Page 61 of Away We Go

This perks me up and I sit forward in bed as he casts the highlight reel to the wide-screen TV across from me.

“You make it look so easy,” I tell him, pushing away my bowl and keeping a chocolate doughnut close to me.

“It was pretty straightforward,” he says. Like the king of the understatement.

“Well, I’m sorry I missed it.”

“Eh, they’ll always be another race.”

He takes the half-empty tray away from the bed, coming to sit next to me, his back straight against the headboard.

“Do you want to sleep?”

I think about it. All I’ve been doing is sleeping. “Let’s watch a movie.”

He flicks the TV onto Netflix and scrolls through the movie category. “Bend it like Beckham?”

I stare at him, tears sprouting in the corners of my eyes. He remembered it’s my favourite ever movie.

His eyebrows raise. “Do you still love it?”

I settle my head against his arm and stifle a yawn. “Yeah, I still love it.”

We watch the opening credits dance across the screen and I blink, struggling to stay awake.

“Thanks for looking after me,” I murmur.

He brushes his lips over my head and whispers back, “My pleasure, Cherie.”

And with my favourite movie playing in the background, and my favourite man next to me, I let myself fall asleep.

Nicky’s shoulder serves as the best pillow ever.

CHAPTER 13

Cherry

When I wake in the morning, my face is soaking in a puddle of drool. My nose is still so stuffed up, I must have slept with my mouth hanging open.Delightful.Glancing to my right, I sigh with relief to find the bed next to me empty.

The last thing I need is for Nicky to see me like this. It’s bad enough he had to witness all the coughing and sneezing and general phlegm-iness.

Feeling better, but still a little dizzy, I sit up and reach for the note on the pillow next to me.

I’ll be back in the morning. With breakfast.

I giggle at the menacing tone he’s conveyed in just two sentences. It’s like he’s threatening me—when in reality I’m already counting down the minutes until he returns.

With or without breakfast.

“Shower first.”

On shaky legs, I head to the bathroom and wince in fright at my reflection in the mirror. My nose is red, my eyes are glassy, myskin has a greenish tinge to it, and don’t even get me started on my hair.

“Thank goodness I have time to fix this before seeing that man again.”

I have the time, but not the energy, it seems. After washing away the remnants of a night spent drooling and sweating, I can only muster the strength to pull my hair back into a single plait down my back and swipe on some tinted moisturiser. Feeling breathless from this small amount of effort, I slip on my most comfy black leggings and an oversized teamVortex Motorssweatshirt.

I’ve just pulled up my fuzzy socks (the ones that remind me of being sick and at home on my parent’s couch) when Nicky knocks on my door. I know it’s him by the way he raps on the timber; like he’s impatient and willing to break the door down to get inside. To get to me.

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