“Please don’t mention food,” she whined.
I could only sigh my frustration.
Truthfully? I was more upset that she was in any kind of pain. For some reason, the idea of this girl in agony made my stomach twist. In the nearest shop, I ducked inside and got a lemon-lime carbonated drink that looked like Sprite and a few boxes of seasick meds. I slid Seven’s credit card because I’d forgotten my own back in the car. I didn’t want to think about how I was going to explain these weird charges to Jason. He could just suck it, January was ill.
“Come on,” I said to a very green looking January. She leaned on me, which let me know just how ill she was. I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t have done it unless things were dire. She’d wanted me to think she hated me. I dragged her to a window seat and sat her down. I tore off the cap to the soft drink as quickly as possible and handed it to her.
“Start sipping,” I said. She took it and brought her trembling hands to her mouth.
I ripped open the box of what I thought looked the most promising, relief-wise, in the shop and handed her the two pills. She downed them quickly and I sat beside her, reading the label to the other box to make sure I could mix the medicines if the other didn’t work. I picked up her bag and dug out her ridiculously ginormous bag of ginger remedy/old lady candy and unwrapped a piece.
“Take it,” I said, handing it to her.
She shifted her body around so she wouldn’t be facing the ocean. I dragged her closer to me and made her lean her head on my shoulder. I rubbed up and down her arm until she seemed to feel better, her breathing becoming steady again.
“Thank you,” she said to the air in front of us.
“Of course,” I said. I hate seeing you hurt. I’m sorry for hurting you last night. The look on your face speared my icy heart. I wish I could take it all back. But like a coward, I didn’t say any of it. I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
She sat up, leaving my side bereft of her warmth. “Do you know why you’re with me here, January?”
“Because I’m being punished by God?”
“You’re being groomed,” I told her, ignoring her jab.
“Pass me that banana, will ya’?” she teased.
“Good to see you’re feeling better. It was touch and go there for a while,” I joshed back.
She smirked. “So you’re grooming me.”
“For my job,” I said.
Her brows creased. “Why? Are you leaving Seven?”
“No, I’m being considered for a position on the upper floor. Management, baby,” I said, not realizing I’d said baby until it was too late. Her eyes popped wide for a moment. I cleared my throat. “Management. Mom would be so proud.”
“No shit. When?”
“It’s not when it’s if. Jonah and I are both vying for the same position. This little international excursion is a test, a competition.”
January thought for moment before the most mischievous look on her face crossed her features. “We’ll beat ’em.”
She made my heart pound. “We will?” I shifted my feet around a bit.
She rolled her eyes. “I know your ear for music and I know his. We’re going to beat him.”
We’re going to beat him, she’d said. “If you say so,” I said, turning my head toward the water but feeling an ache in my chest the likes I’d never felt before. I barely stopped my hand from grabbing at my heart.
January fell asleep on my chest half an hour into our journey and I hated how much I loved looking at her as she slept.
January
Thomas thought I’d fallen asleep on his chest. I knew this because after I’d taken the liberty of using his chest as a pillow and a few minutes had passed in silence, I’d opened my mouth to tell him what an incredible ass I thought he was but was struck mute when he tentatively began to rub my arm. I fought the goose bumps threatening to betray me and paid great attention to the movement of his hand.
At first, he used only the tip of his index finger, experimenting with a mere graze here and there. I guessed when he felt like I was properly asleep because I felt the weight of all his fingertips explore the surface of my arm, but he always remained above the elbow, still testing the waters it seemed. He traced the contours of my arm over and over almost driving me insane but just when I was about to shiver uncontrollably, he placed his entire warm palm on my arm and guided it down to my wrist then back up.
It was the sexiest thing I’d ever experienced and it was only my bleeping arm. He stopped and I wanted to cry out for him to continue, but he surprised me when I felt his warm palm cross my nape and throat. He guided his hand up to the back of my neck and back down to my shoulders. My breathing got deeper and I fought to regulate it, swallowing as silently as possible so not to scare him off.