Khadija
"Sure, do whatever you want!" he said with a sigh, as he closed his tired eyes for five seconds and then wearily opened them again. I gently assisted him to stand up from the couch, placing my hand on his waist while he rested his arms on my shoulder.
As I helped him up, I could smell the real scent of Lucian Maximus Dedhari, the helpless one. His scent was a mix of sweat and a hint of cologne. Despite his exhaustion, he applied light pressure on my assistance, being careful not to put too much weight on me. I could feel his body trembling slightly, as if he was about to collapse. I offered him a steady support, making sure he was standing securely before letting go.
As I walked alongside Lucian Max, I couldn't help but notice just how much taller he was than me. I had to raise my head in order to meet his gaze, and when our eyes finally met, I couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
However, I gave him a small smile despite my nerves.
When we reached the parking lot, Lucian turned to me and said, "Let's walk faster. I just want to lay down. I might collapse or something!" I could feel his body shaking like a phone vibrating and it made me even more nervous.
We continued walking, I couldn't help but regret my decision to go to my place. I had completely forgotten that there were a lot of girls at the house, and since there was no work tomorrow, they were all planning to stay at home. I knew that this would make things more complicated and potentially uncomfortable for me.
As I stood there, my mind racing with thoughts, I couldn't help but feel like I was in trouble. The situation was already complicated enough, but the possibility of seeing Lucian Max only added to my anxiety. Gosh, Khadija!
Just then, Lucian Max spoke up. "Please get it," he said, motioning towards something in the car. Despite his chills and worsening condition, he even went so far as to open the car door for me.
As I fumbled around, I realized that I had completely forgotten about my earlier doubts.
In that moment, I couldn't help but feel conflicted. On the one hand, I knew that Lucian Max needed my help. On the other hand, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were getting in over our heads. My mind continued to race, trying to come up with a way out of this mess.
I quickly apologized and thanked him for opening the door for me.
As I rushed to get into the car, I realized that I had forgotten once again that there was no parking available near our house.
My mind was racing with thoughts about where he could possibly park the car. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten about the parking situation yet again. I berated myself, thinking how dumb i was. Why didn't you realize this earlier Khadija?
I gave him the directions to our house, hoping that he would have an idea of where to park.
As we arrived at the parking lot, I couldn't help but notice Lucian Max had parked in a spot that seemed quite convenient. "Ah, why did you park here?" I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from him nonetheless.
"I didn't want you to get into trouble! Hurry up!" He responded, taking my hand and guiding me out of the car. Despite his rush, he managed to pull me out of the car gently, making sure that I didn't accidentally hit my head on the car door.
"Gosh, I think you're fine," I retorted sarcastically, noticing how he was being overly cautious for no reason.
"Oh please, I just want to rest. Please, let's go," he said with a sigh, his mood turning heavy again, but I didn't want to pry.
As we approach our house, I take a quick glance inside through the window to make sure everything is safe and secure before letting Lucian Max in. "Just give me a moment to check inside first," I say to him, gesturing for him to wait at the door.
Without waiting for his response, I quickly slip inside the house and cautiously make my way from room to room to ensure that there are no one else here. Once I'm satisfied that everything is clear, I head back to the front door to fetch Lucian Max.
But as I step back outside, I'm taken aback to see Lucian Max sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall with my blazers draped over his shoulders. His eyes are pale, and he looks incredibly downcast and despondent.
"I can't take it anymore," he says, his voice filled with despair.
As soon as I noticed him, I quickly approached him and provided immediate assistance to help him inside. I could sense that he was feeling a little uneasy, so I apologized in advance, "I am sorry if I cannot put you in a luxurious room as we do not have any guest rooms or anything like that. Additionally, this place is more complex than you might think, but I will try our best to make you comfortable."
Before I could finish my sentence, he cut me off, "If it's not okay, I will not stay here!" His deep, masculine voice with a hint of raspiness clearly conveyed his frustration.
