"So they can say I told you so? They think I can't handle this. They think I should stick to being cute on stage, not trying to be the one in charge. I don't need to hear that right now."
Even sick and exhausted, she's determined to be strong. If her sisters think she can't handle owning a business, I have to wonder if they're spending time with the same person I am.
She shoves the pillows aside until she can get into a comfortable position.
"Well, you know what that means. Until you're strong enough to kick me out, I'm here. Now sleep."
"Thanks, Gabe." She tucks the covers under her chin and smiles up at me sweetly before her lashes drift down.
There's an unfamiliar feeling in my chest as I look down at her, something I'm not sure I'm ready to examine yet. "I'll just move my car to the street and then go get your medicine."
And then I make my escape.
chapter nine
GABE
I wake to the sound of retching. A cough. Then another choked sound of agony. Sasha's guest bedroom is right next to hers and I crashed in here after calling Zack to let him know I wouldn't be coming home.
I rub my eyes with my hands and glance over at the clock on the nightstand. It's a little after two in the morning. I climb out of bed and then walk down to the kitchen. I've got a pretty good immune system but I've had enough hangovers to know what helps when you've been vomiting. I fill a glass of water and then open the pantry. There's a box of crackers on the top shelf so I grab that. She won't be able to handle anything heavy right now.
In Sasha's room, the only light is coming from the bathroom. "Sasha? I brought you some water."
She pokes her head around the doorframe. "You're still here?" Despite how exhausted she looks, her eyes light up when she sees me.
"I told you I wasn’t leaving. I’m here until you can kick me out. Are you okay?"
"Fine. I just coughed so hard that it made me throw up. Which was both painful and gross."
"Here, this should help." I hand over the water and she accepts it, wrapping both hands around the glass. "I've also got some crackers if your stomach is upset."
I wait while she takes a sip of water and then walks back to bed. She puts the glass down on her nightstand and then crawls back under the covers. I don't want to leave her alone just yet so I crawl onto the other side of the bed, on top of the comforter, then open the box in my arms and hand her a cracker. She laughs softly.
"You're pretty good at this." She looks up at me curiously before taking a small bite of cracker. "I know you said we're friends and all but I have friends I've known for years who wouldn't have stuck around for this."
The way she's looking at me makes me a little uncomfortable. Like I'm some kind of savior. No way in hell I can live up to that.
"It's not a big deal. Anyone would have done the same."
"They really wouldn't have. Believe me, I know. There's no way I can see my last boyfriend measuring out my medicine and bringing me crackers when I'm nauseated."
Hearing her talk about the bastard she was dating, the one who had the right to slip beneath these blankets and curl up with her, makes me want to hit something.
"He sounds like an ass. I might not be your boyfriend but that doesn't mean I don't care about what happens to you. I like you, Sasha."
She wrinkles her brow. "I don't think I've ever had a guy say he likes me. He might like how I look."
"I'd be a liar if I said I didn't like how you look. You're beautiful. But you're also smart and vibrant and fun."
"Most people would probably say I'm too silly. I've always had my head in the clouds and I know that gets on some people's nerves." She shrugs but her lashes come down to shade her eyes. I can see the characterization bothers her.
It bothers me that the people around her consider her bubbly personality something to be ashamed of. When she looks at me, it's like she sees who I am and not what I've done. Even when she caught me picking the locks at the club, she didn't look at me like a criminal or assume the worst. Remembering her request for me to teach her to do it too makes me smile.
She's one of the few people in my life that can make me laugh and makes me look for the extraordinary in the everyday.
With a gentle finger beneath her chin, I tip her face up so she can’t hide from me. “There's nothing wrong with being a dreamer. You hope for the best and try to find joy wherever you are. You make me look at the world differently. And I like how I feel when I'm around you."
After a few moments, her eyes leave mine and she reaches for another cracker. "I like how I feel around you, too."