Page 33
L ooked into his eyes and it was all darkness.
Maybe you’re not ready for this yet. But you will be.
Immy, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.
Urgh!
It was impossible for her to sleep.
She hated this. Rolling over, she checked the time. She felt hot and flushed and out of sorts.
Sitting up, she gazed around at her bed. Her sheets and blankets were a complete mess. She was hot and bothered and her brain just kept replaying things that both Tobias and Jenner had said to her.
Things that she’d rather forget.
What the heck was wrong with her?
She checked the time again. Just after five in the morning. The sun wouldn’t rise for at another hour. But if she couldn’t go swimming, she could do the next best thing. Slipping out of bed, she headed into the shower.
The cool water felt like heaven against her flushed skin. But once she got out, her teeth started chattering.
All right.
This wasn’t good.
Immy slipped a large T-shirt on over her head. Yeah, it was one of Jenner’s that she’d stolen years ago but she didn’t care.
She was so tired and her head ached. All she had to do was wipe her brain clean.
That couldn’t be that hard, right?
Stepping out of the bedroom, she figured she’d go see Abe. But after knocking on his door, she realized he was probably in the gym. He’d been acting a bit weird lately, but at least he was no longer spending all his time in his room.
Grasping hold of the stair rail, she moved slowly downstairs. Why did everything keep going all blurry?
Shoot. Had she put the coffee on last night? She couldn’t remember. But the guys would be up soon and they’d need coffee.
She’d just check that before she went and found Abe.
Cold medicine.
That’s what she needed.
After rustling around in the medicine box, she realized that she hadn’t restocked it. Maybe there would be some in the top cupboard. That was her overflow area.
Normally, she got one of the guys to grab it for her. But she couldn’t be bothered going to find them. So instead, she grabbed one of the counter stools and climbed on it to reach up into the cupboard.
“Uh-huh!” She held up the cold medicine like it was a trophy she’d just won.
“Immy! What the fuck are you doing?” Jenner said from behind her.
She wobbled, taking a step back. Which, in hindsight, was a really dumb idea. Her foot met air and her backside would have met the tile floor if Jenner hadn’t leaped forward and caught her.
“Fuck, Immy!” he said, gaping down at her as he held her in his arms. “You could have fallen.”
“Pretty sure I did fly. Wee! Through the air!” She started to giggle. And she had no idea why.
“Immy, what’s wrong? Shit. Are you sick?”
“Ding-ding-ding! Jenner gets a prize. That’s why I had to get the cold medicine. Think I might have an incy-wincy cold. Nothing to be worried about.”
Jenner sat her on the counter.
Boo. The counter was cold on her bare legs and she’d much rather be in his arms.
“I’m sorry the counter is cold on your legs and I’ll carry you up to bed soon, okay?” he said in a quiet, soothing voice.
“Can you . . . are you magic? Can you read my mind?” she asked. “When did you get this power and why didn’t you tell me?”
“Baby, you’re broadcasting your every thought,” he told her as he moved away.
She was?
Where was he going? Was he leaving her? Oh no, he was leaving her. This was terrible.
“I’m not leaving you, Twinkles,” he told her.
“You can read minds. That’s a very scary power to have. What am I thinking right now?”
Get me some chocolate milk.
“You’re not having chocolate milk,” he told her firmly as he returned with the thermometer. “Open up.”
“Magic,” she whispered hoarsely. Then she cleared her throat. Why was her throat so sore?
“I’ll take a look at your throat soon, baby,” he replied. “Just open up so I can take your temperature, okay?”
“Okie-dokie-lemon-spokie. Then can I have chocolate milk?”
“We’ll see,” he replied. “Open.”
That sucked. ‘We’ll see’ always meant no. Why was Jenner being so mean to her?
“I’m sorry you think I’m being mean. But you do need to open your mouth for me.”
“Okay. Why didn’t you just ask? Sheesh, I’m not a mind reader like you.”
“My bad,” he said dryly.
She nodded. Then she opened her mouth. Because Immy was a good girl who always did what she was told. And she’d smack anyone who said differently.
Okay, she might also get slightly violent when she was running a fever.
But it was nothing to worry about.
“What’s going on?” Abe asked as he walked into the room. He had on his running gear.
“Immy isn’t feeling well. I caught her standing on the stool to reach the extra medicine above the fridge. When I walked in, she nearly fell.”
Hey, that wasn’t fair.
She’d only nearly fallen because he’d startled her.
She waited for his rebuttal, but he didn’t say anything.
Ahh, it seemed he’d lost his ability to read minds.
“Here we go, Immy,” he said as he drew out the thermometer. “Yep, she’s got a fever. Quite a high one.”
“I don’t feel so good,” she said, holding her arms out to Jenner. “Carry me.”
“Of course, baby.” He lifted her onto his hip and she snuggled her face into chest. “I’m going to take her upstairs and put her back to bed. We might need Eric.”
