Chapter 20
She'd be lying if she said his touch hadn't affected her in some way or another.
The entire rest of the next she couldn't focus on anything but that moment.
When sleep finally came she was relieved to find she'd fallen into a dreamless slumber, only to be reminded of that very moment as soon as she woke up.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, she hadn't known what to say and he seemed to be too tired to start talking about anything. After finishing she'd quietly thanked him for the food before washing the dishes and fleeing to her room.
Man up, Ava. He barely touched you and he only did it to cheer you up, she mentally told herself in the mirror. Forget it ever happened.
It was easier said than done because every now and then he'd pop back up in her thoughts and she'd have to force herself to think about anything else. When she was finally confident she was starting to succeed in it, the sound of the front door opening threw her from her thoughts.
Her stomach churned at the thought of having to face the condescending assistant from before but to her surprise, it was Sébastien himself. It was still fairly early in the morning so seeing him was not something she expected to see.
"Mr.—Sébastien," she corrected herself. It was still a little unusual for her to call him by his first name but it was getting easier, save for the occasional slip-up. "Why are you back so soon?"
"I'm... not feeling well. I'm going to lay down for a bit," he murmured while walking past her, sending spikes of concern through her mind. He really did look terrible, she noted.
His face was almost devoid of any color and even his hair seemed a duller shade of brown than it usually was. Bags under his eyes made her think that his night had been shitty too which was only reinforced by his sluggish movements.
"Can I get you anything?" she asked while moving to walk beside him but he shook his head no. "No, but thank you."
There wasn't much else to do but watch him drag himself up the stairs before disappearing. With a sigh, she thought of ways to help him anyway. The least she could do was bring him some Tylenol and a glass of water, so that's what she set out to do.
Locating the Tylenol was a task by itself and at some point, she wondered if he even had any. Eventually, she found it after digging through one of the cabinets and quickly went to fill a glass of water before walking up the stairs.
His bedroom door was slightly ajar but she still knocked. She didn't hear anything from the other side and briefly considered just leaving it in front of the door. But then he wouldn't find it when he needed it and just step on the glass when he left.
So, she pushed the door open little by little until he came into sight. He wasn't laying on his bed like she'd expected him to. Instead, he hung half over his sofa on his back and neck in awkward positions.
He'd at least managed to find the strength to change his clothing as he now wore just a white shirt and grey shorts. A thin veil of sweat coated his exposed limbs and she understood why he'd dressed as if they were in the middle of the summer.
The arm slung over his face covered his features but she could see enough to realize he was fast asleep.
If she were to leave like he was laying now he was sure to wake up with back problems, which she didn't wish on him. So she put the water and pills on the small table next to the couch and moved to hover above him.
Both his legs were off the couch as he appeared to be half sitting and half laying down. His torso was shifted to the side while his head was craned against the side cushions.
She reached out to grab his arm but thought better of it at the last moment. The feeling of his skin against hers and the feelings it evoked were still fresh in her mind so she opted to grab his shirt-clad shoulder instead.
The heat that seeped through made her frown, he felt absolutely feverish she wasn't even touching him directly. With a sigh, she carefully pushed against his shoulder in an attempt to wake him.
"Sébastien?" she whispered but to no avail. "Sébastien, wake up," she pleaded again and this time she stirred.
"I'm not hungry," he murmured before his breathing evened out again.
"Sébastien, you have to move," she tried again but this time he only mumbled something incoherent. It was clear he wasn't about to wake up which meant she was going to have to move his limbs for him.
A good place to start were his legs, she decided. The only problem was that he was wearing shorts which meant she actually had to touch his skin. At least he wouldn't be awake to see her blush like a young schoolgirl the entire time.
With a huff, she grabbed both legs by the calves and pulled them up on the couch. They were infinitely heavier than she'd expected them to be but she suspected it had something to do with the well-toned muscles she felt under her fingers.
She tried not to think about it too much and was glad when they finally laid on the couch with the rest of his body.
Next, she moved his head to the side to relieve the tension in his neck.
