ALIYA TORRES
'Welcome home, Sir. Dinner is served"
I said gleefully. Approximately three hours of cooking his favorite dishes and I felt amazed by myself.
Sure some of the food there was burnt but it was still tasty. What can I say? Ethan Carter did challenge me to be better. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face once I laid out the food infront of him as if it hadn't taken me hours of cussing and getting my fingers burnt to make everything.
He slowly turned around and once I saw his face, my victory smile slowly faded.
His eyes were barely open, his face was pale and his nose was pinkish red.
'Sir? Sir are you okay?" I asked with a look of concern.
He tried to smile only for him to stumble forward weakly. Like some sort of reflex action I went to his side, my hands around his waist trying to hoist him up.
'Here, let me help. You don't look too good", I said only to feel his whole weight crush me as I tried to stand.
'Sir? Sir?Ethan?" I called out with a horrified expression.
Except he didn't move. To be precise, he wasn't moving but I could feel his breath on my neck and his heart beat like an old locomotion engine.
He was heavy, so heavy that I had to lean on the wall with him lying on top of me. I tried thinking of what to do.
It was definitely a bad day for Mila to leave. Earlier today she had received a call from her daughter, apparently someone in her family was involved in a terrible accident and she had to rush to be with her family.
I contemplated on what to do all the while my nerves got the better of me. I wasn't an expert in handling unconscious people, hell when my mother collapsed on the floor all I could do was cry not knowing what to do. Thank God, Ethan arrived that day and called the ambulance otherwise I wouldn't know what to do.
'Dinner…smells lovely",Ethan suddenly groaned and although I was surprised at first, I smiled.
Atleast he was alive, that counted for something right?
I placed my hands on his chest pushing him lightly so he could stand on his feet.
'Ethan, can you walk?"
'Can you?"he murmured and I rolled my eyes in amusement.
Atleast he had the strength to joke around. I took his arm placing it on my shoulder as I helped him walk.
There was no way we would make it past the stairs with the way he was walking. So I decided the only nearest and best place to take him was…
My room.
'You are so small… you know",he grunted adding his weight on my shoulder even more.
'And you, mister, are heavy", I retorted dragging him across the living room.
I could see the chairs from the dining room just up ahead and I thanked God mentally because at least I could say we were moving.
'I always workout",he joked even more.
It took us a few minutes of me dragging his body and him murmuring somethings underneath his breath to get us into my room.
The instant we got to my room, I dropped him ok his back on the bed seeing the mattress dip due to his weight.
Instinctively, I placed my hand on his forehead feeling the heat from his body almost burn the back of my palm.
'You are burning up", I cried watching him Ile cockily with his eyes closed.
'No shit"
I loosened the tie around his neck, taking off his shoes in the process.
Then suddenly and unexpectedly, Ethan was gripped by a wave of coughs, the deep kind that made his chest rumble and make his throat sound as if someone was gliding a blade against it.
'You must be coming down with a cold", I said going to his side and rubbing his back.
Rubbing his back sure wouldn't do anything to make him better but I hoped he wasn't in much pain.
'I-I'm feeling fine",he dismissed trying to get up from the bed only to be stopped by another cough.
'That does not sound fine to me. You are burning up, you are coughing like a dying man and your cheek bones are freakishly pink", I exclaimed my left hand still on his back and my right hand on his torso.
'Who—made you doctor?"he teased and I arched a frustrated brow.
Even while he was sick, he was the same egotistical jerk who thought he knew everything than anyone else. He coughed anew, energy rippling from him making him shake.
'Anyone with eyes can see you have cold", I retorted pulling my hands away from him and getting out of the room.
I went back to the kitchen put cold water into a bowl and took a small towel just by the laundry room going back to my room as fast as I could.
Ethan lay on my bed peacefully, his chest heaved up and down as if he was trying to grasp for as more air as he could. I winced in sympathy dipping the towel in the cold water and walking with it towards where he lay.
I touched his forehead again affirming that his fever was getting worse by the minute.
I placed the soggy towel on his forehead, brushing his hair away. My fingers run through his hair feeling it's silkiness.
'I really don't know if this will help but I hope it makes you feel better"
I dabbed the cloth against his cheek, against his jaw and all the while I my eyes scanned his face.
It was wrong to look at him like that but I couldn't help it. Even when he was sick, Ethan Carter managed to look dashing and gorgeous. There was a thin drop of sweat dripping down his throat and I instinctively dabbed the cloth wiping it.
I put the cloth back in the water, wringing it and going back to cool his forehead.
'How's that feel? It feels good, doesn't it? You know, you should really be nice more often. You look good when you are nice and when you are weak like a little cute ten year old. Not that I want you to be weak or anything"
He shifted restlessly, mumbling something.
'Yeah, I know. Good and kind Ethan doesn't last for more than half an hour. Which one are you at the moment? Good and kind or arrogant and egotistical Ethan?"
He mumbled inaudibly and I continued the monologue.
'I think you are good and kind Ethan. Arrogant and egotistical Ethan wouldn't let me touch him. What am saying? Egotistical Ethan wouldn't want me near him", I mused, dabbing the towel behind his right ear.
I was about to place the towel back into the water when I felt Ethan grip my wrist suddenly and I let out a gasp.
'Sir. Sir, let go!" I said uncomfortably.
'Hot",he murmured his eyes still closed.
'What?" I asked getting closer to him to hear what he was saying.
'I—I'm hot",he said, his eyes opening suddenly like one of those murderous dolls you see in movies.
He let go of my hand, his hands fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. His attempt seemed futile and the more he tried getting rid of his shirt the more he seemed more exhausted.
'Let me", I offered barely recognizing my own voice.
'I-I'll…I can manage",he said weakly but I knew he couldn't.
His fingers looked numb, he could barely keep them on the buttons, let alone take off his shirt.
With one brave sigh, my hands went to the first button on his neck. Taking his shirt off wasn't that big of a deal, was it? I did see him naked the other day so I could do this.
Right?
