Torrid Affair(21)

I woke up on Thanksgiving morning with my throat on fire, my head clogged, and unable to breathe through my nose. Everything was stuffy. My joints ached when I tried to move. I rolled over to Julian and was greeted by his smile.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning,” I croaked. My throat burned when I swallowed.

“Shit, babe. You’re really sick.”

I closed my eyes. It was impossible to breath. “I don’t feel so well.”

“We have to head out to the soup kitchen soon, but why don’t we skip that and sleep in.”

“No.” My throat ached. “I don’t want you to miss a family tradition because of me.”

“Okay.” Julian pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my head. “No one will be here, so you’ll have some peace and quiet.”

“’Kay,” I grunted and turned back to sleep.



I awoke a few hours later with the sun peeking in through the curtains. My head pounded but the aches in my body had subsided. I diagnosed myself with a head cold as it felt as if I was underwater. Stretching my hands over my head, I yawned and got out of bed. It was eleven in the morning and soon everyone would be back from the shelter. The house was cold and silent, and the wooden steps creaked as I made my way toward the kitchen. Unable to breathe out of my nose had made my mouth dry.

I scanned the room looking for an empty glass when I spotted a small tray with my name on it.

Brielle,

Sorry you're feeling under the weather. I've left some cold medication out for you. Also, there are peppermint oils in the bathroom if you want to take a warm shower. It will help clear your sinuses.

Love, Louisa

I poured myself a cup of orange juice and decided Louisa’s advice would be beneficial. The congestion in my head was so much that I figured a nice warm shower would help. Pulling aside the shower curtain, I turned on the shower and dabbed a few squirts of peppermint and eucalyptus oil into the corners of the free standing shower before I undressed.

The hot water on my skin felt like heaven. The fragrance of the mint and eucalyptus traveled up to my sinuses and I was able to finally breathe freely. Though my head still felt like as though it was drowning, I began to feel much better than when I first woke.

I washed my hair, then stood under the water for a few more minutes before I turned it off and pulled the curtain back. As I reached for the towel, the bathroom door swung open and I was greeted with Nate’s tall frame. I screamed as I tried to cover my bare body.

“Dude! What the fuck?”

Nate pulled the ear phones from his ears. “Oh, shit.” A grin grew on his face.

“Seriously! Get out!”

Nate’s grin grew even wider. I reached for the tissue box on the vanity and threw it at him. He finally closed the door but it was too late. Embarrassment burned through my body.

I dressed for dinner, did my hair and makeup, and stayed in Julian’s room until they arrived home from the soup kitchen, trying to avoid Nate. Once everyone was home, Julian hopped in the shower and I finally felt it was safe to come out of hiding. Louisa was in the kitchen whipping up dinner, and I helped by setting up the appetizer table.

Delaney was upstairs adding the finishing touches to her makeup, so I had to meet Julian’s aunts and uncles without a buffer. After I greeted each of them, I focused on decorating the vegetables for my crudité to look like a turkey. Nate appeared and reached for a carrot.

“Hi.”

“Go away. I’m not talking to you.”

“I wanted to apologize for walking in on you.”

“Go. Away.”

“Brie, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” He grinned.

“What were you doing home anyway? Everyone was supposed to be at the soup kitchen. And why wouldn’t you knock first?”

“I never go to the shelter,” he stated. “And I did knock. You didn’t hear me.”

“Liar!” I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to look at him. “You didn’t knock.”

“Okay, I didn’t knock.” He chuckled. “Come on, don’t be mad. My brother is a lucky guy.”

My eyes widened as I turned to face him. He was dressed in a navy blue knitted sweater and dark blue jeans. His hair was styled back and his eyes looked almost blue. He licked his lips and I nearly lost my composure.

“I’m not mad. I want to pretend it didn’t happen, so therefore, I need you to turn around and walk the other way.”

“Brie…” His eyes scanned my body.

“Don’t look at me like that!” I slapped his elbow.

“Look at you how?”

“Like you’ve seen me naked.” I grunted through gritted teeth.