“Like I said, I’m fine,” I repeated. My tone was muffled by the hand I scrubbed down my achy, overheated face.
“Christ.” His hard tone confused me. “I’ll be there in thirty. Maybe forty.” Before I could tell him that wasn’t necessary, he hung up on me.
I sat up, staring at the background of my phone which had a picture of my favorite painting filling the space. Had he really just done that? Anger settled in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to turn off my cell and fall asleep like I’d begged my body to do all day, but there was too much weighing on my mind to get comfortable enough to slip into unconsciousness. Between that and the cramps, I’d watched TV all day instead, forcing myself to eat whatever was premade in my refrigerator even though I had no appetite.
It wasn’t that long of me absentmindedly watching a documentary on Egypt when the knock came at the door. Peeling myself off the couch, I didn’t think twice before answering in my frumpy pajamas that were loose, torn, and stained, but soft and comfortable, before opening the door and finding Theo. He was holding a paper bag that was filled to the top with items, leaving me staring in confusion.
He walked past me, breaking my focus. I slowly closed the door as he walked into the open kitchen and set the bag down on the closest counter. “You need to look before you answer the door, Della. We’ve gone over this.”
“How do you know I didn’t?”
“You say that every time.”
“Because you’re not Superman. You don’t have x-ray vision that clearly proves I didn’t check before answering.”
He stared at me.
My nose twitched. “Fine, but you were the only person I was expecting.”
“Another thing you say every time.”
Padding over, I looked in the bag and gaped at the feminine products, chocolate, and medicine resting on the top. He didn’t look away when I moved my eyes to him. “You bought me this stuff?”
He acted like it was no big deal. “I wasn’t sure what you needed, and I know you tend not to eat when you’re on your period. Better to eat something even if it isn’t a full meal. Though—” He pulled something out of the very bottom and passed it to me. “—I also bought this since I know you like it.”
It was a container of potato soup, my favorite go-to when I didn’t feel well. My mother used to make it from scratch which beat any other version I tried, but I couldn’t perfect the recipe because she’d done it all from her head.
“Want me to heat it up?” he asked.
“You bought me Tampons.”
“Yes, I did.”
I blinked, staring at him like he was some foreign entity gracing me with his presence. “I’m sorry, it’s just unexpected. Nobody has bought me stuff like this before besides my mom, and most guys wouldn’t be caught dead shopping in that aisle.”
“Well I’m not just some little boy like the people you hang around,” he pointed out matter-of-factly. And he wasn’t wrong. I’d tried getting Ren to make me an emergency run to the campus store when I was out and the school bathroom dispenser was empty, or even just to ask any girl he passed who probably had something tucked away in their bags, but he was too embarrassed. I’d held a grudge against him for weeks because I’d had to wrap toilet paper around my underwear to make sure I’d be safe enough until I found something better.
I emptied the bag and smiled at the selections of products. He’d gotten different kinds of pads and Tampons, all making my smile grow wider on my lips. “Thank you.” Reaching for the dark chocolate and soup container, I walked over to the microwave and began preparing the soup.
“I can do that for you,” he offered, walking up behind me until his chest brushed against the entire backside of me. His arm reached out and plucked the sizeable plastic container away from my capable hands and began taking over.
Realistically, I should have moved. But he could have too, and he remained pressed against me invading my space. I absorbed his body heat, the warmth he offered, and stared at the chocolate bar resting in front of me on the marble countertop. That annoying voice in my head told me not to open it—to throw it away when he left so he thought I ate it. But my mouth watered over my favorite snack with the little almond pieces mixed in and I was sick of fighting myself. I knew the thoughts were purely because of the bloat that made my stomach look like I’d gained weight and that it’d go away in a few days, but that didn’t silence the demon that demanded I do something about it. “You didn’t have to do any of this, Theo.”
“I know.”
“I was okay on my own.”
“I know.”
Hesitating, I leaned backward ever so slightly so my back rested on his front. He froze for a moment, then eased. “But I’m glad that I’m not alone because…I needed somebody.” It was hard to admit that aloud, but I’d been thinking it all day. I’d considered calling Theo mid-afternoon to ask him to come over and watch TV with me but refrained. He had his own life that didn’t involve me.
The soup was set on the counter beside my hand before I felt his hot breath against my cheek just before his lips pressed against the flush of my cheekbone. “I know you did, Della. That’s why I’m here.”
I couldn’t fight the grin. “You mean you didn’t just feel like shopping for Tampons? I’m shocked, Theo.”
His deep chuckle vibrated against my back. “You always were sassy when
