Pierced (Lucian & Lia #1)(38)
When the class ends, I close my eyes for a moment, trying to gather the strength to walk home. Oh, dear God, how far away am I? Squaring my shoulders, I stumble to my feet and sway for a moment before catching myself. I can do this…I have no choice. It’s a painfully slow process, but I make my way through the hallway and outside. The fresh air on my face revives me only slightly but also sends a shiver through my body. I know I’m running a fever; I feel it burning through my body.
I have no idea how long it takes me, but I finally make it to my apartment. The stairs are sheer Hell, and I have to stop every few steps. Finally, a few from the top, I give into the urge to crawl. The door is another struggle, but soon the keys are in the lock and its opening. I have no idea if it even closes behind me; at this point, no one could do anything worse to me than what I’m already feeling. I face-plant onto my bed, and that is all I know. Dimly, I’m aware of something chiming over and over, but I’m too out of it to care. Surely, someone will answer the damn phone at some point.
Something cool touches my face and I gasp in shock. My eyes are blurry as I try to focus. Someone is bashing my skull and I moan, wanting to beg for mercy. “Baby, can you hear me?” Despite the fog surrounding me, I know that voice and turn instinctively toward it. “Lia, baby, wake up.” He sounds upset and even in my state, I am worried about him.
As my eyes blink open, I see Lucian bending over me, concern etched deeply in his face. Behind him is…Sam? Where am I and what are they doing here? “Sick…” I mumble the obvious.
“Baby, I know you are. I’m going to take you home now. Just try to hold on to me, okay? Let me know if you need to stop.” I groan as Lucian puts his hands under me, gently lifting me into his arms. I am surprised to see a shocked-looking Rose and Jake standing just outside my bedroom door as Lucian carries me past. He stops and says something to them I don’t catch, and they nod before he walks on. At least their presence answers one question: we are at my apartment.
Lucian takes each step slowly as I lay weakly against him. When we reach the sidewalk, Sam runs ahead and opens the back door of the Mercedes. I have no idea how he does it, but Lucian manages to slide in the seat without releasing his hold on me. As my teeth start chattering, he pulls me closer, folding me against his chest and wrapping his suit jacket around me as best he can. “Where?” I say against his throat, but he seems to know what I’m asking.
“I’m taking you home with me. Fuck, you about gave me a heart attack. I’ve been calling and texting you for hours and you weren’t answering. When you didn’t show at the apartment either, I knew something was wrong. I was afraid…”
As out of it as I am, I know what he was worried about; he was afraid my stepfather had harmed me. “S’ok…I got sick during class. Don’t know how I made it home.”
“When I got to your apartment, your roommate was freaking out. You left the front door open, your keys were in the lock, and your purse was lying on the floor. She was fixing to call the police, because she thought someone had either taken you or had you inside. Sam and I found you passed out on the bed, burning the f*ck up. It’s the first time I’ve ever been grateful someone had the flu, because the alternative would have been so much worse.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. His strong body is tense beneath my hands as I try to soothe him. I don’t know why he’s so upset, but I feel guilty for doing this to him. He doesn’t answer; he just pulls me closer and rests his chin against the top of my head. I drift as the car moves quietly through the night. If I know nothing else, I know Lucian will take care of me.
When we reach his apartment, despite my weak protests, he again carries me. Sam opens the door before asking which room Lucian is taking me to. “My room,” Lucian answers and Sam walks ahead, turning a bedside lamp on as Lucian deposits me gently on the edge. Sam leaves and returns with a glass of water and a bottle of medicine. Lucian coaxes a couple down my throat and I choke on the water before catching my breath. “Sam, you can go now. I think we still have enough supplies here.”
“All right, Luc. Could you call me later and let me know how Miss Lia is doing?” When Lucian agrees, Sam walks out of the bedroom, and I slump backwards on the bed.
“Just kill me now,” I groan; at this point, death would be a welcome respite. Just as I feel myself starting to drift off again, Lucian is pulling me back up into a sitting position as I feebly try to push him away.
“Come on, baby; let me get you into something more comfortable, and you can go to sleep.”
Opening one eye, I peer up at him. “If you think you’re getting sex, you are out of your mind.” I sound like someone fresh off a two-week drunk. He looks down at me, seeming to be trying to contain the smile pulling at his lips.
“I’ll try to control myself until you are upright. Now, just sit there and let me get you changed.” Like a child, I let him lift my arms, pulling off my shirt and despite my weak protests, my bra follows next. He puts one of his soft t-shirts over my head before kneeling at my feet to remove my shoes and pants. Thankfully, he leaves my panties on, although at this point, I wouldn’t have fought for them. He pulls back the covers and tucks me in on his side of the bed. I inhale appreciatively as his scent clings to the pillow. He asks if I need anything, but I wave him away, only wanting to sleep. I wonder for a moment why I’m here. Why would he want to take care of me? Maybe just returning the favor. My thoughts spin away as sleep once again claims me.