Serenity

2| Sick

I'd lost count of my sneezes by the time I reached for another tissue. The cold medicine was starting to take effect, but it felt more like a sedative than a cure, making me feel drowsy and groggy.

The last couple of days had been rough. Between my sickness and all the work that I had to do, and then trying to figure out what the hell to do about Shane and Leo, the whole thing was stressing me out too much. So much that I couldn't attend any of my classes today and spent the entire day sleeping instead. I needed to rest anyway, and I felt way better now than I had earlier before I fell asleep.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a groan. It was just a few minutes after noon, and I was hungry. But the idea of moving, even to the kitchen to heat up some soup, was so exhausting. Not to mention the ache in my body and the way my head throbbed made matters worse. At least it wasn't as bad as it was yesterday.

My phone buzzed with a message notification, and I opened my eyes. Squinting, I blinked several times, trying to clear the blurry haze from my vision. When I saw the name displaying on the screen, I sat up straight.

It was Professor Carver. But it wasn't just one text. He had sent three messages and a missed call in the span of two hours.

What the hell?

My hands trembled slightly as I reached for the device, my fingers fumbling with the screen, and I swiped it open, unlocking the phone.

Professor Carver: You're not in class.

Professor Carver: Where are you and why aren't you or Leo picking up my calls?

Professor Carver: I'm on my way to your apartment.

The last one was what he'd sent me when I heard the notification.

I stared at the screen, frozen in place, as the realization of what was about to happen hit me.

Fuck.

Not waiting another moment, I called his number.

I had to find a way to stop him before he came here. We hadn't faced each other since the ride he gave me, and I didn't want to deal with this while I was still feeling unwell. Plus, what if someone saw him? I was sure it wasn't against any rule for a professor to check up on his student if she was sick, but it might look a little bit suspicious.

After a few rings, he finally picked up.

"Where are you?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," I answered after clearing my throat, but it helped little with my raspy voice. "I'm sick, and I was sleeping, so I didn't see your texts or call."

The line was quiet for a moment before he finally spoke, "How long have you been sick?"

"Since yesterday, and I've been in and out of sleep," I said, trying not to cough.

"Where's Leo?"

"I don't know, I guess at one of his rehearsals."

"Did he know you were sick?"

"Yes, he's come to check in on me a few times," I said, recalling the conversation I had with Leo a few days back when he'd come to visit me. When he looked at my condition, he had simply said that we would be talking about what had happened later.

I still remember the weird look he had on his face when I'd told him about what Shane had done with my back and the small silence before he just said, "I don't know what the fuck you're doing to him, but please don't stop."

"Okay," Shane replied, bringing me back to the present. "I'm almost there." His words were followed by the sound of a car door closing.

"Wait!" I exclaimed a little too loudly and coughed a few times. "I'm not well, and I don't want to get you sick too. Please, can we reschedule for tomorrow?"

"Too late," he said. "Open your door."

And then the call ended.

What the actual fuck? How did he even get here so quickly? He literally texted me just five minutes ago. My campus wasn't that far away, but it usually took ten minutes.

I cursed under my breath and hurriedly stood up from my bed, ignoring the throbbing in my head. I needed to get dressed, but my muscles felt like lead, and I moved as fast as my weak legs would carry me. I stumbled out of my bedroom and headed toward the door, opening it just in time to see Shane coming out of the elevator.

He was wearing dark jeans, a dark gray long sleeve, and a jacket, which hugged his lean but muscular body in ways that had me swallowing thickly. His wild, dark hair was swept away from his face, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Jesus fuck.

As soon as he was close enough, I pulled the door open further, stepping aside so he could walk past me.

"Are you hungry?" He asked as he took his shoes off at the entrance before entering my apartment. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, watching him.

"I've got some soup that I could heat up," I told him, but he shook his head and took off his jacket.

"No. Not soup. You need real food," he said, his green eyes locking with mine.

"But—"

"Have you eaten anything today?" He asked as his gaze swept over my form. I crossed my arms over my torso in hopes of hiding my body better. I was wearing an old, faded T-shirt and a pair of shorts. It wasn't like he hadn't seen me naked before, but somehow, it felt different now. I knew I was a mess right now, and I didn't want him to see me like this.

I hesitated, and his brows rose, as if daring me to lie.

"Just some crackers and a glass of orange juice this morning," I admitted.

"Get back into bed, and I'll get you something." He walked towards the kitchen without waiting for a reply.

Well, good thing my roommate wasn't in because it looked like Shane Carver was going to stay at my apartment for a while.

"What are you doing?" I called after him, but he didn't respond. Instead, he walked right into the small kitchen, looking around for a few moments, as if getting familiar with his surroundings.

"Go get some rest."

I sighed and went back to my room. I knew Shane would get his way no matter what, and there was no point in arguing with him. Not to mention, I was too tired.

I went into my room and changed my clothes into something a little more presentable before settling down onto my bed, the soft sheets enveloping me like a warm embrace. I let out a content sigh, snuggling against the pillow, and my eyelids began to droop. I wasn't really sleepy, but it seemed like a task to keep my eyes open, so I just let my eyes close.

A few minutes later, Shane came back into the room. I was almost asleep when he set a plate of food on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Here, eat."

I blinked several times and pushed myself into a sitting position, looking up at him. "Thanks."

"Eat. Then we talk."

"About what?" My voice was still raspy, but my throat didn't hurt as much as it had before.

"Everything."

Oh, this was going to be such a lovely conversation.

*****

Hey guys! How are you all? I am facing a huge writer's block. That's why the chapters are small. I am trying to be as consistent as possible. I hope you understand. This is only for the first few chapters.

Thank you for reading my work. Love you all!

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