Give It a Try

I was right: she kicked ass at this game. She offered to let me play but I enjoyed watching her. She was slowly starting to relax after what happened and I took the time to think.

I couldn’t imagine being in that kind of state. It must be hard not knowing if you wanted sex or if you didn’t want it. One thing was sure: she was sexy as hell. I meant what I said, though. I wanted her desperately, but I didn’t want her on the couch. I wanted it to be special….

I dropped my empty water bottle, my jaw dropping.

“Are you all right?” she gasped, getting the bottle for me. “Are you feeling sick? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… forgot some of my work at the office, that’s all.”

She didn’t look convinced but let the subject go. She settled back into my arm. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

I had fallen in love with her.

Fuck.

-

Our moms returned at the same time. Neither of us felt like eating so they had grabbed fast food and sat in the living room with us. Deidre had stopped playing a few hours ago. She fell asleep shortly after our moms got back and Janine sighed.

“I’ll be glad when she feels better,” she said, eating a fry. “I’m not used to her being so tired all the time.”

She definitely wasn’t tired earlier.

“Her fever is gone,” I said. “All that’s left is that God awful cough.”

“Is your fever down?” my mom asked.

I took my temperature and sighed in relief.

“I’m down to 98.5.”

My mother nodded in satisfaction. “The doctor said the fever would be easy to manage. Like you said, though, it’s the cough that takes a while. If you keep taking it easy and take your medicine, though, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

No more hard core make out sessions, Artemis.

I carried Deidre to her bedroom for the night. After earlier, I needed time to myself.

-

The next day I went downstairs to find Deidre standing at the back door, groaning.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m so sick of being stuck in this house,” she groaned.

I laughed and started coughing. When it passed, I said, “We’ll just take it easy for a few more days and then we can go out. We’ll build a snowman.”

She turned, looking excited. “Really? A snowman?”

I smiled. “Want another movie marathon?”

“I’m always up for a movie marathon. Let’s watch Disney movies, though.”

I chuckled. “Sure, Deidre.”

Once we were comfortable on the couch, she turned to me.

“Why don’t you call me Dee?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “Everyone calls me Dee except for you.”

“I like Deidre,” I said. “It’s a beautiful name.”

She turned to the TV. “Well, I’m kind of glad you don’t call me Dee.”

“Oh yeah?”

I could tell she was blushing. “It makes me feel special,” she mumbled.

I squeezed her and she put her head on my chest as Snow White started playing.

“That’s because you are special,” I whispered.

-

We both had several coughing fits during the day. After the first one, Deidre had gone to get a couple of trash cans. We had thrown up in the cups we had our tea from. I washed them out, trying not to gag and throw up again.

“You know how to be prepared,” I said when I got back.

In addition to the trash cans, she had picked up tissues and mouthwash. I was carrying a pack of cold Sprite so we wouldn’t have to get up constantly for drinks.

“I’m just skilled like that,” she joked and I smiled.

It was on the third coughing fit that I coughed up blood. She started freaking out and dialed the doctor’s office despite my assurances that I’m fine. I watched as she talked to the nurse, a little amused. Finally, she hung up and sighed in relief.

“You’ll be okay,” she told me.

I flicked her nose lightly and she wrinkled it.

“I told you I would be.”

“That was terrifying,” she whispered as I rinsed out my mouth.

“I need to move these cans,” I said. “They’re starting to smell.”

“Do you want me to pause the movie?”

“Nah. I’ve seen Tangled plenty of times already.”

“Okay.”

I emptied the trash cans just as mom got back. She frowned.

“What’s with the cans?”

“Our lungs have decided to give the rest of our body hell,” I said simply and she smiled sympathetically. “We’re watching movies if you want to join us.”

“Thanks but I have an interview to do.”

“Who are you interviewing?” I asked.

“Larry Moore,” she answered and I arched my brow. “After the advice he gave us, I was starting to wonder if he would make a good PR representative. You know, go on and denounce rumors and everything like that; especially after what he did after your dad passed….”

I gave her a one armed hug before going back to the couch. I passed the message on to Deidre who nodded in approval.

“He’d be great in that position. Can I ask a personal question?”

“Of course,” I said.

“When we were on the phone with him a few weeks ago… he said something about the media doing bad things to your family after your dad died.”

I sighed and paused the movie. “When he died, before it was announced it was cancer, the media jumped to murder.” She stared at me in horror. “Yeah…. They said that my mom had killed him because she wanted to take over the company. Nothing could’ve been further from the truth. She put every penny she could into getting him healthy again.”

“Did you guys sue for slander?”

“No. My mom was too heart broken and I was too bitter. That was around the time I got out of control.”

She put her head in my lap, stretching her legs out.

“I’m sorry that happened,” she mumbled and I pressed play.

“Thanks.”

“I’m gonna fall asleep,” she said.

I smiled, pausing the movie again. “So sleep. We’ll finish it when you wake up.”

“Sleep with me?”

“That sounds very nice.”

It got one of the pillows from the armchairs and propped it against the arm rest. I laid out on my right side and lifted my left arm so she could lie beside me. When she had her head rested on the crook of my right arm, I wrapped my left arm around her waist.

“Sleep well, Deidre,” I whispered.

“You, too, Artemis,” she whispered back.