Show Me That I'm Better | Post Malone

XIII

Her eyes scrunched closed tighter to the sound of a phone vibrating on a bedside table before she reached over to where the noise was coming from.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lila, sorry, did I wake you?" Gia sounded way too bubbly for whatever time of morning this was.

"It's okay, what's up?" She spoke quietly, looking over beside her to see him still peacefully asleep.

"I wanted to make sure you were still okay for dress shopping today? I thought we could have dinner after and catch up, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Yeah, yeah of course" Delilah's hand came up, her finger and thumb pinching the bridge of her nose. She hadn't necessarily forgotten their plans, she had just been preoccupied with everything else that was going on and lost track.
"and dinner sounds great, I can come past and pick you up if you like?"

"Sure, we're booked into the first shop at 3:30." Delilah could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Okay perfect, I'll be at yours for 3:00." She hung up the phone, looking over to check if Austin was still asleep, his deep gentle breaths indicating he was.

She slid from his bed quietly and made her way to his bathroom, she let out a sigh when she saw how red and blotchy her face still was from crying, before giving it a quick wash in the cool water.

She was making her way back to his bed when she saw him begin to toss and turn before sitting bolt upright and flying from the bed, straight past her. He barely made it to the basin in time.

She slowly walked up behind him, gently rubbing the bare skin of his back before resting her forehead on his warm shoulder blade as he slumped over the basin.

They stayed there for a few moments, Austin appearing too nervous to move in case his nausea hit him again, before he brushed his teeth, Delilah taking a step back and watching him with concern.

"Morning" he finally got out as he turned around leaning on the bench.

"Morning" she responded sadly. "Why don't you have a shower, I'll go down and get you your pills."

He gave her a quick appreciative smile and nod before she walked towards the shower and turned it on, the hot water beginning to steam up the glass.

"Are you gonna be okay? You're not dizzy?" She watched him slowly stand up straight and move towards the shower.

"Nah I'm okay, thank you." He absentmindedly leant forward, pulling her in to his body and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head before they both froze in place.

"Um... I'll be back in a second okay?" She slowly pulled away, looking up to his soft, tired eyes as he nodded slowly.

She had never been great with people in her space, even before everything that had happened. Her parents had never been overly affectionate and as time went on, coming into contact with anyone just felt foreign and alien to her, made her skin crawl and her anxiety spike. It made no sense to her that she had felt so comfortable in his bed last night, or that she had so easily initiated contact with him without a second thought.

She bounded down stairs quickly, not wanting to leave him on his own for too long. She put some bread in the toaster for him, made some ginger tea and a black coffee, and grabbed the selection of medications and vitamins she had gotten for him yesterday. She lay everything out on a tray she had found, as well as a large plastic bowl she was sure had never been used for baking and a coffee for herself.

As she made her way back up to his room she saw him coming out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist as he walked slowly towards his dresser.