A Month To Live - Extras

The Headache

A/N: holy water not provided

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I heard the door open and close softly but couldn’t bring myself to even open my eyes. The worst of the headache had passed, admittedly, but it left me feeling quite drained. The only thing that was really helping me was the cool pillow which I’d pressed my face into as the pain in my head slowly lessened.

‘You sleeping?’ Bradley asked. I heard a low thump from the corner of his room where his desk was.

I made a noise to show I was awake but didn’t say anything in response. The bed dipped next to me and his voice was closer when he spoke again.

‘Headache?’ he asked quietly. I nodded ever so slightly and he made an annoyed sound. ‘Babe, I told you to call or text if they ever got this bad,’ he groaned, lowering his voice even further.

‘Don’t know where my phone is,’ I managed to grumble out.

Truthfully, I didn’t want to bother him every time I had a headache. Bradley always insisted he’d drop everything if I needed him to but, even though I preferred him with me, I didn’t want to disturb him. I didn’t want to be that annoying, clingy girlfriend who could barely get through a damn migraine without him coming to my rescue.

‘Saw it downstairs,’ he murmured. I cracked my eye open to squint at him and he laid down on his side facing me. ‘You wouldn’t have called anyway, would you?’

I shook my head truthfully and he let out a low sigh as I closed my eyes again.

‘Why won’t you let me look after you?’ he asked.

‘Bradley,’ I sighed. ‘It’s just a headache-'

‘You know the migraines get bad sometimes, Raegan,’ he said frustratedly. ‘What about a couple months ago when we had to go in to the hospital? You could barely see ‘cos you were in so much pain. Those painkillers barely did anything to help.’

‘I know, I know,’ I grumbled, wincing at his beratement. ‘I just, ugh,’ I trailed off, pressing my face into the pillow again.

‘Tell me,’ he murmured, stroking the back of my head gently.

‘I don’t want to be clingy,’ I muttered.

‘Clingy?’ he repeated with a humourless laugh. ‘You think you’re being clingy by telling me when you’re in pain?’ I nodded without looking at him and he let out a loud sigh. ‘Open your eyes.’

I took a moment before turning again and opening my eyes to meet his. He had an expression which was half annoyed and half exasperated.

‘How am I ever supposed to leave you knowing that you won’t even tell me when you’re in pain?’ he asked quietly. ‘You make me worry so much all the time when I come home and find you like this. Just because you think you’re being clingy.’

‘I know,’ I sighed. ‘I know. I just... I can’t help how I feel.’

‘I don’t know how to tell you how much I love you, Raegan,’ Bradley said softly. ‘I don’t think you realise...’ he added, stroking my cheek. ‘Every time I’m not with you and my phone goes off, I get excited hoping it’s a message from you. I want to spend every minute of every day with you, I want you to tell me every little thing even if you think it’s insignificant. And if you think you’re being clingy then I guess I’m an obsessed stalker,’ he said, making me laugh even though my eyes were beginning to burn.

‘But seriously,’ he murmured, tracing his fingers over my face. ‘You promised to tell me about anything that worries you. I need you to do that for me. Let me look after you.’