With a sigh, she stepped back to assess her work.
It wasn't perfect but it would have to do, it was just strange that he hadn't woken up the entire time.
Maybe she should call a doctor if he didn't get better in a few hours, but for now, she decided it would be best to let him sleep. Just as she was about to close his bedroom door a thought occurred to her; they didn't have anything to eat for dinner.
She supposed she could make a sandwich for both of them but she doubted it would make him feel any better. The cooks at her previous employer's places always made sure to make soup when one of the family members became unwell.
Chicken soup was the most common one but she didn't know how to make that. Or any other kind for that matter. With a sigh, she resigned to the fact that she'd have to go out and buy chicken soup if she wanted him to feel better, which she did.
Recently, she'd noticed that one of the apps on her phone was a map so she decided to use that to find a supermarket and get home. All of the keys looked the same and she was sure to try all of them when she came back since she'd already forgotten what Sébastien had said about them.
The coat she put on was thick and well-insulated and she started to feel warm instantly. The chill was still there but only on her face and exposed fingers which she quickly stuffed in her pockets.
She'd forgotten how loud the cars and people were out here as the sounds didn't seem to reach all the way to the apartment. It took her a moment to adjust to all the chaos around her before she looked down at her phone.
The path took her further down the street and down a corner. It took her exactly as long to reach the small supermarket as the app had said it would take, which surprised her. The route was also easy enough to remember so that she wouldn't need it anymore the next time.
Much to her relief, there were cans of chicken soup that only needed some warming up, which she felt like she could do. After grabbing a few cans she went to pay for them and was back outside in no time.
The cold wind blasted into her face as soon as she stepped outside and she wished she had a hat to keep her warm completely. For the walk back she didn't need the phone, she was only a block away after all.
As predicted, she did need to try all the keys before finding the right one but at least there was no one to see her fumble around. The apartment was silent when she entered, telling her that Sébastien was probably still asleep.
The soup was easy enough to heat up since the directions were literally on the can. It was possible to microwave it but she decided to go the long way and just dump it out in a large pot and heat it up.
It felt a little odd using pots and wooden spoons as if she were a cook. None of the cooks ever let her anywhere near their utensils and the nuns would severely punish any child they'd find in the kitchens. It was a large part as to why she couldn't cook. No one had ever allowed her to learn.
But she supposed it was too late now.
As soon as the soup was at the right temperature she turned off the stove and put some in a bowl. The heat from the soup made the bowl too hot to keep in her hands so she grabbed an additional dishcloth to protect them.
Like before, she knocked on his door but didn't get an answer.
Upon opening it she found him still in the same position she'd left him in, making her fear he'd died for a moment.
The empty glass next to him proved that he had actually woken up when she was gone and was lucid enough to take two Tylenol as well.
It satisfied her to know he'd actually used them and she didn't grab them for nothing. She placed the bowl next to the empty glass and went to refill it before waking him. "Sébastien?" she asked carefully, not trying to make him wake up angry.
"Hm?"
"Can you sit up? Maybe you'll feel better after you've eaten."
"What time is it?" He grumbled as he clumsily moved his limbs into a sitting position. The action relieved Ava, who wasn't able to wake him up before.
"Just after one," she replied. It had taken her some time to get ready for the store and do her shopping, even if she didn't get that much.
He sighed deeply before shoving his hand through his hair in an attempt to wake himself up. Ava took that moment to grab the bowl and cloth before setting it down on his lap. He warily eyed the soup and she wondered if he'd refuse it.
Instead, he just smiled. It was a tired smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"Did you make this?"
"It came from a can," she admitted quietly, hoping he'd accept it even though it probably wasn't up to the standard he was used to.
But he didn't seem to mind it at all. He just nodded before lowering his gaze to the soup in his hands. "Thank you, Ava."
Hearing her name roll off his tongue did things to her she'd never felt with anyone else and she hated the fact she felt a blush creep up.
"You're welcome," she replied with a small smile. "You can call me when you need anything."