How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 29

"Yay! Your temperature is all back to normal!" Althea practically glowed with happiness as she checked the thermometer. The numbers confirmed that Ghost had made a swift recovery, and a sense of relief washed over her.

Ghost couldn't help but smirk as she got up and stretched, her words dripping with playful exaggeration. "I'm finally free of your evil clutches!" she declared dramatically, earning a chuckle from him.

"Evil clutches, huh?" Ghost feigned offense, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "I guess it's time for me to release you from your nursing duties, then."

Althea nodded a mock-serious expression on her face. "Yes, please. I don't know how much more of your terrible jokes and groaning I can take." She grinned, her teasing tone belying the genuine care she felt for him.

As she gathered the medications and explained when and how he should take them, Ghost listened attentively all the while, his eyes on hers.

"You know," he began, "if I need anything in the middle of the night, I can just knock on the wall or something. Your room is literally right next to mine."

Althea rolled her eyes at his offer. "We both know that if something is bothering you, you'd rather burn to death than ask for help." She turned toward the door, her hand on the handle.

Althea just stood there for a moment, a strange, unexplainable feeling tugging at her heart.

"Althea, you alright?"

She turned back to face him, and her cheeks flushed with a sudden, inexplicable warmth. "It's nothing, lieutenant," she stammered, her gaze flickering away from his. "I just... I need to get some rest too."

With that, she stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Ghost couldn't help but wonder about the sudden shift in her demeanor, but he didn't dwell on it for long. Instead, he seized the opportunity to finally get out of bed, relieved to no longer have to pretend to be sick.

As he stood, he stretched his limbs, feeling the stiffness of lying in bed for so long begin to fade away. Ghost knew he had to be careful not to push himself too hard, but the prospect of being up and about was invigorating.

As Althea turned to enter her own room, a hand stopped her, and she found herself face to-face with Soap, wearing a sly grin. God, she was not ready to deal with him at this time of day.

"So, what were ya up to last night?" he asked, his tone playful and mischievous.

Her cheeks heated up, and she glanced away, trying to avoid his probing gaze. "Sleeping," she murmured, hoping to deflect the conversation.

But Soap's smirk only widened. "Oh, in the lieutenant's room?"

Althea's face turned an even deeper shade of red as she stiffened. She was about to explain herself when Soap interrupted her.

"Don't worry, lass," he said with a wink, patting her shoulder. "I won't judge ya for who you sleep with."

Frustration welled up inside her as Soap continued to tease her, not giving her a chance to explain the situation. She had been taking care of Ghost because he was sick, but Soap seemed to have his own ideas.

"Well, then where were you, Gaz, and Price last night?" Althea countered, raising her eyebrows.

Soap chuckled, his tone light. "Oh, that's easy. Me and Gaz were passed out in a bush, and Price was trying to drag us home."

Althea couldn't help but smile at the image of Soap and Gaz in a drunken stupor. Somehow, it wasn't too much of a stretch for her tired mind to imagine them in that situation.