LANA MASON
The cold damp towel resting on my forehead makes me feel completely disoriented as I begrudgingly open my eyes to my bedroom in Maya's penthouse. The only reason I'm here is so that I don't get Harry sick with whatever bug I caught on our way home from Paris two days ago. Otherwise, I'd be watching Jane like I'm supposed to right now, and I feel terrible for not being able to do that. Allison has already had to struggle to watch Jane and work while Harry and I were gone, and now Harry has to figure that out while I try to reduce my fever and keep my swollen throat hydrated-all while on jet lag.
Tentatively, I sit up and let the towel drop to my lap before placing it on the nightstand, feeling my sinuses start to clear as a result of being upright. It hurts to swallow and I feel like a stupid kid as my eyes begin to water on account of being sick in general. I don't do well when my whole body shuts down, as most people don't, but it's always been especially hard for me to get through it.
My head is pounding as I reluctantly place my feet on the floor and cross the room to the ensuite to use the bathroom, and I keep my eyes closed as I brush my teeth with a gentle hand. More mucus than what I'm comfortable with overtakes my saliva as I spit the toothpaste down the drain, daring to look at my puffy self in the mirror.
In an attempt to feel better, I ignore the soreness of my muscles to get undressed after starting the shower. The water is scalding within seconds, filling the mostly marble bathroom with thick, heavy steam. I already feel it beginning to soothe me from the inside out as I step into the glass cubicle and start by wetting my hair.
My weak muscles force me to move slowly as I lather the shampoo between my palms and lift my arms to start massaging my scalp. I cough up some kind of terrible substance as the steam loosens the mucus in my chest, but I keep telling myself that I'll feel a million times better once I'm clean and changed into soft clothes.
Still, my eyes want to permanently close as I finish rinsing the conditioner from my ends and shut the water off. I stand here for a moment, breathing slowly before taking a towel from the rack outside the shower to wrap around my shoulders the way I do for Jane when I get her out of the bath.
I squeeze the excess water out of my hair before stepping onto the grey plush bathmat beneath my feet, making sure they're dry so I don't slip on my way to the bedroom. I'm tempted to lie back down on the bed once I'm dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and an old sweatshirt of mine from college, but I need to eat something. Well, I need to try to eat something.
With my wet hair tied back in a claw clip, I step into my slippers and open my bedroom door to head down the hall to the kitchen. I hear music playing as I get closer, but it's quiet enough that I think Maya is just playing it from her phone on the counter.
She makes a double-take as she sees me shuffling into the room, and I can't help but roll my eyes at her workout attire. "Good morning to you too, little Miss Sunshine."
"Why can't you just be ugly and fat for once in your life?"
"Not in my DNA," she winks at me as I plop down on the bar stools to watch her get her post-workout breakfast together. "Okay, you seriously look like shit."
"I seriously feel like shit," I hold my face in my hands.
"Do you want me to make you some ginger or peppermint tea?"
I make a groaning sound with my tongue sticking out even though she can't see it. "I want a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks."
She scoffs out a laugh. "And I thought I was a basic bitch, but too bad it's only June."
