Chapter Twenty-Seven
Caine
It takes all of ten minutes to get to Kyle’s clinic, but to me, it felt like ten hours. Every uncomfortable moan, shiver, and shudder has me on edge.
I’ve never seen anything like it. Hot then cold, back and forth as she throws the blanket off and reaches for it not a minute later.
My hands shake as I drive. A shudder passes through me like a lightning bolt, straight to my gut. Never have I ever felt such fear.
When she fainted in my arms, my legs began to tremble.
I kept saying her name, over and over, but she lay limp in my arms. My chest ached in a way it never had before.
Fear and the knowledge that there was nothing I could do—it almost paralyzed me.
My father had to direct me to the den. I just stood there, my legs buckling.
Ashen, basically gray was the color of her skin. And dry, so dry. How had I not noticed? I’m so in-tune with her body in some respects, yet when she was ill, I completely missed the signs. I thought she was just tired. Hell, I was tired. I am tired.
Seeing her throw up, knowing she hadn’t eaten—that was another level of Hell because there was nothing I could do. She was in pain, and I couldn’t stop it.
I carry her into the back room where Kyle is waiting. He has a small setup with a hospital bed, an IV and a blood pressure cuff. The place really is like a tiny hospital, except he can’t do major surgeries, no room for that.
I lie Mikayla down on the hospital bed and watch as my friend washes his hands, pulls on gloves and places a needle on a table to begin an IV in her arm.
He runs his hands over her abdomen, but other than looking uncomfortable, Mikayla doesn’t make a peep; she doesn’t even stir or wake up.
“I’m gonna push fluids and give her a dose of acetaminophen for the fever,” Kyle says. “I’m gonna give her ibuprofen in about four hours. If you want to help, getting her undressed and giving her a cool sponge bath can help reduce the fever too.”
I nod. “Can you leave the room so I can undress her?”
“Caine…” my friend says, then rolls his eyes. “Fine, hurry up and let me know so I can start the IV.”
When Kyle leaves the room, I sit beside Mikayla and pull her dress up. My heart hurts at the heat of her skin. She’s so hot it’s alarming.
I realize Kyle thinks I’m being unreasonable but, fuck if I’m gonna let him see Mikayla half naked.
I will be here and do the things necessary to keep his eyes off her.
He may be a doctor, but I know attraction when I see it.
Granted, he’d never act on it beyond his asshole-ish behavior yesterday, but I’m not feeding whatever fantasy he may have about my girlfriend’s body. Her perfection is for me and me alone.
I pull the dress over her head, and she stirs, opening her eyes at me.
“You look like Ares, the god of war,” she whispers. “Are you here to take me away?” she asks, her eyes fill as she blinks back her tears.
“No, sweetheart, I’m here to take care of you,” I tell her, tucking a fiery tendril behind her ear.
“You look like my boyfriend,” she says. “He’s a Greek god,” she whispers. “But don’t tell him.”
I smile. I can’t say that doesn’t boost my ego about twenty feet into the air.
“A Greek god, huh?” I ask.
I fold her dress and place it on a chair, then pull up the blankets and cover her.
“He thinks he loves me,” she whispers.
“He does,” I agree. There’s no way she’ll remember this conversation.
“But it will pass. He’ll leave me. Everyone leaves me,” she says, and the tears begin falling down her face.
“No, he won’t leave you,” I tell her, wiping her tears away with my thumbs.
I need to get Kyle. Her skin feels like it’s on fire against my hands.
“He will never leave you,” I repeat.
Wide green eyes meet mine and she sighs.
“Remember, I’m a Greek god. I know these things, but you can’t tell anyone I told you. Can’t have people knowing these things.”
“Oh,” she says softly. “Wow, thank you,” she replies before drifting off again.
I lay the blanket over her to keep her warm. Then I place a kiss on her brow and get up to get Kyle.
“You’re an asshole,” he says as he washes his hands again.
I furrow my brow at him. “How so?” He’s the one being an asshole, the dick.
“Lying to her like that.” His voice has an edge to it, a bitterness I’ve never heard before. What is he getting on about?
I watch him as he puts on his gloves and places a blue band around her tiny arm and feels for a vein.
“I didn’t lie to her. And about what?” I ask, and yes, my tone is clipped, angry. My best friend is being a colossal prick.
“As soon as a new piece of ass comes along, you’re going to drop Mikayla. You’re gonna have her move here for you, work for my tiny practice and when the novelty of the hot chick wears off, you’re gonna drop her and go out fucking some buckle bunny or two,” he accuses.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask, taken aback by the accusation.
