Page 50 of Let It Be Me
“Do you need me to bring over some medicine?”
“No. Besides, it's not for me. It’s for Sarah.” I tell her to reassure her.
“Poor thing. Is she drinking enough water?”
“I think so? I made her some chicken noodle soup and had her drink some Powerade to get her electrolyte levels back up.”
“You’re too good for her.”
“She makes me want to be good,” I announce.
“Well, honey, I think you’ve done all you needed. Just let it pass through her body.”
I let out a breath. “I will. Thanks, Momma.”
“Anytime, Ry. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I hang up my phone and set it next to Sarah’s spare key. I walk back into the living room and look at her passed out form. Not wanting to disturb her, I lift up her legs and place them in my lap when I settle on the couch.
My efforts are futile as Sarah wakes up again. She sees where I’m at and gingerly moves over to me and curls into my waiting arm. “I’ve never had this,” she says so low I almost don’t hear her.
“Have what?”
“Someone to take care of me when a migraine hits. Paul, my ex, always told me to take some medicine like that was the cure all to him. And my parents would laugh it off and say I was begging for attention,” her voice is tight and monotone. Like these people in her life stripped her of her joy before she even realized what was happening.
“You have me now,” I tell her, my voice strong with conviction. I hate that she’s had to deal with this pain by herself.
“But for how long? Riley, this is supposed to be fake.” Her voice cracks on the last one and it’s enough to crack open my heart and spill everything to her.
“Baby, this isn’t fake for me. Not anymore. I know it happened fast. I know we were supposed to stay on our respective sides of the line. I don’t want to use the word ‘fake’ anymore. At least not when it comes to us.”
Sarah traces a pattern on my free hand and I hear the wheels turning in that gorgeous head of hers. “But, you’remy client. I technically work for you. If that’s not a conflict of interest, then I don’t know what is.”
“Do you want to talk about this now?”
She lets out a breath. “I think the not knowing how to move forward will drive me insane.”
“Alright. I talked to Jeff today when I went to your office looking for you. Funny, but he was the one who said he was fine with us dating. But that it would be in the best interest of our relationship that I should be given a new publicist.”
Sarah nods but stops with a hiss.
“Baby, we can talk about this tomorrow. You’re in pain.”
“No. I wanna keep going.”
“Okay, stubborn woman.” I say and kiss the top of her head. “He didn’t demand I get a new publicist. But he did point out that our relationship would look weird if I was still paying you. So I have to give him an answer soon. And it depends on you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“I want to say yes, Riley. So bad,” she starts and I feel wetness seeping through my shirt. “But I’m so scared. I swore off relationships and love. And being with you makes me more vulnerable than I ever wished to be again.”
“Let’s not put the cart before the horse, okay? One day at a time. But if you do decide that a full-blown relationship and love is something you want, let it be me. Okay?”
She looks up at me through cloudy eyes, “Okay.”
“Let’s go up to bed. You’re exhausted.”