It's funny how this day ends. I should be thinking about Ahmed getting married, but this situation distracted me. It's better this way than being distracted by that marriage. We entered my room, and I helped him onto my bed. Although we have air conditioning here, I didn't turn it on since we have to pay for it. I was very nervous when he entered my house; I knew I was in trouble.
Without any hesitation, I offered him my favorite comforter to help keep him warm. However, he was taller than I had anticipated, and the comforter was too small for him. His toes were sticking out, and I could see that he was uncomfortable. I wanted him to feel better, so I asked him if he was okay with the comforter. He shook his head, and I knew that I had to do something to help him.
I went to my closet to find another comforter that was better suited for his height. As I searched, I could hear him coughing and sneezing in the other room. Finally, I found a comforter that was perfect for him. I doubled it up and brought it to him. He immediately wrapped himself in it, and I could see the relief on his face.
But I knew that I couldn't stop there. I wanted to do more to help him feel better. So, I remembered my mom's tried-and-true method of caring for me when I was sick.
"I have some medicine that could help relieve your symptoms," I said to him, holding out a small pill bottle. However, he shook his head in refusal, looking hesitant and unsure. "Why not?" I asked, feeling confused.
"I appreciate your help, but it's not prescribed by my doctor," he replied weakly, his voice barely audible. "Besides, it's just a minor issue on the first day, and I don't want to risk taking anything that might make it worse."
I could tell that he was in a lot of pain, as he couldn't even open his eyes and was still trembling. I tried to reassure him that the medicine was safe and might provide some relief, but he remained unconvinced.
I left the room and walked to the kitchen to prepare some instant noodles for Lucian Max and a small tub of ice.
I heard some noise outside, which I assumed was the girls arriving, so I quickly gathered the things I might need and returned to my room.
Upon entering the room, I placed the noodles and the tub of ice on my side table. I grabbed a small towel, dipped it into the tub of ice, and placed it on Lucian Max's forehead, applying gentle pressure. I then grabbed another towel, dipped it into the ice again, and placed it on his cheeks.
His eyes shut tight, his face scrunched up in discomfort. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice weak and raspy.
"I'm trying to lower your fever," I replied, as I sat down beside him again. I placed my hand gently on his cheeks, applying just enough pressure to help ease his discomfort. I reached for the towel on his forehead, wringing it out in a bowl of cool water before placing it back on his skin, hoping to bring down his temperature.
Despite my efforts, he was still shaking. I could see the sweat on his brow and the way his body trembled with the effort to keep still.
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door, and my heart skipped a beat. It felt like my spirit had left my body, and I froze for a moment, unsure of what to do.
Lenny knocked the door and called out, "Khad? We ordered some delicious chicken biryani for you!"
I opened the door slightly and greeted Lenny with a weak smile, "Oh, hey Lenny! Thank you for bringing the food, but I'm not feeling well. I appreciate it though. I'll just eat it later."Lenny looked concerned and asked, "Are you okay? Do you need anything? I can stay with you if you want."
I shook my head and replied, "No, I think I just need some rest. But thank you for offering. I'll be fine."
Lenny seemed to believe what I said and pretended to be okay with it. She nodded and said, "Okay, go get some rest! I'm in my room if you need me!" before disappearing with a smile.I locked the door for security and checked on Lucian Max. He was still asleep with the towels resting on his forehead. I removed them, dipped them in ice, and put them back on his forehead again. He was still sound asleep. Now, the question was where should I sleep.
The phone rang, and I picked it up. It was my mom on the other end.
"Hey, Khad? How are you?" she asked.
"Hi mom, I'm fine!" I replied, trying my best to keep my voice steady. Even though we were just talking over the phone, seeing her name flash on the screen of my phone made me miss her more.
"You haven't called in a while, Khad. I'm worried," she said with a concerned tone.
I could hear the worry in her voice, and I felt guilty for not keeping in touch with her as much as I should have. "I'm sorry, mom. I've been busy with work lately," I said, hoping to alleviate her concerns.
