Page 36 of Wrong Number, Right Lion

I slowly came in to find him splashing cold water on his face.

“Tell me how to help you.”

“Yes.” He turned to face me. “The answer is yes. Sorry I ruined your romantic proposal with… this.”

He said yes.

“You didn’t ruin a thing. I promise you.”

“Then why don’t I have a ring on my finger.” He held his hand out, and I slipped it on.

He picked up his hand and looked at it intensely. “It reminds me of your lion.”

“I thought so too.”

He ran his thumb along the band. “I really want to kiss you now but… so, raincheck?”

“Absol—”

I was cut off by my mate rushing back to the toilet. It was safe to say he was never going to forget my proposal. That was for sure.

19

ARLO

“What did you eat yesterday?”

Kalen was at my back, kneeling beside me and draping a damp towel around my neck. I sat back on my heels and dabbed my face.

Last night when we went to bed, I thought I’d gone through the worst of it, but this morning, my alarm hadn’t even gone off before I was back in the bathroom.

“Can’t remember. Something bad.”

He helped me up, and after washing my hands, he led me to his bed and I sank into the soft bedding. I closed my eyes, just for a minute, but when I opened them, the sun was low in the sky.

“Hello, sleepyhead.” Kalen offered me a mug of tea, and I struggled to sit up.

The room spun around, and I waved the mug away. “Don’t let me fall.”

“Never.” He sat beside me. “But perhaps I should take you to the doctor. Whatever’s wrong with you is not a tummy bug. Notthat I’m familiar with human illnesses, but I’ve witnessed plenty of students sneezing and coughing to recognize the symptoms of various ailments.”

“No, I don’t want to. Just need to curl up in your bed and sleep.”

That was the last thing I recalled until later that night when I woke and Kalen was beside me reading by lamplight. Not the kind of celebrating our engagement in bed I wanted, that was for sure.

“Feeling better?”

I wasn’t. I was groggy, my tummy was yucky, and my mouth was disgusting, as though it were paved with asphalt. Kalen handed me a water bottle, and I guzzled the liquid. He offered to make me a sandwich, but my belly churned at the thought of eating anything.

“Just more water, please, and some crackers.” I had to work tomorrow, but it was from home, so I could stay in my PJs, or Kalen’s PJs ‘cause I’d arrived in a robe and I wasn’t wearing it now.

“Crackers with peanut butter? Cheese?” He must have observed my expression because he followed that with, “Plain crackers coming up.”

I nibbled on one cracker, and my belly didn’t complain, so I finished it and drank more water.

“Arlo, is eating plain crackers something you do when you’re sick?”

It was an odd time to be finding out more about me, but I shook my head. “Never liked them, except when I toddled around the house as a kid leaving a trail of crumbs.”

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