𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑒

Chapter 22 ~ Caring

Willow

As soon as I stepped into my apartment on Friday afternoon, my chest was feeling tight. Only once every couple of years when the air gets bad, my asthma gets worse and I start feeling ill.

I stayed home all weekend and I had to stay home on Monday because I was still feeling ill. No, I was feeling worse today and it was because I haven't eaten in a while. I ran out of food yesterday because I haven't been shopping.

I didn't want to come home to moldy food so I only kept things that wouldn't mold. And then I realized that I only eat those types of things so I'm in big trouble.

I was relying on my inhaler at this point and I didn't even realize how low it was until I saw the red numbers telling me that it was low. Normally, I keep about two backups, but ever since I moved to Seattle, the air has been cooler for my lungs and I haven't had a problem so I didn't see a reason to have a backup.

Fully regretting that now because I feel like I'm going to pass out, living on medicine and water. The knock on my door scared me and I knew it could only be one person.

The one person I didn't want to ever see again even after our kiss. Our lovely kiss. It was over though, we didn't need to fake it anymore, in a couple months, Maddox would tell his family that it didn't work out.

I look at myself in the mirror and I see that my hair looks like a bird's nest and my face is pale like snow. Another knock comes and I quickly brush my hair because even if I don't like the guy, I still have to look good.

"Coming!" I yell, regretting yelling because now my throat is on fire and so are my lungs. I put on a sweater over the bra I have been living in for a couple days. I rush to the door and swing it open.

Maddox looks like he just ran a whole marathon. He might even look worse than me. "Maddox?" There. There was the first word minus 'coming' that I had said to him since we kissed.

His face sighs and softens, looking more relieved. "I'm sorry, I was worried because you weren't at school today."

"Oh um, I haven't been feeling well."

"So I've heard."

"What?"

"Anyways, I just came to check on you, because I know you don't normally get sick." How could he possibly know that. I don't tell him things like that.

"I'm fine, I'm feeling ill, it happens rarely, it just means that an asthma attack is coming up." I nod like it's the most normal thing ever. He looks at me in concern and pushes past me and walks into my studio.

"What are you doing?" I ask as he rummages through the kitchen. "You need to eat, when asthma attacks come, it's better to be fed, it will help with your heart." He looks through my fridge, turning around to look at me when he notices there is no food.

"Willow?" His stern voice comes out and my heart stops. All I can focus on is his deep voice, his tattoos on display, his handsome face that has his soft lips on it.

I'm getting delusional again.

"Where is all your food?" I explain to him my situation and it looks as if he is struggling to not strangle me.

"I will be right back." He walks past me as he just leaves my apartment. I stand in the middle of the room. I shrug my shoulders and take a deep breath heading back into bed.

🌿

A knock wakes me up not even thirty minutes later. How do I know that? Because I didn't sleep. All I could think about was the fact that Maddox said he would be right back and I didn't know when.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited, waiting for the knock. I get down from my loft as I walk to the door and open it. Maddox pushes past me with around ten bags of groceries and then another man comes in with more bags.

"Maddox, what is this?" I question the man who is handing money to the other person. He leaves and Maddox goes back to emptying out the bags, ignoring me.

"Maddox?" I ask, my throat being sore I can barely get a word in without my throat hurting. "I just bought some food, you need it, it will last until around Christmas." He wont stop putting things away so i take a seat at the bar and watch as he does so.

My heart flutters because isn't this a sign of care? That he cares for me? Or maybe he just doesn't want me to drop dead.

"I picked up a lot of ingredients that need to be put together for cooking, but I did buy some premade meals and frozen foods for the microwave when you're feeling worse.

It takes him ten whole minutes to organize my kitchen. The fridge is stocked with water and juices, cheese, condiments. My freezer is full of frozen food like he promised, and my pantry has more pasta than I have seen in my life.

"You didn't have to do all this." I sigh, feeling like I made him worry and then drag his butt over here. "Willow, you're obviously not in the right shape to go get food. Did you forget I suffer from asthma too? I know what is needed for this kind of thing." He opens the fridge and hands me a Gatorade.

He sits on the barstool next to me and makes me look at him. "Let me take care of you, it's the least I can do for you." My heart wants to agree, my head is listing pros and cons.

"Okay." I whisper. "But don't think this is the favor you owe me." That gets him to grin as he stands up once more.

A/N REMINDER: JESUS LOVES YOU!

I know that right now things are tough with everything going on, but I just wanted to say that Jesus wants to know you, let Him into your life. My messages are open to any questions or concerns you have for me :)