Caught In Your Chaos ✓

Chapter Fifty-Six

My throat felt like sandpaper as I woke up to an unknown ceiling. It was lavender in color, and the walls around me had beautiful murals, the one with vintage foliage and tulips. The minute my eyes adjusted to the foreign, but comforting surroundings, I squirmed a little. I moaned due to the softness of the mattress underneath my body. The room was illuminated with sunlight streaming through the curtains, giving it a dreamy touch. I could not be in my dorm room nor any other room I had seen before.

Before I could muster up enough energy to sit up, strong arms draped around my shoulder. It was undoubtedly Jake. I wouldn't mistake his touch with anyone else's, the one which warms you up when cold and comforts you when on edge. He placed a pillow behind my back, helping me lean against the headboard. Creases on his forehead deepened as he brushed away some loose strands from my face and felt the temperature on my forehead.

"Are you feeling okay," his deep voice was full of concern. "Do you need water?"I nodded. I was parched and weak.

He kept caressing my hair as I gulped down the water. For a moment, it felt I was at home, and he had swapped places with my mom. I handed him the empty glass and smiled at him.

"You look so pale, Miele. Let me warm up the soup I made for you. You have been sleeping all day. I bet you're starving." He said, running his thumb on my cheek. As if to answer his question, a low growl erupted from my empty stomach. I gave him a sheepish smile and earned a laugh from him.

"What time is it? And where are we? I need to complete my assignment." I groaned, searching for my cellphone.

"You don't need to do anything right now. All you're going to do is take your meds and rest. And you had to complete that assignment almost a day ago."

What? I was out of my senses for almost a day. There was a faint flashback of me going unconscious in Jake's car and him asking to keep my eyes open. The last thing I remembered was him carrying me in his arms while I clutched him tightly and inhaled his relaxing scent. The rests were bits and pieces of him making me drink some tasteless stew, followed by meds and water. I suddenly had an urge to take a warm bath. The smell of sweat and medicine on me made me uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you take me to my dorm room?" I asked, finally spotting my cellphone on the nightstand, but before I could reach out, Jake secured it for me.

"I thought it was better not to have an audience while I took care of you. You didn't expect me to leave you in that condition, did you?" He asked, handing me my phone and taking a seat beside me on the bed.

I took a deep sigh, knowing very well what he indicated through those words. "And where are we then?"

He held my hand and ran circles on my skin, a way to make me relax. "This is my mom's apartment, a place very close to my heart. She left it for me before shifting back to Paris." He said, scanning the murals on the wall with so much adoration. His gaze shifted towards me, and he once again sensed my discomfort. "Don't worry. I've arranged for your clothes. Jess helped me get your things from the dorm. I figured you would want to take a shower, so I kept your clothes and towel in the bathroom."

He once again amazed me with his thoughtfulness. Although I didn't know how to react to his heart-flipping gestures towards me, I did, however, accept them. The thought of being with him in his mother's apartment somehow felt a level ahead in our relationship, more personal and domestic. Not to mention Jake looked charming in his casual grey sweatpants and a white tee.

"I'll go prepare the soup for you while you freshen up." He led me to the bathroom attached to the room.

"Go, I'll be fine," I assured him before he nodded and left the room. As soon as he was out of the room, I closed the bathroom door and leaned against the sink. My breath fogged up the mirror in front of me. My face was pale, my hair looked like a pigeon's nest, and my lips were chapped too. Lately, I had been overworking myself over the semester exams and the upcoming internship. The impact reflected on the mirror. My eyes fell on the clothes and towel placed neatly on the counter. The thoughts were back in my head. Was it okay to be there with Jake? We had already been so close to each other. The only thing holding us back was acceptance. And it felt like I was ready but thinking it out loud. I pushed the sickening thoughts away and headed into the shower.