Three Whole Words Only Eight Letters Long (Sequel to LCDD)

Chapter 47

"Let's go again" I sighed, brushing a hand over my face in my frustration as Adrian pursed his lips before nodding. He pulled me against his chest again and we started to move to the music coming from the speakers attached to my iPod dock.

     It was now Wednesday and I still hadn't improved, but I hadn't gotten any worse either so I couldn't complain. I still hadn't eaten anything, except for one piece of toast, but that only made me feel the urge to vomit, although I'd managed to keep it down. But that was yesterday evening when I ate that and I'd worked all day with nothing but coffee fuelling my body. Josh had worried about me all day, to the point where I actually swore at him because he was hovering around me like a fly, waiting for me to have another dizzy spell or in case I needed to rush to the bathroom. I still felt guilty about that. But even after today- and about ten dizzy spells throughout the course of the day- and the fact that I had nothing in my system, I'd decided to practice with Adrian. He of course had told me what he thought of that but I managed to persuade him that I was fine.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed as I stumbled on the next sequence just as the door opened behind me and I pulled out of Adrian's arms, finding the strength through my frustration to brush my hands through my hair, pushing my locks backwards, before my hair fell back into its style.

"Hey it's fine, don't get so worked up about it" Adrian frowned, placing his hands on my upper arms as I looked up into his blue-green eyes and he squeezed my arms. I shook my head at him.

"I can't help it. I've never fucked up any of the dances before" I sighed and he smiled before hugging me briefly.

"Everyone is entitled to an off day Liz, and you're ill. So go and rest because all of this stress I'm putting on you isn't helping and I'm sorry about that" he sighed, sending me a tiny half smile which made my heart flutter. He was blaming himself? I shook my head at him, wincing when the movement irritated my headache again.

"You're not putting any pressure on me Adrian; I want to do this to help you out. I know how great you are at dancing and I want to help you get far in the competition" I sighed and he grinned at me.

"And I appreciate that Liz I really do but-" he pursed his lips in thought and I bit my bottom lip.

"Trying to make yourself better by pushing through it isn't the way to go about this. You're a hard worker Lizzie, you need to slow down and let yourself recover at your body's own pace" Dan said and I turned to see that my friends were seated around the counter, watching Adrian and I intensely. I smiled at my male friend and he shrugged back.

"Since when did you become so wise Daniel?" I teased, rubbing my forehead and Adrian placed his hand on the small of my back to steer me towards the couch, where I saw Oli sitting down. We smiled at each other and he opened his arms for me, which I slid in to, allowing him to hold me tightly as I heard Dan chuckle.

"I've always been wise, I just choose not to show it" he said and I grinned to myself as I cuddled into Oli's side, grateful for his touch as I instantly felt soothed before I bit my lip, remembering something. I pulled back from Oli and smiled before I turned in my seat, my eyes seeking out one particular person and I sighed when I saw he was watching me.

"Josh I'm sorry" I sighed and he rolled his eyes at me before nodding and I gulped before getting unsteadily to my feet. Oli hopped to his feet and caught my waist, holding my weight when I swayed drunkenly, but I smiled at him and carefully made my way over to Josh, blinking when he suddenly appeared in front of me, placing his hands on my waist.

"Lizzie go and sit down, I'm not angry with you" he sighed and I blinked the black spots out of my vision, before groaning and rubbing my head, making Josh sigh and pull me to him to hug me tightly. I hugged him back, letting him support my weight as I blinked the fogginess out of my head.

"I'm still sorry, I know you were worried and I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did today" I sighed in to his chest and felt him rub my back soothingly as he buried his face in my hair.

"It's fine Lizzie. I should know better than to hover around you, whether I'm worried or not" he replied and I smiled into his chest, hugging him tighter for a brief minute before we pulled back, looking up at each other. He smiled at me and I blinked before smiling back, as Josh led me back over to the couch, keeping his hand on my back in case I was going to fall. Oli frowned up at me in worry, but I ignored his look, instead sitting next to him and he covered me in his warm arms.

"You should get some rest Liz" Adrian said and I huffed a sigh but shook my head, not knowing whether he would be able to see me or not.

"I'm fine, I think I'm too tired to sleep properly" I sighed and Oli laughed, although I didn't mind because I knew that it sounded slightly weird. I leaned against Oli and he started playing with my hair, so I closed my eyes just to let myself enjoy the feel of his fingers running through my hair in a soothing motion.

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I blinked my eyes open and saw Oli smiling down at me as he let his fingers trail over the side of my left face, since the other side of my face was pressed against his legs.

"Hey sweetheart" he said and I smiled at him as he rubbed circles on my temple with his thumb, making me shiver. I used to love it when Louise did that as a way to help me sleep when I was ill or had had a bad dream and couldn't sleep because of it. I licked my lips and swallowed to try and wet my mouth and throat but I didn't achieve anything since it just made my mouth feel even drier. I sighed and looked up at my boyfriend.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered quietly and I shrugged, just as I made out the voices of my friends talking in quiet, but hurried whispers as Oli went to kiss my lips. I turned my head away and his lips made contact with his cheek before he pulled back. Sighing, I looked at his face and saw that he looked hurt but he swallowed and blinked, instantly putting up a barrier and I bit my lip, scared that I'd done something wrong.

     I lifted my hand and rested my fingertips against his cheek, which made his eyes close briefly but he bit his lip and looked back down at me.

"Am I not allowed to kiss you now?" he asked and I shook my head which made him blink rapidly.

"No Oli. I'm ill; I don't want you catching my cold and becoming ill yourself. Firstly I will just worry and secondly I don't want your work to get affected" I sighed, frowning at the fact it seemed as though he thought I wasn't letting him kiss me for another reason. I didn't know what that would be though? He rolled his eyes but smiled brightly.

"Lizzie I don't care about that, you're my girlfriend and I'd happily put up with any illness you had" he smiled and I felt myself melt at his words. He was so caring and sweet and I couldn't believe he was mine at times. I also couldn't help but feel guilty that he so obviously cared about me, yet I was so conflicted. It wasn't fair to Oli. He kissed my head instead just as I made out the rushed whispers of Summer and Adrian.

"No I don't think we will be able to compete" Adrian sighed and I bit my lip at how upset he sounded about this as Summer sighed at him.

"She's a fighter Ade" she sighed and I smiled at the nickname she'd given him. He didn't seem to mind but I knew he found it slightly weird, simply because apparently he'd never been given a nickname before. Adrian was slightly hard to shorten.

"Fighter or not, I don't think she will get well within the next week and a bit" he replied, voice laced thick with emotion. I sighed and blinked, seeing that Oli had been watching me.

"It's okay sweetheart, Adrian knows it's not your fault. He just wants you to get well, we all do" he sent me a tiny smile before pressing his lips to my cheekbones and I closed my eyes.

     It may not be my fault, but I was determined to not let this cold get me down. I'd promised Adrian that I would be his dance partner and that's what was going to happen, because I was determined to get better. Somehow.