Page 28 of In a Pickle
James’ heart broke. “Liana, you’re not alone anymore. I know you did this alone for a long time, and you’re really strong, but you don’t have to be alone now. Please. Let me come over. I truly want to.”
She sighed. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Nope. No thanking me. I’m doing this because I want to. For me. Okay?”
“Okay. See you soon.”
James rushed home, took the world’s fastest shower, and was knocking on Liana’s door after twenty-eight minutes. James noticed Liana’s pallid skin as soon as she opened the door, and his mind immediately filled with worry for her. She clearly looked ill. In the living room, all the blinds were drawn, and all the lights were off. She wore an oversized sweatshirt and pajama shorts. The indents in the pillows and blankets on the couch indicated Liana hadn’t moved for some time before answering the door.
James kissed the top of Liana’s head. “What can I get you?”
She shook her head and then walked back to lie down on the couch. “Nothing. I’m sorry you’re seeing me like this. I really didn’t want you to.”
“Well, I’m glad I’m here. Tell me how I can support you.”
“Just… don’t judge me, I guess? I’m a little out of it. I may not be the best conversationalist.”
“Well, then, it’s good you have me. I’m told I can keep up a conversation with a wall.”
She chuckled, which was the reaction he’d hoped for. Then, seeming to think, she added, “Actually, there is one thing. If you could please keep from touching my stomach, that would be helpful. It’s not that I don’t want you to touch me. I just need to not have anything constricting on my stomach, except my heating pad.”
“I get it. All of that is easy. I’m not judging you. I promise. And I didn’t come here expecting scintillating conversation, or anything physical. I’m just here to sit with you.”
“Thanks. If you don’t mind, I’m going to start getting ready to take my shot. I’ll go in my bedroom and you can stay out here so you don’t have to watch. I don’t know how good you are with needles, but I know I really don’t like looking at them, not even in TV shows or movies.”
“Thanks for offering, but I would love it if I could sit with you while you take the shot. Don’t worry,” he cracked a half-smile, “I won’t faint on you or anything.”
She offered him a half-smile in return, and James thought,if I faint from anything, it would be from the sheer beauty of this woman. Even ill, she was stunning.
Okay, sure, he was being a little overly dramatic with the fainting part. But he was insanely attracted to her. He wouldn’t do anything about it now, of course. But even though she was ill, his dick twitched at the thought of touching her soon.
Focus,he commanded himself.You’re here to take care of her, not seduce her.
He followed her into the kitchen, where she took a little box off of the counter. “My syringe with the medication is in this box,” she explained. “They mail it to me cold a few days in advance, and then I store it in the fridge. But I left it out on the counter for the morning, like the nurse told me to do, so it should be room temperature by the time I inject it. Last time I injected it when it was still really cold, and… ouch.” She winced. “It hurt way more than it was supposed to.”
James shuddered, hating to think of her in pain. Liana washed her hands in the kitchen sink and then returned to the living room with James following her. He watched as she swiped an alcohol wipe across her thigh, and then she removed the syringe and inspected it carefully. Seemingly satisfied, she pinched the area of her thigh that she’d cleaned with the alcohol, and then she hovered the syringe over it and took a deep breath.
She glanced up at James. “You really don’t have to watch this.”
“I want to.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself, I guess.” James watched in awe as Liana carefully inserted the needle into her thigh. She pushed down on the syringe slowly, second by second, and then removed the needle, all without so much as flinching.
When she’d covered the injection area with a small bandaid and disposed of the syringe, James told her, “You’re incredible.”
She laughed. “You’re easily impressed. It’s really not that painful, just kind of a mind-over-matter thing. It’s not like I had to cut off my arm or something. Plus, I only have to do this once every few weeks. Lots of people have it much worse. I think about people dealing with other things — diabetes or IVF. Theyhave to give themselves a shot every day, sometimes multiple times a day.”
“That’s true,” he acknowledged. “And I’d tell them that they’re incredible, too.”
“You’re sweet.” She reached for his hand and gave it a quick squeeze before lying down on the couch.
James immediately felt the desire to care for her, to nurse her back to health if he could. “You mentioned you use a heating pad,” he said. “I don’t see it. Should I get it for you?”
She looked surprised that he asked. “Actually, yes, thank you. That would be great. It’s in the bottom drawer in my bathroom, if you wouldn’t mind getting it. Up the stairs, first door on the right.”
“Be right back.” James bounded up the stairs and quickly found the bathroom. It smelled like her shampoo, and James barely resisted the urge to open her shower door so he could take a sniff from the bottle.Stop, creeper. Find the damn heating pad.
He found it quickly and returned downstairs, plugging the cord into the wall nearest the couch and then handing the heating pad to Liana. She accepted it gratefully and positioned it against her back. James sat down on the couch near her feet. He was desperate to touch her in order to soothe her. She’d said not to touch her stomach, but perhaps her legs would be okay? He lifted one of her legs and set it on his lap. “May I?” he asked her.