From Me to You [Complete]

35

I wake up because of a knock at the door. Slowly coming to awareness I see Robert peek his head around the door. Noticing that I'm awake, he enters, carrying a tray that he brings up to me.

"I was told to bring you soup?" The question in his tone lets me know he was likely roped into it by a parent. I wonder why Michael didn't just volunteer.

I sit up slowly, feeling a little smile come to my lips. "Sure," I say, taking the tray from him and placing it in my lap. "What kind is it?"

"Chicken noodle of course," he says with incredulity. "What else would you have when you're sick?"

"Right," I agree. I hope my brother got some to feed his chicken craving.

"You feeling any better?" he asks.

I do an analysis. Definitely hungry, less sleepy than before, and sweaty. "I think my fever broke," I reply.

"That's good." He turns to leave but then stops. I swirl a spoon in the soup. "Hey, where were you last night?" he asks, turning back –maybe he wasn't told to come in here by a parent after all.

"What?" I say, unsure what he knows.

"Last night, when I found the spider... I had to put it outside, and I went to the backdoor. You...weren't on the couch."

"Oh." I continue to swirl my soup, avoiding his eyes.

"Were you..." he trails off, unable to really say it out loud. I look up at him, and feel like I have the upper hand.

"No, I was not in his bedroom, if that's what you were thinking," I say pointedly, and it's true –at least for last night anyway.

"I wasn't," he says in a strangled voice, which makes me grin.

"Michael took me to the park," I say, because it seems especially innocent after what Robert was thinking we were doing.

"Really?" Robert pauses, watching me for a second. "Well...I hope he realizes that you need your rest to get better, so probably not the best idea to go to the park tonight."

I smile again, because the protective brother in Robert seems to have extended to a protection over me. "I think we'll probably stay in tonight," I supply.

"Good," he says.

"Hey, Robert?" I ask, before he can turn away.

"Yea?" His eyebrows quirk up at me.

"Is Michael...okay?" I avoid looking at him, hoping he doesn't know I'm a little disappointed that Michael didn't bring the soup instead.

Robert smiles, and I know he knows what I'm thinking. "He had to go with my dad on a beer run," he says.

"Oh," I say, relieved. Although I am not positive how happy I would have been if Michael saw me while I was sick.

"Enjoy the soup."

"Thanks, I will." I smile as Robert closes the door behind him, and take a sip of the soup.

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Let me know what you think in the comments :)