Chapter Twenty
Maya
Maya rolled onto her back with a groan, peeling away the sheets stuck to her with sweat. The movement quickly evolved into a chesty coughing fit. With Christmas only two days away, it was perfect timing to be struck down with a nasty fever and a cough that had aged her fifty years.
Just brilliant.
Her small, cluttered room felt like a furnace, with stale air mingling with the faint smell of menthol wafting from a half-used tub of vapour rub on her nightstand. She cursed the festive decorations, despising the blinking fairy lights with every breath, but she was too tired to drag herself out of bed and turn them off. They were her mum’s idea, but the lights, along with the fake pink Christmas tree, only highlighted how far she felt from the holiday cheer.
She hated being ill. Lying around all day in a bed of germs, just wishing time away. Not being able to help or do anything at all useful. Just a sack of skin pathetically expelling carbon dioxide in an effort to see another day.
Yes, I may also get a tad bit dramatic when I’m ill… Just a smidge.
She huffed again and reached for a crumpled tissue. This cold was kicking her arse. She was supposed to be using the Christmas break to study for her exams in January and spend time with her family, not lie in a bed coughing up slime.
She groaned again, leaning into her self-pity party. Her mum and Grandma had both gone out for last-ditch Christmas shopping, and there was no way Grandpa could hear her over the blaring telly in his room. So she just let it out, hoping the gay gods might take pity on her.
Her phone vibrated, and she plucked it up off the duvet. Her heart leaped reading Jamie’s name on the screen. She hadn’t seen her for a few days, ever since this demon had infiltrated her body. She totally blamed the illness on Jamie for forcing her to swim in the freezing English sea.
Jamie: Can you muster enough strength to let me in?
Jamie had been wanting to see her, but she didn’t want her to get ill before the holidays.
Maya: No can do
Jamie: Pleaseeee
It’s my last chance to see you before we go to my aunt’s house
Anddddd your mum is out so I know you’re dying for a cup of tea
Maya smiled at her screen.
Maya: Are you spying on me?
Jamie: Maybe just a little bit
Maya: I don’t want you to get sick
Jamie: I don’t want to not see you for a whole week
And I have a superior immune system
Try me
Maya sighed. Jamie had been like this the whole time. It was cute that she wanted to see her, but god knows what she looked like. She opened her front camera and recoiled. A brown-haired gremlin peered back at her. Not a chance.
Her phone vibrated again.
Jamie: Please
I miss you
She reread the words, feeling them weave around her heart and squeeze.
Dammit. She missed her, too.
She forced herself to sit upright, an avalanche of tissues tumbling down her chest, and slowly made her way down the stairs and to the front door.
When she opened it, Jamie’s mouth dropped. Her eyes widened as she took in Maya’s dishevelled appearance, her short blonde curls dancing in the chilly breeze. “Wow. You look terrible,” she said, her voice a mix of concern and teasing.
“I’m so glad you came,” Maya grumbled, pulling the covers tighter around herself.
Jamie shuffled inside, closing the door behind her, and Maya painfully made her way back upstairs.
Arms wound around her, lifting her up, and she squealed. “What are you doing?”
“It’s just too painful to watch.” Jamie carried her up the last of the stairs, and after Maya had nodded which way, took her into her room and laid her on the mattress. “Jesus. It’s like a crypt in here. Let’s get some fresh air in. ”
She opened the window an inch, tucking one curtain behind the radiator. When the cool air reached Maya, she started shivering. She pulled the covers higher around her neck. Her head pulsed, like her inner demons were playing a game of air hockey in her brain. Ping. Ping. Ping . She rubbed her temples, willing it all to quieten for just a moment.
It wasn’t until Jamie let out a soft chuckle that Maya realised this was the first time she’d been in her room, her own personal space. Her eyes snapped open. Her gaze caught on the piles of tissues now littering the floor, the clothes abandoned in a heap, and the collection of dirty glasses on her bedside table.
And Jamie was seeing her room like this.
Wonderful.
Her attention moved to Jamie, surprised to find her looking out the window instead of judging the shitshow around them. A pair of light blue boyfriend-cut jeans clung to her legs, and she was wearing an oversized forest green jumper. She turned to her, that silly Jamie grin on her face, and Maya’s belly flip-flopped.
A violent cough ripped from her throat, and Jamie hurried over. She batted her away with the duvet, exhausted from the effort.
