Mistakes Were Made(55)

“You want breakfast?”

Cassie shook her head. “Sleep first.”

Erin smiled down at her, and then she was out.

She woke up shivering, even under a blanket that hadn’t been on her when she fell asleep. She could hear Parker and Erin in the kitchen. If she were a different person, she’d call out to them, cold and hungry and needy. Instead, she drank the room-temperature orange juice that was still next to her. It hurt to swallow.

What felt like hours later, but was probably only fifteen minutes, Erin came to check on her.

“Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” Erin put the back of her hand against Cassie’s forehead. “You’re still hot.”

Cassie shook her head. “I’m freezing.”

Erin got her another blanket. Parker came in as Erin was tucking it under Cassie’s feet.

“Feel better,” Parker said. “I’m getting out of here, away from your sickness.”

“You’re the one who gave it to me.” Cassie’s voice was more a rasp than anything.

“Well, I’m not reinfecting myself.”

“Don’t worry, Cassie,” Erin said. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”

“Your mom’s a lot nicer than you, you know that?” Cassie asked Parker.

“That’s why she’s the doctor,” Parker said. “Also why she’ll end up sick in like three days.”

Parker left—Cassie didn’t ask where she was going because talking hurt almost as bad as swallowing. Erin made her oatmeal and brought her more orange juice.

“You want me to find you something to watch?” Erin gestured to the TV.

Cassie shook her head.

“You want anything else to eat?”

She shook her head again.

Erin smiled at her. It could’ve been out of pity, but Erin was pretty when she smiled, and Cassie was too sick to get upset about anything.

“Can I do anything to make you feel better?” Erin asked.

“You should have a pet—a dog or a big cat or something.”

Erin’s smile went soft. “Why?”

“Because pets can cuddle you when you’re sick without getting sick themselves.”

She was aware she sounded pathetic, but her throat hurt and she wanted to snuggle and feel taken care of.

“How’s this,” Erin said, “I’ll sit at the foot of the couch? You can put your feet in my lap while I read over some stuff for work?”

Cassie tried not to seem too desperate when she nodded.

She fell asleep with Erin rubbing absently at the arch of her right foot.

Cassie didn’t wake up until almost dinnertime. She was sweating balls and flung all the blankets off.

“Good morning,” Erin said from behind the couch. Cassie didn’t know how she’d gotten out from under her feet without Cassie noticing.

“I’m hungry.”

Erin laughed. “That’s probably a good sign.”

She had dinner ready. It was literally homemade chicken soup, and Cassie felt, for a moment, almost smitten. Give her a break—she hadn’t kissed Erin in more than twenty-four hours; that plus the fever had her a little delirious.

Parker was home for dinner, babbling away about her day, but Cassie didn’t hear a thing. She inhaled the soup and drank four glasses of water and was ready for bed again.

“Cassie?”

“Mmm?”

Cassie wasn’t fully awake when the bed dipped. She opened her eyes to find Erin next to her, smiling gently. Cassie tried to blink away the sleep blur. The sky outside her window was pink, the sun just beginning to rise.

“I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay before I head in for my shift,” Erin said.

“Mmm.” Cassie nodded. She swallowed. Her throat still hurt but it was far better than yesterday. “M’okay,” she said.

“Good,” Erin said, leaning down to kiss her.

“No!” Cassie scrambled back toward the headboard, suddenly more awake. “I still could be contagious or something. I don’t want you to get sick.”

Erin chuckled. “But we can’t have you spending the day pissy with Parker because you didn’t get your good morning kiss.”

Cassie squinted up at her.

“That’s what happened last time I went to work without kissing you good morning,” Erin said. “Am I wrong?”

She wasn’t, but Cassie refused to acknowledge that.

“I’m not to blame if you get sick.”

“Deal,” Erin said.

She kissed her. She kissed her long and deep and with enough tongue that if Cassie was even a tiny bit contagious, Erin was getting it. She smirked as she left, and Cassie stared after her dumbly, then collapsed against her pillows once more, heart going faster than she’d like to admit. She fiddled with her rocket ship necklace and fell back asleep with a smile on her face.

The next morning, in the dark, Cassie stubbed her toe on her packed suitcase. Why the hell did her flight have to be this early? At least Erin had a bagel and a travel cup of coffee ready for her in the kitchen. Cassie kissed her soundly—after she’d taken a huge gulp of coffee.

Parker stumbled downstairs as Erin hefted Cassie’s suitcase into the car in the garage. She rubbed at her eyes and reached for her coat.