Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
L ily
Ethan’s face is strained as he stares into my eyes. We’re standing at an altar on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, and he’s wearing a tuxedo.
For some reason, he’s also wearing a large, polka-dot bowtie. Who okayed that ugly thing? This is our wedding day, damn it. Why is he dressed like a clown?
“I can’t do this,” he says, his voice tight. “I sinned, Lily. There’s no coming back from sin. This is over. I’m choosing God.”
“No,” I whimper.
“It’s okay, sassy girl.” Ethan’s voice is now distant, echoing from the sky. The Ethan in front of me blurs and fades away, and I’m pulled into a bright room. My head is pressed against a hard chest. “The doctor should be calling us any minute,” Ethan says.
Oh, that’s right. We’re sitting in the waiting room of the campus clinic.
Damn, I must have fallen asleep. And where did that bizarre dream come from? Ethan would never marry me, even if I wanted to get married in the first place.
It was probably that sweet speech of his messing with my head.
“You taught me that I was lacking something profound. Joy.”
Oh God, I think I could marry Ethan. If it really mattered to him, I could compromise. I don’t really care much about the institution of marriage—it’s just a stupid tradition. But it’s deeply meaningful to Ethan, and that matters.
It matters—I think—because I love him.
My burning-hot eyes grow misty. Fuck, this fever is making me crazy. Ethan is already acting like a lunatic over a little fever.
He sets his hand on my forehead. A notch appears between his thick brows. “You feel a little cooler.”
I blink, attempting to focus on his face, but everything is blurred, like I’m looking through murky water. “Then let’s go. I hate going to the doctor. I’ll have to wait another eternity after they bring me into the room.”
His eyes flash with determination. “Then take another nap on my shoulder. I’m not taking you home until you see a doctor.”
I want to laugh. He’s so stern and commanding, like an army general.
It’s hot. He’s so damn caring.
And yet, he doesn’t even know what he wants from me, and here I was, thinking I could marry him.
Stupid fever.
Ethan stands up and marches toward the front desk. “How much longer?” he asks the attendant. “My girlfriend’s getting a little restless.”
My stomach flips over. Girlfriend ?
“The nurse should be calling you any minute,” the girl says.
Ethan nods once before returning to his seat.
“Why did you call me your girlfriend?” I ask.
He’s quiet for a moment. “I don’t know. It just…came out.”
My already fuzzy head grows heavier and cloudier. Ethan’s never had a girlfriend before. He plans to only ever date his wife.
Did “girlfriend” really just slip out, or does it mean something deeper about his feelings for me?
A sheepish smile tugs his lips. “I’m pretty sure they already think I’m your boyfriend, because I’ve been acting like an anxious freak.”
Warmth washes over me. He is acting like an anxious freak, and I love it. He’s really worried about me.
Because I’m important to him.
Ethan’s gaze snaps to the open door when a lady appears with a chart in her hand. “Lily?” she calls out, glancing around the room.
When I stand up suddenly, dizziness washes over me, making the room spin. Ethan wraps his arm around my waist and yanks me against his chest.
“I’m coming with my girlfriend.” His tone is firm. “She’s so out of it, I don’t think she’ll remember any of the doctor’s instructions.”
Indignation flares in my veins, and I jerk my head in his direction. “I’m not out of it.”
His eyes flash. “You were muttering nonsense when you were sleeping a second ago. I’m coming with you.”
Without giving me a chance to respond, he yanks me against his chest, giving me support as a nurse guides us through a hallway. The scent of antiseptic makes my stomach churn.
“Let’s check your vitals,” the nurse says as she guides me to a chair and wraps a cuff around my arm. A moment later, the cuff inflates tightly and releases.
“Blood pressure is normal,” the nurse says.
“Her pulse is high though.” Ethan’s brow is furrowed as he stares at the screen beside me. “She’s been sleeping almost the whole time we’ve been here. Shouldn’t it be lower than that?”
The nurse smiles warmly at Ethan. “It’s common with a fever. Her body is working hard to fight off an infection.”
“I’m not an athlete,” I say. “My pulse is always high.”
He rolls his eyes. “Your fevers are always high… Your pulse is always high… Stop bullshitting me, Greenwood. We’ll see what the doctor says.”
My stomach flips over. Fuck, he’s so cute when he’s exasperated with me.
A while later, I’m sitting on a paper-covered table while Ethan paces the room. The door opens, and a man in a white coat appears. “Hi Lily,” he says with a smile. “I’m Dr. Carter.”
He immediately pulls out his stethoscope and places it against my chest. Ethan hovers over him, his brows pulled together. “Her pulse is really fast,” he clips out. “Is that normal?”
“With a high fever, yes.” Dr. Carter shines a light into my ear. “Do you have any other symptoms, Lily? Any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea?
“Lots of diarrhea,” I say. “Explosive.”
Dr. Carter doesn’t even flinch. “When did it start?”
Ethan groans. “She’s joking. Trying to make me uncomfortable. It’s her favorite thing to do.”
I shoot Ethan a saucy smile, and he rolls his eyes. God, I’m acting like a child.
The exam is over within ten minutes. As I expected, nothing is seriously wrong with me. Just a virus of some kind.
“Alright, Ethan.” Dr. Carter hands Ethan a small slip of paper. “Tylenol every four to six hours, and make sure she drinks plenty of fluids.”
“Wow,” I murmur. “What a revelation. I have a fever and I need Tylenol. This wasn’t a waste of time at all.”
Ethan shoots me a stern look before grabbing the note from Dr. Carter’s hand. “Are you sure she doesn’t need some kind of antibiotic? Her fever was much higher earlier. A hundred and four. What if she has some kind of bacterial infection, like meningitis?”
I suck in my lips to fight my laughter, and based on Dr. Carter’s tight expression, I think he might be doing the same. “Meningitis is rare,” he says. “And she doesn’t have any other symptoms like a headache or stiff neck. Tylenol should be just fine. Just keep an eye on her temperature.” Dr. Carter pats Ethan’s shoulder. “If it climbs back up, don’t hesitate to bring her back in.”
We stand, ready to leave, and I sway slightly, still wobbly on my feet. Ethan catches my elbow, steadying me. His grip is strong—always so strong.
“Take care of her, but remember to look after yourself too,” Dr. Carter adds, his eyes twinkling. “It’s obvious you’re…anxious.”
Ethan blushes as he nods. “My girlfriend doesn’t get sick very often.”
Dr. Carter says something else, but I don’t hear the words. My whole body is enveloped in a warm haze.
Ethan didn’t have to call me his girlfriend just now. It would have made more sense to call me “Lily” or even “she.” He called me his girlfriend because he wanted to say it. Because he likes the sound of it as much as I do.
So I wasn’t imagining the hidden emotion in Ethan’s slip of the tongue.
It meant something. I just wish I knew what exactly.