“Keep away!”
Jamie laughed.
Maya poked her head from the cocoon to scowl at her. “I don’t want you to get sick.”
“I’m standing in your germ dungeon. There’s little hope left for me now.” She took a step forward, and Maya covered herself with the duvet again. “Maya.” Her voice took on a serious tone, sending flutters between Maya’s legs.
At least that part of me is still working.
“Stop being so bloody stubborn. Have you eaten yet?”
She shook her head, not caring how ridiculous she must look. She just wanted to be better already. She had too much going on: Christmas, exams, football. She couldn’t afford to be ill.
“I brought soup,” Jamie said. “Enough for your grandpa, too. Do you want some?”
She brought some for Grandpa? Maya was glad Jamie couldn’t see her face, because she was swooning hard. Jamie mistook her silence for defiance and huffed again.
“Maya. Can you just let me take care of you?” She paused. “Please.”
Maya poked her head out and met Jamie’s soft eyes. “Fine.”
Jamie disappeared in a whirlwind, leaving disbelief in her wake.
Maya shut her eyes, chest weighing heavy, and listened to the downstairs cupboards opening and closing, creaking in the classic way they did now Grandpa had stopped doing any maintenance.
A soft hand brushed Maya’s forehead, and she woke, startled. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep .
“You’re burning up,” Jamie murmured. “Take these.” She handed her some paracetamol and a glass of cold water.
After she’d taken them, Jamie placed a tray on her lap, one of Grandma’s classic chicken-patterned ones, with a bowl of steaming-hot tomato soup.
The delicious scent caused Maya’s belly to rumble. She glanced up at her. “Did you make this?”
“No need to look so surprised, Skip. I’m a mean cook.”
“You…cook?”
Jamie chuckled, taking a seat on the bed. “Just eat it.”
She managed a few mouthfuls. The warmth eased her throat and settled her stomach. It was flavourful too, not that she’d admit that to Jamie. When she couldn’t eat anymore, Jamie removed the tray from her lap and disappeared again to tidy downstairs.
Maya must’ve fallen asleep again.
“I’ve left the rest in the microwave for you and your grandpa,” Jamie said quietly when she returned. She joined Maya on the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“A little better. Thank you.”
Jamie smiled and opened her arm to her. “Want a cuddle?”
Pushing any reservations away, Maya leaned into her chest, burying herself in her warmth. Her aftershave was familiar, mixed with her coconut shampoo. She’d missed her more than she cared to admit. Her smell felt like home .
This damn illness is definitely kicking my arse. This was Jamie Mellor. The same Jamie Mellor who’d wound Maya up for years with her cheeky comments and arrogance. And now Maya was snuggled into her, calling this woman’s scent home.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered, instantly wondering why the hell she’d said those words out loud.
A low rumble came from Jamie’s chest. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s the…fever talking.”
Jamie brushed her arms with her fingertips. Her heartbeat thudded away inside her chest, grounding Maya.
“I had a little moment earlier myself too,” Jamie said. “Looking out the window at my parents’ house…I remembered the first day, when I saw you up here. Spying on me.”
Heat flushed Maya’s already hot face, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Jamie saw her. The day they moved in… Oh, god.
“So I guess I can’t quite believe I’m here either.” Jamie chuckled, holding Maya a little tighter. “I thought it was just another nosy neighbour, then when you walked in through the door…” She laughed a little louder. “I couldn’t believe it. I always loved playing Millton. It was so much fun winding you up and teasing you. Beating you, too, of course.”
If Maya had the energy, she’d pinch her. She settled for punching her with her eyes instead.
“You must be really unwell if you’re letting that go,” Jamie commented, the corners of her lips turning upwards.
“I’ll get you back for it later,” she mumbled, fighting a yawn.
“I hope so. Right, shall we watch something shit on Netflix?” Jamie rearranged the pillows and bedding, and Maya’s body curved into her, warm and safe.
She’d fallen asleep before they’d even chosen something to watch.
Jamie’s laugh disturbed her, along with the sharp rise and fall of her chest. Groggily, Maya leaned back, temporarily lost in this strange vision of Jamie in her bed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s alright.” Maya stretched her back, relieved some of the earlier head fog seemed to have dissipated, for now. And those damn demon air-hockey headaches.
“You’ve been asleep for an hour, though.”
“Have I?”