I’d never cheated in my life. Even when I was married to that bitch of an excuse of a human, I never strayed. The very thought of it makes me sick.
“You’ve never wanted to date, now all of a sudden…”
“She’s the girl, you jackass. She’s the girl from the restaurant,” I tell him even though it’s none of his fucking business.
“I haven’t been with anyone since the day I met her.
Hell, even a month before that! I may not have wanted a girlfriend before, but I do now.
She’s it for me, you asshole,” I bite back angrily.
“Thirty-five fucking years and you don’t know me for shit!
You want to know why I’ve been so off lately?
It’s because I missed her. I thought I’d lost my chance.
But she’s here, and I’m not playing around. ”
I stand up. I’m so pissed off. I would punch him if I didn’t need him in top form to care for Mikayla!
“I love her, asshole,” I yell, turning back to him.
“Good,” he says, removing his gloves and tossing them in the trash.
“Good?” I ask. I shut my eyes and place my fingers over them and press. “Do I have a fever?”
The asshole grabs the thermometer, runs it over my forehead and shakes his head. “Nope, ninety-eight point six.” He smiles.
“Are you fucking with me?”
“Yes, just wanted to make sure,” he says, patting me on the shoulder.
Walking to a closet, he opens the door and pulls out a yellow bin and a sponge. Then he turns around and walks over to the sink. He turns it on, places his fingers under the tap and then places the tub under the stream.
“If you think I’m letting you give my girlfriend a sponge bath, you have another think coming,” I warn darkly.
I’m at my fucking limit.
Mikayla’s sick; she’s been stressed, crying and upset. She’s scared and unsure. The last thing I need is a friend adding to our shit pile.
“Boys?” my mom asks from the open door. “What’s going on in here?” she asks warily.
“Just Caine being Caine,” Kyle says, walking to my mother and giving her a kiss on the cheek and a hug.
“He accused me of being a cheater and told me I was gonna throw Mikayla out,” I say like we’re ten and I’m tattling on him.
“Kyle?” my mom asks, her voice suspicious as she lifts a brow at him. Crossing her arms, she tilts her head to the side and frowns.
“I was testing him,” Kyle admits.
“Test him when he isn’t on edge, worried about someone he loves,” my mom says and then smacks him on the back of the head.
“Ouch!” he grumbles, rubbing the spot where she hit him.
“You boys are terrible! I heard you all went out and crashed his date last night, their first date! What’s the matter with you?
” she scolds. “I have a mind to smack you again, Kyle Philips. You are not a stupid man, but you certainly are a dumb boy! You may think it’s funny, but Mikayla doesn’t deserve that.
When she’s well, you better apologize to her. ”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kyle looks down at his feet and clasps his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry, Caine.”
“If you’re making a joke of this…” my mother hisses, walking over to him with her hand raised.
I’m a dick. I smirk. Who wouldn’t! My mother is beating up my best friend! It’s kind of amazing.
“I’m serious, Mrs. Montgomery! I really am sorry,” Kyle says, his hands raised, his body turned as he tries to protect himself from her potential blows. She’s perfected the smack! It stings for days!
“Good. I have dinner for you in the kitchen. Caine, refill that bath, and when you’re done taking care of your future wife, make sure you eat your dinner.” The scolding tone is still there even though she’s being loving.
“Don’t fuck it up or I’ll be giving her a sponge bath!” Kyle mutters with a smirk.
I grab a pen and lob it at his head. It hits him right on the temple.
“Fuck!” he yells, wincing, his hand rubbing the other side of his face now.
“You deserved that,” my mother says and smacks his head again. “Go on before I smack more than your head. Don’t make me make you go out and find me a switch!” she warns.
Kyle looks at my mother with a glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. I fist my hands at my sides before saying, “Make an inappropriate remark about my mama and I will punch you in the face.”
My former best friend has the presence of mind to leave the room.
I grab the small bath and empty out the cold water and turn on the tap.
“Not too hot and not too cold,” my mom says. “You want to cool her body down.”
I nod, and when I think it’s a good temperature, I fill the basin and carry it over to the table beside her bed.
Mikayla’s eyes open as I place the soft sponge on her chest and neck.
“You’re back.”
“I never left,” I remind her. I kiss her brow and continue her bath.
“Thank you,” Mikayla murmurs. “That feels so nice,” she adds with a sigh.
“You gonna move over and let me sleep next to you?”
“God, yes, thank you,” she whispers, laying her head down on its side as she looks at me. She says it as though I’m doing her a favor. In actuality, I can’t leave her. I’d sleep in the chair if I had to.
“I brought some soup. Do you think you’d be able to keep it down?” my mom asks.