I’m dripping sweat after what feels like the hardest run of my life. After saying goodbye to Joey, I head upstairs and expect to see Reese still passed out in bed, but it’s empty. I see the light creeping from under the bathroom door and kick off my shoes before I make my way into the kitchen. As I’m pulling a bottled water out of the fridge, I hear the reason behind Reese being out of bed. The unmistakable sound of him throwing up has me rushing to the door, twisting the locked doorknob.
“Reese?”
The toilet flushes and then I hear his gravelly voice, barely above the noise. “Yeah?”
I jar the knob again, tossing my bottled water onto the floor. “Open the door.”
“No. I don’t want you in here.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” I scoff, grabbing one of my kitchen chairs. I climb up on it, skimming my hand along the top of the door jam and feeling for the key I keep up there. Once I grab it, I jump down and move the chair out of the way. “I’m coming in. I can handle vomit.”
“Dylan, please don’t come in here,” his raspy voice begs me.
I wiggle the key around until I feel it unlatch the door. I turn the handle freely this time and swing it open, spotting Reese on his knees. He’s slouched over the toilet, shirtless and only in a pair of boxers. His head is resting on his forearm and he doesn’t bother to lift it when I enter the room. I place the key on the bathroom counter and crouch down behind him, placing my hand on his back.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I begin rubbing my hand along his clammy skin.
He coughs a few times, dropping his head and spitting into the toilet. “I asked you not to come in here. Why would I want you to see me like this?”
“In two days, I’ll be vowing to be with you for better or for worse. Or did you forget about that?” He tilts his head to the side so our eyes meet. “You took care of me when I was like this. Now it’s my turn.”
He’s either too weak to give me a rebuttal, or the fact that I’ve reminded him of how many days we have left is soothing him. I run my fingers through his hair, which is sticking out every which way, feeling the dampness of his sweat on my hand. He looks thoroughly exhausted, with bags under his eyes and his complexion looking paler than I’ve ever seen it, but somehow, he pulls it off. Not that I’m the least bit surprised.
I place my lips to his shoulder. “You’re beautiful even when you’re hung-over.”
He drops his chin, smiling. “You’re beautiful even when you ugly-cry.”
His words have me wanting to feel his mouth against mine, even if he has been puking his guts up. But I bite back the urge and settle for a wink instead, which prompts his smile to grow the tiniest bit. I stand and grab a washcloth from the cabinet, wetting it at the sink. “I’m going to get you some water,” I say as I lay the cool rag on the back of his neck. He acknowledges me with a subtle nod before closing his eyes.
I grab the bottled water I had discarded and return to the bathroom just as a wave of nausea hits Reese. He arches over the toilet, gripping the seat with his hands. His back goes rigid, every muscle flexing as he proceeds to vomit and dry heave. I kneel behind him and hold the rag against his neck, rubbing his upper arm with my other hand. This round lasts several minutes, and when he slouches down, seemingly finished, I pick up the water bottle and unscrew the cap.
“Here.”
He looks over his shoulder at me and takes the bottle. After swishing the water around in his mouth, he spits it into the toilet and repeats the action several times. He tries to stand, but I stop him with a firm hand on his shoulder.
“Are you done?”
He nods, pushing to his feet. “I think so. That shit sucked. I haven’t thrown up since I was little.” I follow him over to the sink, watching as he splashes some cold water onto his face. He grabs his tooth brush and slicks some toothpaste on it, connecting with my eyes in the mirror. I see his rake down my body. “How was your run?”
“Difficult. I had cupcakes yesterday and paid for it greatly.” I begin stripping out of my sweaty clothes while Reese continues brushing his teeth. “Are you going into work today?”
“No. I took a sick day. I need to go get my car and then I thought maybe I’d watch you bake.” He spits into the sink and rinses off his tooth brush. “If that’s okay with you.”
I smile, tossing my clothes into my hamper. “That’s definitely okay with me. You haven’t watched me bake in a while.” I reach into the shower and turn it on, testing the temperature. “But you’ll have to disappear when I start working on our wedding cake. That is off-limits.”
He steps up behind me, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me against him. His hands splay across my lower abdomen, protectively caressing it. Like he knows without a doubt there’s something in there worth protecting. When I look down to watch, I see the sweat pooling between my breasts. Suddenly grossed out, I try to slip away but his grip tightens. “What are you doing?”
“I’m all sweaty.” I continue to squirm in his arms but freeze when his lips touch my neck.
“I like you sweaty.”
“You like me sweaty when you’re the reason for it.”
“Hmm. Let’s explore that.”
I turn in his arms, staring up at him with disbelief. “Don’t you feel like death? How can you even think about sex right now?”
He shoots me a baffled look. “You’re naked and I’m touching you. But honestly, you could be on the other side of the room in a fucking parka and I’d be thinking about it. I’m always thinking about it. Hangover or not.”