Becket Drive - h.s.

Chapter 40

Harry

I wake up before my alarm goes off, letting my eyes shut as I wait to hear the sound. The body against mine shifts a little before settling.

I open one of my eyes for a second, looking down at Vera who lies against my chest. She hasn't been feeling well the past few days. Ever since we left the cabin, she's been off but it only got worse. We're supposed to go out tonight since it's new years, but I don't think she'll be up to it.

The sound of my alarm pulls me from my thoughts and I slowly slide out from under Vera to get out of bed. She buries her head into the pillow under her, taking a breath.

I'm as quiet as fucking possible as I get ready for my run. I wear sweats instead of my usual shorts and throw on a thick long sleeve. After I grab my phone and keys, I lean down toward Vera and softly kiss her forehead.

Her skin feels warmer than usual, so she's getting worse. I'm not going to wake her up over it though, so I'll just see if anything changes after my run.

I slip out of the room, locking the front door before heading down to the lobby. The cold morning air immediately makes me regret the fact that I run every morning. I ignore it, knowing I'll warm up in a few minutes, and start running down the sidewalk.

I take my usual route to the park but end up cutting it short. Halfway through, I turn and start running back home. I run for longer than this but I don't want to leave Vera alone for long.

When I get home, Vera's still asleep, buried in the covers. She's usually awake when I come back from a run. Granted I wasn't gone that fucking long but she's not one to sleep in either way.

I head into the bathroom, shut the door, and turn on the shower. The gym is closed today so I'm not leaving the house again.

I quickly rinse my body before stepping out and wrapping a towel around my waist. Opening the door, I walk into my closet and get dressed before leaving the room, letting Vera sleep.

Walking into the kitchen, I open the fridge and pull out the carton of eggs. I skip making a protein shake so the sound of the blender doesn't carry over into my room.

I'm eating the eggs and toast I made when the door to my room opens. Looking up, I see Vera stepping out and walking towards me, her eyes barely open.

She's wearing the PJ pants she put on last night and a long sleeve from my closet. Her feet are covered by a pair of socks and she uses them to slowly step toward me.

She lets out a groan as she reaches me, a hand running down her face. I stand up from where I'm sitting at the counter, grab her hands, and pull her to me.

My lips meet her forehead again, feeling that she's only gotten warmer since the last time I looked. "You're fucking burning," I say.

She nods, "My throat hurts too, I can barely swallow."

"What can I do?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "Nothing, I'm fine. I'm sure it'll pass." I watch her cringe as she tries swallowing.

"Vera," I start, "You're not fine, you look like you're about to fucking fall over." Her hands are gripping mine.

She opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off, "Go get back in bed, I'll make you some tea."

"But-"

"Go," I say again.

"Fine," she mutters, turning and making her way back to my room.

I walk into the kitchen and turn on the kettle, letting the water heat up before pouring it over a tea bag. I made chamomile because I read somewhere that it's good for a sore throat. Once I add sugar, I take the mug and walk it over to my room.