The moment Killian collapsed in front of me, everything became a fog. My brain short-circuited and It wasn't until doctor Jones arrived that I regained bits and pieces of my senses.
"He'll be fine." He assured me. "He had a blackout, it occurs sometimes when you take in too much alcohol. His sugar levels were also high but I've been able to stabilize it so once he's rested, he'll be back up on his feet."
I sagged with relief, turning towards the bed to stare at Killian's still unconscious form. "Thank you very much. Thank you for coming here at such short notice."
He smiled candidly at me. "It's my job. Just make sure he stays in bed and away from alcohol."
I nodded and helped him pack up before seeing him out of the house. When I returned, Killian was still asleep, looking terribly pale with pain twisted on his beautiful face. I pulled one of the chairs in his room to the side of his bed and sat down. The level of heat radiating from the bed was quite alarming and my stomach knotted with worry when I reached out to touch his forehead and found that his skin was burning hot.
Why was he drinking?
A heaviness settled in my belly over that thought.
I pushed the hair plastered on his forehead away and glanced over at the clock. It was a few minutes past the hour of one. I wanted to sleep but I couldn't. I was tired, I was drowsy, but I did not want to sleep. Although, somewhere along the line, it felt like I had because I suddenly woke up with a crick in my neck the next morning and groaned when sunlight fanned my face.
Killian was still asleep, sweat dripping down his face and bare chest. His skin had started to regain its colors and that somewhat made me breathe down a sigh of relief.
When the blinds could no longer hold the heavy rays of sunshine that snuck in, I got up and moved quietly, trying to avoid disturbing him as I covered up the curtains.
When I shut them, I returned to my seat and picked up a clean cloth napkin, deciding to clean the sweat off his face. I leaned down to do so but his hand swooped up and grabbed mine with his eyes still closed. "What are you doing?"
My breath hitched. I immediately withdrew my hand from his tight grip. "I'm sorry, you were sweating so bad and I wanted to wipe some off you."
He raised his heavy eyelids, his indigo eyes holding mine and I felt the air in my lungs seize for a moment. "How...did I get here?"
"You came back home yesterday and suddenly collapsed, the doctor said you had a blackout," I told him, noticing how parched his lips were. "You should drink some water." I urged, grabbing the bottle I'd kept on his bedside and handing it to him but he pushed it away, spewing the water across the bed and floor.
"Oh my," I got up quickly, surveying the damage as I placed a dry cloth on the side of the bed that was now drenched.
"Did I ask you for water?"
I shook my head, hurt blooming in my chest. "I'm sorry." I didn't have much experience with nursing someone. "You looked thirsty."
"Well, I'm not." He gruffed and then hissed with pain when he forced himself into a sitting position.
"Killian please don't do that." I panicked, but he shoved me aside and slid his legs off the edge of the bed.
"You need to lay back down." I implored, reaching for his arm but he slapped my hand away harshly.
"Don't touch me."
I tried to get my emotions in check because now was not the time to cry. "Alright, I won't but please lay down and rest."
He ignored me and got up on his feet. I could tell the room swayed in his eyes because he almost lost balance but ended up reaching out for the wall for support.
"Killian please you're not well. You should lay back." I persisted even though he started to take disorientated steps away from me.
I dropped the drenched cloth and followed behind carefully. "Please come back to bed."
"Don't you fucking tell me what to do. You don't know anything." He snapped and my eyes stung with the need to cry but I held it all in.
"Killian, the doctor said—"
He stopped and gave me a dark look that shut my mouth up.
"Where are my keys?"
"You didn't come home with your car," I mumbled, following silently behind him.
"Shit." He groaned and continued to walk away, looking disoriented, and at some, he leaned against the wall, taking in deep breaths.
"Killian," I rushed to his side, my hand on his shoulder as he continued to heave. "You need to—"
"What part of don't fucking touch me don't you understand." He snapped again and I jerked back, tears pricking my eyes.
"I'm just trying to help you."
"I don't need your silly help so stop acting like—" his words flattered as he staggered off balance again but I caught him in time, his weight making me groan.
"You're not well Killian, you can stay angry at me all you want but I'm taking you back to bed now."
He didn't say anything but I knew he agreed with me. I placed an arm around his waist, the other over his shoulders, and slowly led him back into his room.
Three hours later, after he'd fallen asleep and woken up again, he was feeling remarkably better, not well, but good enough that he became steadied in his legs and could walk into the bathroom to shower without my help.
