’ll never catch up.”
“Don’t worry about your classes now. You’re not alone in thismalady. Apparently there’s been quite the epidemic throughout theuniversity. Even most of the faculty have been taken down by it.I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Oh yeah, even our dear Mr. Findley hasn’t beenspared.”
“Our life drawing instructor?” she said, recalling fondly thefirst day they’d met. “You’re okay, though? I mean, I haven’tinfected you, have I?”
“No,” he said with a sigh of relief. “Been there, done that. Infact, Crispin, Dorian and I had the same thing a couple weeks agoso we’re all quite immune now.”
“Good,” she said, relaxing back into bed, suddenly tired fromher recent exertions. “Perhaps I’ll doze for a littlebit.”
“You do that,” Kell said as he stood up. “I’ll take this out ofyour way. It’s cold now anyway.” He took the soup, picked up theballed up list, and turned off the light.
***
Later thatnight, Kell joined Dorian and Crispin in the living room. For amoment, he looked forward to doing something normal, relaxing withthe guys, watching television. It had been a stressful week. Hehadn’t realized it until now but looking after Becky had been quitethe task. He’d been pretty worried about her. There were times whenhe’d been very close to taking her to the hospital. Buoyed by herapparent return to the living, he finally felt the tension leavehis muscles.
He couldn’thelp but snicker at the latest slasher movie the guys wereenthralled in.
“Get out of the way, Kell,” Crispin protested. “You’re blockingthe television.”
“Relax,” Kell said, claiming his armchair. “What’s this you’rewatching, anything good?”
“The Bloodletting!” Dorian exclaimed excitedly, sitting on thecouch with his knees propped up.
“Cool… I’ve wanted to see this for the longesttime.”
Ah, thecomforts of routine, Kell thought to himself, resting his head backin his chair. As much as they might complain about each other, itwas nice to have someone to hang with at the end of the day. Evenif it was just to watch low-budget horror movies.
“Well, you’re in luck. It’s only just started. You haven’tmissed much,” Crispin said, sitting beside Dorian on the oppositeend of the couch. “By the way, how’s our little dormouse? She stillpissed at you for getting a sneak peek of her girliebits?”
“Get off it,” Kell said with a rueful grin, chucking the balledup list at him. The three of them chuckled heartily at the girl’sexpense.
“Silly little twit.” Dorian laughed. “She should be gratefulshe showed up here when she did. Not on the doorstep of some jock,frat-boy house.”
“Amen to that,” Kell said, dragging his hands over hisface.
“Hey, it’s my list,” Crispin said, unravelling the crumpledpiece of paper.
“Yeah, about that,” Kell said with a shake