Oh, shit. That meant Grandma and her mum could be back any moment—and having them meet Jamie this way was so not the way Maya wanted it to happen.
“What time is—” A chesty cough hijacked her sentence, and Jamie helped her sit up. “Ugh! I hate being ill.”
“It’s nearly quarter to four.” Jamie pressed the back of her hand to Maya’s forehead. “You’re getting hot again. You should try and sleep some more. ”
Maya sighed, croaking like an old door about to fall off its hinges. “They’ll be back soon.”
She didn’t want to look at Jamie, to see the hurt she’d failed to disguise on her face. She wanted to introduce her to her family—she did, just not like this. Her mum was going to be a nightmare; she needed to be at full fitness to survive it.
“I’ll leave in a minute, then.”
You’re an asshole, Maya. She looked up at Jamie, noting the way she was nibbling on her bottom lip. Jamie caught her staring and squashed it into a smile.
“After exams,” Maya said. “I want you to meet them properly.”
Jamie grinned, her entire face lighting up. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
Jamie’s eyebrows drew together, and she shrugged. “I don’t know. Sounds pretty serious.”
Maya tried to punch her with her eyes again but broke into another coughing fit.
“I was only joking. No need to be so dramatic,” Jamie teased. “I’ll give you your Christmas present, and then I’ll go.”
A sharp panic flashed up Maya’s spine. “Christmas present? I thought we agreed we weren’t going to get each other gifts.”
“Calm down. It’s just a little something. I promise.” Jamie moved off the bed, rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a soft rectangular present, wrapped messily in reindeer wrapping paper .
“That’s more than a little something,” Maya scolded, eyeing the sizeable package as Jamie placed it on her lap.
“Are you really going to complain about presents now?” Jamie rolled her eyes. “Maya…just open it.”
She huffed, shaking her head in defeat. “This better not be expensive.” She slipped a finger under the many layers of tape, letting out a laugh when Jamie had to help her remove it. Then she ripped across the length of the paper, exposing the soft black fabric underneath.
It was Jamie’s jumper. The same one she’d given her after driving her home the first time. The one she’d kept and used as a comfort when Grandpa was in hospital. Maya had left it at Jamie’s place a few weeks ago, but now she was…giving it back?
She glanced up at her.
“I want you to have it.” Jamie’s focus fell on the jumper in her lap. “I miss seeing you wearing it. It was…really hot to see you wearing my clothes.” She scratched the back of her neck before meeting her gaze. “But I get if you don’t want to…I know it’s quite a statement—”
“I love it.”
Her eyes crinkled. “Yeah?”
“I missed wearing it, too.”
Jamie smiled wider, then leaned in to kiss her.
“Get back!” Maya held the jumper up to ward her off, and Jamie groaned.
“You can’t be serious. If I’m in here, I might get your lurg anyway. Might as well get a kiss too. ”
Maya’s focus dropped to her pouting mouth. Those plump lips begging to be kissed. It had felt like a lifetime since she’d been holed up in this room. And she wasn’t going to see Jamie for a week now.
“But I don’t want you to get ill for the tournament.”
“It’s weeks away. It’s fine. Now, come here.”
Jamie’s soft lips brushed against hers, tentatively at first, before kissing her harder. Her touch awakened Maya’s libido; she brought her hand behind Maya’s neck, pulling them closer, deeper. Suddenly, Maya couldn’t breathe. She pulled away, wheezing.
“I’ve still got it,” Jamie teased. “Leaving the women breathless.”
Before Maya could say anything, a car door slammed outside, and their heads snapped to look at the window.
Jamie leaned forward. “Your mum’s here.”
Shit.
Maya’s eyes darted around the mess of her bedroom, searching for a place for Jamie to hide. She could try the wardrobe…but it was a little flimsy in its old age. What about under the bed?
Jamie moved apart the curtains, flashing sunlight in Maya’s eyes. She slid the window higher, and a gust of wind blew through the room.
“What are you doing?” Maya hissed.
Keys jangled in the front door, followed by the sound of her mum calling, “Maya!”
“Going out the window,” Jamie said.
“How can you say that so casually?”
She shrugged, the wind caressing her short blonde curls. “It’s not the first bedroom window I’ve snuck out of.” She blew a kiss. “Have a great Christmas, Skip. Get better soon.”
And with that, she was gone, leaving Maya wondering if Jamie had really been in her bedroom or if it was just a fever apparition.