Page 55 of Maid For Each Other

It wasn’t fine.

“No big deal,” I added.

“Um, that actually seems like a really big deal,” he said, his eyes all over me, like he was trying to see inside my body.

I shook my head and explained, “I just need to take my inhaler and I’ll be fine.”

“Where is it? Do you need me to go get it?” he asked.

“No, I’ve got it,” I said, my cheeks burning as I reached into my sports bra and pulled it out. “Can you just, um, not look at me for a sec?”

He looked at me in disbelief, like I’d just insulted him, when he said, “Jesus. Don’t worry about me, just take the damn medicine.”

His frustrated tone made me feel like a fool for getting myself in this situation. I mean, Iwasa fool for getting myself in this situation. I turned and faced the other direction as I took two puffs from my inhaler.

Unfortunately, I’d let it get past the point of resolution, so the relief would take some time.

Sometimes when I took my medicine and stopped what I was doing early enough during an attack, I’d feel completely better and be able to move on right away. But I’d pushed it too hard and had been an idiot for too long, so now it was going to be hours before I was breathing right again.

But I was good at faking it.

“I just need to sit here for a few minutes and then I’ll be fine, Declan, but you need to go finish the race.”

“Here,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. “Standing up might help you take deeper breaths. Put your hands on top of your head like this.”

He set his hands on top of his head and took deep inhalations through his nose. It was ridiculous that he was showing me things I already knew, things I’d forgotten in my panic.

I followed his lead, doing what he said, feeling like a childwhile also appreciating him. I felt a little emotional as he looked out for me, like I wanted to hug him and bury my face in his strong chest because it felt nice having someone worry about me.

Which was pathetic and misguided.

I knew Declan didn’t care aboutme; he was a decent guy and would do this for anyone. In fact, since this was a game we were playing, he was probably just trying to make sure I recovered as quickly as possible so I would be okay for the rest of the day. If I were him, I wouldn’t want me wheezing around any of his important colleagues the rest of the day.

But knowing that didn’t lessen how good it felt to be looked after.

“Is it getting any better?” he asked.

I nodded. “I think so.”

“Do you have any stronger medicine you can take? Like a nebulizer?”

I was shocked that he knew what a nebulizer was. I said, “I have one back at the apartment, but I reallyamstarting to feel better.”

And I really was, thank God. I was still wheezy—I would be for hours—but I was able to take deep breaths again.

“Please go finish the race, Dex.”

I hadn’t meant to use his nickname, and he definitely hadn’t expected it, either. I saw his jaw flex and I regretted it because I didn’t want him to think I was overstepping.

I said, “Go run the rest of the race with everyone else, and I will catch up to you at the finish line.”

“I don’t want you walking fucking two miles right now, are you kidding?” His voice was quiet but intense, like he was trying to keep it together. “You need to just be still.”

“I appreciate this, really I do, Declan,” I said, tossing in a fake laugh to lighten the moment. “But I’m an adult—I can handle this. You go, and I’ll see you in a little bit.”

“Canyou handle it?” he asked, frustration in his voice. “Because it seems to me that you have asthma and you’re not taking care of yourself.”

I was embarrassed and also confused by how pissed he seemed. I had no idea what to do, and in spite of everything else, I was worried he wasn’t going to pay me if I didn’t finish this race.

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