ROSE

62. Fever

A N T H O N Y

Standing in the balcony in this cold was not important for me. All I wanted at that exact moment was to leave here and grab this asshole by his neck, strangle him and see him struggle for oxygen. I wanted to see him suffer, I wanted to see just how much he made me feel when I saw her alone in this forest at night, scared and cold. I wanted him to beg me to kill him as I punch him several times in the same spot.

The anger inside of me was unbearable

....

I slowly walked inside the room where she was laying down. She looked like an angel laying in my bed. She was hugging her body close to her. That moment just reminded me of the last time when I stayed over at her house. She looked weak and helpless and it was Noah's fault. I promised myself that he will once pay for this. This game wasn't over yet. Perhaps, he won this round but hurting me is on a hand and touching her is on the other. Rose was never a part of the game and him just thinking about hurting her drives me insane.

Is she going through all of this because of me? Is it my fault she is always in pain? I sighed. I really wished not to be.

I zoned back when I heard her talking. I blinked and frowned when I saw her still sleeping. "Rose?" I called but she didn't answer. I approached her and sat by her side, pushing her hair off her forehead. How beautiful was she just laying there. She mumbled more things in her sleep. Is she dreaming? I softly caressed her cheek but abruptly stopped when I felt how hot she was. She has a fever.

I quickly got up, like a kid that broke an expensive vase and was unsure of how to hide it from his mother, he just stares at it as if it will all be okay if he kept his eyes on it. My heart started racing, not sure if this was dangerous or normal. I thought about going to the hospital until I saw her shivering. I rubbed her arm a little but it didn't help at all. I grabbed the cover that I was going to sleep with and placed it on her.

I waited for a few minutes for her to get warmer but she didn't. I got up, picked her up and quickly walked to the bathroom. I was well awake that she was sleeping which made me very carefully of what I was doing to not wake her up. I ignored the fact that we both were fully clothed and stepped into the shower. I kept her in my arms as I turned it on. I was covering her with my body by bending so the water would hit my back first until the water wasn't neither too hot or too cold. I made sure to make it warm enough for her to stop shivering. I turned a little so the water would wet her lower part then switched on the other side for it to wet her upper making sure that it doesn't splash on her face and wake her up.

I stood there as I listened to the water that dripped on us from the shower and to her small gasps that slowly faded down a little. And her mumbled were now lower. "It's okay, baby. You'll be okay." I whispered in her ear, hugging her closer to my body. I wished it was me. It was my first time wishing to have any type of superpower to be able to take this sickness from her.

My anxiety died down a little when I felt her body calm down a little. She was still cold, I could feel it but at least the wam water brought her body to a stable temperature. Despite, she still held the fever.

I stepped out of the shower when I felt her being a little better then slowly ran to the room. I laid her down on the bed then rushed to the closet. I grabbed two long towels. I went back, placed one around her shoulders and the other on her hair, rubbing the two of them against her, trying to create any type of friction that will bring warmness to her body. I walked back to the closet and grabbed one of the first shirts I saw. I was pretty sure that it will fit her as the dress she was wearing. I was unsure of how to change her clothes without any disrespect. I, firstly, placed the shirt over her head and made her wear it on top of her wet dress. Secondly, I dragged the sleeves down her arms, the right one then the left. I took my hand off from her back, letting her lay back down. Before pulling her dress off her body, I pulled the shirt lower. I smiled when I finished.

I then helped her lay back on the pillow and covered her with the two covers, mine and hers. I was willing to give her everything for her to be healthy again and ignored myself. I placed a small kiss on her forehead and left the room.

I went to the kitchen, filled a bowl of water and grabbed a small towel then walked back to where she was peacefully laying. From what it seemed, she finally fell asleep. I sat next to her, placed the bowel in front of me, wet the towel then placed it on her head.

I took the moment to examine her features. It was like a painting by the best painter of all time drew her and was making me hallucinate that she excited in reality. I brushed her hair locks with my fingers as I softly stared at her.

I wasn't sure for how long I kept changing the towel, wetting and rewetting it until I felt like she was slightly getting better. When I got up to go sleep, the sun was already awake. I took a quick glimpse at her then closed the door behind me. I didn't want her to wake up when I was next to her, I didn't want her to know what happened at all. I didn't do it for her to know how much I care about her, I did for myself. I did it because I needed to, because I had to, because I wanted to. I did it to prove myself that I truly love her. She wasn't just a faze to me. She was a precious gift God gave me.