After I had my shower, I spent most of my time in the kitchen, trying to prepare a healthy lunch. Cooking wasn't really my fort and I sustained a lot of blistered trying to chop up vegetables. An hour later when I was sure I hadn't created a disaster and the food tasted good, I took Killian's portion up to his room.
I knocked and then entered. He was sitting on his bed, his back to the headboard as he typed furiously on his laptop.
I sighed, he didn't look well enough to be working, but I knew better than to argue with a man in an unruly state.
"I brought lunch," I announced, placing it on his bedside.
His head craned towards it and then he turned to me with a somewhat dry expression. "Take it out. I'm not hungry."
Concern knit my brows into a wrinkled line. "But why?"
"I'm not hungry." He commented, turning his attention back to his laptop.
"Killian, you need to eat," I pleaded. "You won't get better if you don't."
"I'm not hungry." He gruffed, proceeding to ignore me.
I took a deep breath. "But you haven't had anything to eat all day."
"I know and I said I'm not hungry."
"Killian please, just—"
"What gives, woman." He snapped. "I said I'm not fucking hungry so stop treating me like I'm some sick child. I can take care of myself."
I frowned. "No, you can't. If you could you wouldn't have gotten drunk to the point you passed out."
He inclined his head and cocked his brow in an annoyingly condescending manner. "Are you going to play the blame game?"
My lips pursed. "No i—"
"Then don't you dare lecture me on what and what not to do."
He was definitely trying to provoke me. I mentally counted to five in my head before sighing out an exasperated breath. "I just want you to eat, Killian."
"And I said I'm not hungry. Now stop leeching around me like a parasite and make yourself useful somewhere else."
My cheeks flushed with anger. I had just outright had it with his mood swings. "All I've been trying to do is help you but since you so desperately want to be alone. Fine."
"Fine." He snapped.
"Fine!" I stormed out of his room, feeling my breathing growing labored, and by the time I reached my room, I was heaving with exertion, trying hard to keep the tears at bay but at some point, I gave up, letting a few fall.
Gosh. He was so unbearable!
We didn't speak to each other for the rest of the day. I stayed huddled up in my room, trying to get some sleep but how could I when I knew he was there and probably needed my help for something but his pride wouldn't let him ask.
When I heard rustling noises around the house, I figured he was up on his feet so I decided to get some sleep but it didn't take long for a clap of thunder to rouse me from my sleep.
The thunderstorm clapped again and I stared out the window to see it was raining so aggressively I was surprised I had been asleep for this long.
I glanced over at the alarm clock on my bedside. It was seven in the evening.
The desperate need to see Killian overwhelmed me.
Why was I so pissed at him?
Did I even have the right to be?
Frustration ate me as I clambered out of bed. Before I could stop myself, I padded out of my room and down the hallway. My pride was at stake but I didn't care. His door was shut. I knocked a few times but no one answered.
"Killian, can I come in?"
When I didn't get a reply, I figured it would be hard to hear my knocks due to the rain so I opened the door slowly and stepped in.
The bed was empty. I looked around the room but there was no sign of him and it wasn't until I heard the shower running that I realized where he was.
Jeez tho, his room was a mess. I hustled for his bed and caught sight of the lunch plate I had left earlier. When I raised the lid, it was empty. He'd eaten it after all.
With a smile on my face, I picked up his pillows and made his bed since I knew he was a spoilt brat and he wouldn't do it himself.
Just in the process of dusting the pillows, I heard the bathroom door open.
"What the hell are you doing in here?"
"I'm sorry. " I immediately dropped the pillow and turned to stare at him.
He had only his white towel on and seeing him like this twisted my tongue.
I cleared my throat. "I came here to apologize for earlier but when I knocked a couple of times no one answered so I just, um, walked and thought I'd help you with the bed."
He lifted a weary hand and pushed his wet hair out of his face. "Alright, get out now."
I knotted my fingers together. "I'm sorry."
"I think I've heard enough of that already, please use the door and let me fucking be." He walked over to the bed.
I swallowed.
"I'm just— I want you to know that I'm here for you and I know you haven't forgiven me but I'm ready to do anything to earn back your forgiveness."
He was quiet for a moment. I honestly hoped that he could see how sincere my words were because there was no other way I could prove how sorry I really was.
"Anything?"
I nodded eagerly. "Yes, anything, just name it."
His was quiet again, his eyes assessing me. After what felt like a monumental amount of time, his entire demeanor changed and with half-lidded eyes dark with ambition, he spoke. "Get naked."
My mouth went dry. I was certain I'd heard wrong. "What did you say?"
"I said... get naked."