Envelope Challenge

Chapter 39 - New Home

So, this is it. I'll still have an epilogue, but this is the end of the main plot. I don't think I'm gonna make another book though. Should I? I'd love your feedback!

Enjoy!

"I'm so sorry," he whispered repeatedly once she'd calmed down. Apparently, getting rid of the chemicals inside of her was what she needed because her vision started to clear and her brain focused.

"Nathaniel?" she whimpered. "What...?"

"I'm so, so sorry," he reiterated. "I didn't expect you to react so strongly to the sedatives. It was only supposed to knock you out for an hour and definitely wasn't supposed to make you this sick, but it was the only way to get you to calm down because you were freaking out so badly and crying and thrashing around-"

"Shut up."

Although unbidden, the phrase did its job and his mouth clamped shut on whatever he was going to continue to ramble about. Instead, he grabbed the soiled bucket from her hands and put it down on the ground, away from the puddle already down there. It made the entire room smell, but she couldn't find it in herself to care, much less apologize.

"Lie down, Polly," he directed and helped her back into the bed she worked so hard getting out of. "I'm gonna get some stuff to clean this up and I'll be right back."

She barely managed a weak nod against her pillows before he was out the door. The pillows felt so familiar, the way they cradled her head trying to conjure up memories. In the end, the door opening reminded her that she was in Nathaniel's apartment. She was in the room he lent her. No, every material thing was the same, but the walls weren't. The walls in Nathaniel's apartment were a blue-beige; these were a cream-blue, almost as if they were trying to be the same color.

"Here's some water," he told her and pressed a cup into her hands. Gently, he lifted her up so she could drink and placed pillows behind her to prop her up before grabbing the mop and disinfectant he'd gotten from somewhere. He chastised her and told her to drink slowly when she drank too fast and started coughing violently. When the smell of bleach replaced that of vomit, Nathaniel finally took the cup from her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Why?" she croaked. He looked at her oddly, confused. "Why... does my body hurt so much?"

He took a moment to answer. "What do you remember?"

She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her head past the headache that was pounding fiercely once again. "I was... I came to – to stay with you. No, no, that was a while ago. I was going – going to meet with them, the DDA. You... you made a deal with them, without telling me." Even through the fuzz and the headache, she found the energy to glare at him. He only chuckled and gestured for her to continue.

"So, I made a deal with them. They wanted something... a... An informant. I agreed, but I – I wanted something back, a trade. Gah! My head!" she exclaimed against the pressure. "A person, I wanted to see someone." Tears stung her eyes as the headache continued to rage as she beat against the wall withholding her memories from her.

"Shh," Nathaniel cooed and scooted over so he was sitting beside her. Gently, he raised his hands and massaged her temples, trying to alleviate her pain. Her head lolled back into the pillows, a breathy moan of pleasure leaving her lips. He was instantly aroused, only managing to control it through thinking about her physical state.

"You're right, we went to that meeting and you made a deal with them to be one of their informants. But you don't remember what you wanted, right?" A headshake was his only reply. "...You wanted to... see Rachel."

Her breathing sped up at the name. While she couldn't remember anything of the past few hours, those memories were still fresh, still terrifying. She started shaking her head, his fingers leaving her temples, before he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him in a hard hug that forced her to still.