Whatever It Takes (Bold As Love 3)

The hot chocolate warms my insides as it slides down my throat. Thinking about today puts a smile on my face and I sneak a peek at Jake when I go to take a slip of my drink. His clenched jaw is looking in another direction and what I can see of his eyes are fierce. Following his gaze, I see a cute guy with long blonde hair approaching our table.

He takes a seat, nods to Jake, and focuses on me.

“Hey Emily. Enjoying your day at the rink?”

Confused, my eyebrows furrow and I look to Jake.

“Do I know him?”

“Of course you do, Em. It's me. Kyle.”

Back and forth between Jake and this Kyle my eyes dart. A memory of being kissed by Kyle flashes in my mind.

“I've kissed you before. But how? If I went from being with Conrad to Jake then how did I end up kissing you?”

The look that passes over Jake is one that I haven't seen in the past twenty four hours. He looks angry. Did I cheat on Jake? Did he know that I did such a thing? I would cheat on someone?

“I didn't cheat on you, did I? I didn't think I was the kind of person who would do that.”

A calming look comes over Jake as he turns to me.

“No. You didn't. He kissed you when you didn't want it. That's what you're remembering. You did nothing wrong.”

Relief courses through me and suddenly, I don't want to be here with this guy anymore. I feel too uneasy and a headache begins to form.

“Can we leave? I'm getting a headache.”

“Absolutely.”

Jake stands and holds out his hand for me to take. I grasp it and follow him to his car. He's silent the entire ride home and his knuckles are white on the steering wheel.

Back at the house, I lie on the couch and flip through the channels. Suddenly, I feel sick and the urge to throw up is huge. I dash to the bathroom as vomit works its way up and out. Next thing I know, Jake is there holding my hair back. I flush and then brush the nasty taste off my teeth.

An ache fills my bones and all I want to do is lay down on the couch with the comforter from my bed. I snatch it up and do just that. Chill bumps rise across my body and I feel as if I need more heat. I'm taken off guard as Jake tells me to sit up.

Doing as I’m told, I sit up and Jake lies behind me. I lay down and his strong arms wrap around me. Soon his heat makes its way to my body and slowly warms me up a bit. A memory slams into me as my heart pounds in my head.

“You've done this before.”

“I'll do this whenever you need me.”

Knowing that Jake has taken care of me when I’ve been sick before makes a sweet feeling blossom inside. Still cold, I roll over and invite Jake inside the covers for direct contact. He's so warm against me that soon, I fall into a deep sleep.

I awake to find Jake sleeping. He looks so calm and relaxed in this state. Bile rises in my throat and I roll over to bolt to the bathroom. My stomach lurches as the toilet comes into view. After brushing my teeth, I find a thermometer and check my temperature.

103.2 blinks on the screen. Great. What a way to end the day. I return to the couch and climb in beside Jake. Another memory tries to jolt its way forward, but it's too fuzzy. When I do remember, it feels like they are someone else's memories and not my own. I find my way to the crook of Jake's neck and my eyes droop.

Sleep does not come though. Instead, the lullaby of Jake's beating heart and steady breathing plays in my ear. The soothing sounds call for sleep but the way I feel keeps me awake. Hours pass before Jake wakes up with an apologetic smile.

“I didn't mean to fall asleep on you.”

“It's okay.”

“Are you hungry,” he asks.

“Not really.”

“How are you feeling?”