"Your son is looking for you, Khad. He misses you so much!" she added.
Those words cut deep. My heart tore apart as I thought about my son, who was the reason I was here in the first place. I missed him every day, but I just didn't have the courage to face him. I was too embarrassed that I could not give him a complete family.
As we talked, I noticed that Lucian Max moved a bit, "Sorry, mom, but I should go now. I have something to do! Bye mom, I'll call you when I have more time! Love you!" I said, trying to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible.
"Take care always, Khad. Love you!" she said, and I could tell that she was still concerned about me. I promised myself that I would call her more often from then on, even if it was just for a few minutes.
I am feeling extremely down and depressed because I am unable to communicate with my family and my son. It is emotionally draining for me to see complete families and compare them to my own situation.
I have reached a point where I have lost hope and now expect every man who enters my life to treat me with the same love and care that I have shown them. I have realized that it's time to stop expecting too much and just let things be as they are.
I stopped daydreaming about my life and focused my attention on Lucian Max.
Regarding Lucian Max, he is still in bed. Although he is sweating now, which is a sign of improvement, he is still experiencing chills. I am keeping a close watch on him and hoping for his speedy recovery.
I carefully dipped the soft towel into the ice-cold water and then gently placed it on his forehead. He was still sleeping, so I slowly opened the comforter and placed another towel that I had dipped in ice on his body to help lower his fever. The coldness of the towel seemed to soothe him, and he seemed to breathe a little easier.
As I opened the comforter, I caught a glimpse of his chest, so I decided to apply gentle pressure to it. He stirred a bit, maybe because of the sudden cold surface that touched his skin. I wanted to help him feel more comfortable, so I continued to gently massage his chest with the towel, hoping that the coldness would help to bring his fever down.
Although I didn't plan to touch his lower body, I couldn't help but admire his peaceful and angelic face as he slept. I decided to cover him up again with the comforter to make sure he stayed warm and comfortable.
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As I lay on my mini couch, I couldn't help but feel a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I realized that I hadn't eaten my dinner yet, which could be one of the reasons why I felt so drained. So, I decided to wake up Lucian Max, who was sleeping on the bed near me, and ask him to eat the noodles at least to energize his system.
As I sat in the corner of my bed, I called out, "Lu---!" I noticed that he was staring at the ceiling with wide-open eyes, looking somewhat startled. "Oh, you're awake!" I said, surprised.
"You can sleep here if you want; I don't mind." He offered and patted the side part of the bed.
"I'm perfectly fine, thank you for asking," I said with a smile as I held out the bowl of noodles in my hands. "Would you like some? I just made them!"
I watched eagerly as he looked up at me, his eyes scanning my face before settling on the steaming bowl of noodles. "I don't want to eat alone, Khadija," he replied softly, his voice laced with a hint of sadness.
I could sense that he was feeling lonely and it tugged at my heartstrings. I knew that I had to do something to make him feel better, so I decided to go and get the meals that had been purchased for me. As I carefully placed the bowl of noodles back on the table, I made my way towards the door, the sound of my footsteps echoing throughout the room.
As I left the room, I made sure to turn the key in the lock to ensure that it was secure before heading to the kitchen. I was feeling a little peckish and decided to grab a quick bite to eat. To my surprise, the girls had brought a bucket of biryani meals, which had a delicious aroma that made my stomach grumble with hunger. Although I had no idea what it looked like, I couldn't wait to taste it.
I looked around for a plate, I noticed that all the plates were still unwashed in the sink. I grabbed one of the clean plates from the drying rack and two bottles of water before making my way back to my room. I was eager to try the biryani and didn't want to waste any time.
When I got back to my room, I found him on the mini couch, wrapped in a comforter. He looked so relaxed, and I envied him for that. I placed the plate on the table and opened the lid of the bucket to reveal the steaming hot biryani. The aroma filled the room, and I couldn't wait to dig in.