Me before you

chapter 14

By the time Sana woke up the next morning, her stomach was in knots.

For the first time in what seemed like years, she woke up to the blaring alarm clock, not before it. A pounding headache was already gathering behind her temples. She sighed, sitting up heavily in bed and pushing back the covers. By the time her bare feet touched the carpet, her chest was tight.

Sana tried to push her mounting nerves out of her head as she went through the motions of an ordinary weekday morning; showering, straightening her hair, applying makeup like war paint. It took longer than usual to decide what to wear. She found herself trying on several different versions of the same outfit, feeling increasingly ridiculous. It wasn't as if this was a date. She was just going to work. God. Eventually, having decided on what to wear – black skirt, red silk mix blouse Y/n had complimented once, the earrings from last night – Sana forced herself to eat some breakfast before ignoring the thoughts buzzing through her mind and setting off for the mayor's house, coat wrapped tightly around her.

It was silly – she hadn't felt like this over anything for such a long time, let alone anything... romantic. The fact that Louis was currently in Boston with Wonwoo didn't help either: it only gave her another thing to worry about, no matter how many excited texts Louis sent her saying he was having a good time.

Stop worrying about your son spending quality time with his father, Sana snapped at herself. And then added, particularly after you just kissed the depressed quadriplegic woman you get paid to take care of. When she'd said she wanted a fresh start, this wasn't exactly what she'd in mind.

Sana kept her head down as she made the walk to work, heels clicking against the pavement. She solidly ignored the feeble attempts at hello a few passers-by made. Y/n was right, this town was too friendly for its own good. How the woman had handled growing up here was beyond her. Before she even had time to run through what she was going to say in her head, the mayor's house had come into view. Sana swallowed hard, breathed in and perfected her posture. She was Sana Minatozaki. She could handle anything.

She unlocked the gate with her heart beating hard, and made her way sharply through the frosty garden, noting how the flowers were already curled shut against the cold. Sana swallowed and reached for the annex doorknob. It was already open. Sana pushed inside, immediately hit by a welcome wave of warmth from the central heating. She took her time walking down the hallway to Y/n's room, where she could hear the TV turned down low. She took a deep breath before opening that door, like a deep-sea diver about to go under.

Inside, Y/n was sitting in her wheelchair facing away from the breakfast show on TV, but her head jerked around the minute Sana stepped through into the room. She was wearing sweats and odd socks, and her hair was drying curly over her shoulders. Sana swallowed, and then broke out into a smile without her brain's consent.

"Hi," Sana breathed.

"Hi." Y/n repeated, brain empty. The words took her back to last night.

Sana paused in the doorway, looking unsure. When she leaned forward to hook her bag off her arm, her dark hair shifted against her neck and Y/n caught a glimpse of her earrings – the earrings – glinting against skin. It put a weak smile on her face.

Sana cleared her throat. Her brown eyes drifted to the floor for a moment before lifting back up to Y/n, mouth open. "We should talk."

"Yeah." Y/n agreed, exhaling slowly. Get a grip, you crippled loser. She hesitated, and then steeled herself. "Come on, you wanna sit down?"

Nodding, the brunette moved slowly across the room, heels clicking softly on the floor, bag and coat draped over her wrist. She took a long time placing them carefully down on the side before breathing in and sitting down elegantly on the end of Y/n's bed, legs crossed. Sana cleared her throat loudly. "So."