“Nooo,” she groaned. Darn it. Why was her throat so sore and croaky? “No bed. No Eric. Wanna swim.”
“That’s definitely not happening,” Abe told her firmly, grasping hold of her chin. “She’s very pale and her eyes are glassy. Could just be the flu, though.”
“Yes, but with Immy that can turn bad quickly.”
Abe nodded.
“Jenny, want a swim,” she grumbled.
“Uh-uh, just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you get to call me that.”
“But I like that nickname. You call me Twinkles.”
“Twinkles is cute. Jenny is not cute.”
“Are you sure? Because you’re cute.” She leaned back and then booped his nose. “Cute. Cute. Cute.”
“What’s going on?” Sampson asked as he strode into the kitchen dressed in running gear. “Why are you carrying Immy? And why is she poking you in the nose?”
“I’m carrying her because she’s ill and needs to go to bed. Why she’s poking me in the nose . . . well, I have no idea, to be honest.”
“I’m booping him. It’s a cute nose and it needs to be booped.”
“Shit. What’s her temperature?” Sampson asked, walking over to put the back of his hand against her forehead.
Oh wow.
“You’re so cold!” she cried. “Sampson is the coldest. Like ice. Ice-man Sampson.”
“All right, Immy, shh,” Jenner told her, bouncing her up and down slightly. Which was not a good idea as she was starting to feel kind of ill.
“You’re feeling ill?” Sampson asked, alarmed. “Have you guys called Eric?”
“I think we should give her the cold medicine first,” Abe said. “Then if she starts to feel worse or doesn’t improve, we call Eric.”
“I side with Abe! He knows what he’s talking about. Abe is very sensisibible . . . is that the right word? I think it’s the right word. It feels like the right word. Jenny?”
“Yeah, baby?” Jenner asked.
“Oh, good, I thought you’d gone and left me. Don’t leave me, okay?”
“I’m not going to leave you, Immy.”
“I don’t wants to die alone.”
Silence fell in the room and she started to hum . . . because . . . awkward.
“Listen to me, Immy,” Jenner said firmly. “Are you listening?”
“Uh-huh.” She was also wondering if she added blue food coloring to mashed potatoes and put in little marshmallows would that look like unicorn poop?
Yummy scrummy unicorn poop.
“Why is Immy talking about unicorn poop?” Isaiah asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Issy!” she cried, throwing her arms into the air.
Jenner grunted and swore.
“Tut-tut. Those are naughty words, Jenny. Abby, Jenny, Issy and Sammy! My bestest friends in the whole world. Along with Maeve and Cat, of course.”
“How come Maeve and Cat don’t get ridiculous nicknames?” Sampson muttered.
Silly Sammy.
Always a grouch.
Sammy the grouch. Nope. Sammy the Salty.
There was a sound of amusement. “Sammy the Salty has a nice ring to it.”
“Shut up, Abby,” Sampson muttered.
“Abby the Angel,” she sighed.
“All of you be quiet,” Jenner said sharply. “I need to tell her something.”
“Jenny the Joyful. Jenny the Juicy.” She started to giggle.
“Dear God,” Isaiah groaned. “Do not do me.”
“Idiot,” Sampson told him.
“Issy the Igloo.”
“I’ll take it,” Isaiah said.
Jenner set her down on the counter and she started to whimper. “No! Want you!”
“I want you to pay attention, Immy,” Jenner said to her. “You are not going to die, understand me?”
“Jenner, she’s not thinking properly,” Abe told him.
Immy sniffled. Jenner was mad at her. She didn’t want Jenner to be mad at her. Immy was a good girl.
“Fuck,” Jenner muttered. “Of course you’re a good girl, Immy. I’m not mad.”
“You sound mad. Immy doesn’t like that. Immy is sick! You should be nice to Immy!”
“I only ever want to be nice to Immy,” Jenner told her.
“You’ve been avoiding Immy. And it makes her sad.” She had no idea why she was speaking about herself in the third person. But she felt like she was a different person. She felt . . . odd.
As though something had changed inside her. And she wasn’t just talking about the fever. She drew her legs up to her chest.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Jenner said to her. “I’d never want you to be sad. I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you. And that it hurt your feelings.”
She sniffled. “It okay. Sometimes Immy thinks she has too many feelings. She should be tougher, not so emotional.”
“Immy should just be herself,” Sampson told her. “And other people should make sure they don’t upset her.”
Another sniffle and she felt tears dripping down her face. Oops.
“I don’ts feel so good.”
“Here, let’s get this medicine into her,” Abe said.
“I’ll do it. Immy, baby, open up,” Jenner ordered.
“I don’t wanna.”
“Immy, you need to take the medicine to make you feel better,” Abe told her.
“Nuh-uh. Don’t want it. Just want Snowy and bed.” That’s all she needed.
“I’ll hold her nose and someone shove them in there,” Sampson said in a gruff voice.
What?
No!
She’d kick him in the balls if he tried.
Table of Contents
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- Page 33 (Reading here)
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