The hand kept stroking my hair, and I pushed my head against it like Theo often did when I pet him. I thought I even meowed a little. It felt so damn good to be touched like this when I was aching everywhere else.
“Maeve.”
Santi’s hand moved from my hair to my shoulder, giving me a gentle shake. With reluctance, I opened my eyes.
“What time is it?” I refused to acknowledge he’d basically had me purring seconds ago. I could blame being delirious with fever, but I wasn’t all that feverish anymore, and I’d known it was Santi touching me the second I became aware of his hand.
“Six. You’ve been sleeping for four hours. I thought you’d better take some Tylenol and have something to drink. How do you feel?”
He grumbled at me, but it was soft, and so gentle. But I figured most humans could be kind to children, the elderly, and the sick. It didn’t negate who I knew him to be, and I should remember that.
“I feel like I’m claimin’ this bed. I don’t think I can go back to that air mattress.”
Even if Santiwasa jackhole, I could stay here for the next week, getting real sleep and uncoiling my poor spine.
That was, if he’d let me.
I sat up, giving him a smile and a few bats of my lashes to encourage him.
His lips twitched. “All it took for you to agree with me was a broken back and the plague.”
“I’m nothing if not willing to compromise.”
He showed me to the bathroom where I took a shower, washing some of my sickness away. I stayed in there a good long while, letting the hot water beat down on my back, loosening my muscles. When I stepped out and dried off, I felt miles better. Still sick and achy, but not on death’s door.
Once I dressed in a sports bra, T-shirt, and pajama pants, I went downstairs, finding Santi in the kitchen, standing over the stove. I was taken aback by the way his shoulders and biceps strained his T-shirt, like it was screaming for mercy. I always seemed to have this reaction after not seeing him for a while—days, a few hours, a blink.
“Hey,” I said as I moved into his line of vision so I didn’t startle him. “Mind if I grab a glass of water?”
He turned, frowning at me. “I’m making you soup. Alicia sent me the recipe.” He laid down his spoon and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of blue Gatorade. “Take this and go sit down. The heating pad’s on the couch.”
“Okay. That’s...nice.” I took the drink from him and peered into the big, steaming pot on the stove. “Chicken and rice?”
He nodded. “I’ve never made soup before, but I thought it would make you feel better.”
“Or worse, depending on how it turns out.” I smiled at him. “Thank you for bein’ nice to me.”
“You don’t have to thank me for doing the right thing.”
I settled myself on Santi’s couch, the heating pad on my lower back. While I waited for my soup, I decided to check in with Haven.
“Hello, lover,” she answered.
“Hello, sugar britches.”
“How was your evening?”
“Oh, the usual. I saved an old lady when a piano fell from the sky, I lived my truthandmy best life, and then I came to the realization my superpowers are only imaginary.”
She chuckled. “You’re not really invisible?”
“No, and it was mighty awkward when I went to check the mail in my birthday suit. Oh well, at least I can fly. How about you? What have you been up to?”
“Oh, nothing special. I went to the zoo and fell into the bear enclosure. I nearly died, but using my skills I learned in the circus, I taught the bears to dance instead of mauling me. They wore tutus and everything. It was adorable. I’ll send you pics.”
She made me laugh, even though it kind of hurt. “Haven, how many times have I told you not to tame wild animals?”
“You know me. I’m like freaking Cinderella. The animals flock to me and do my bidding.”