Chapter 9 – I know

(EPOV)

It pained me to see Bella in such discomfort, wincing at the occasional headaches as she leaned against the bed board weakly, refusing to go to sleep. Ah, Bella, why did she have to be so stubborn? Yet I loved her exactly the way she was, stubborn, clumsy, beautiful Bella. It had been a day since she’d gotten the fever, and it subsided by the slightest bit, but she still, was not well enough for my liking.

(BPOV)

Charlie was home early, but he wasn’t much of a problem. He had refused to let me cook dinner, ordering pizza instead while Edward “paid me a visit” with soup and porridge. I slurped them all up unthinkingly, then stumbled my way up the stairs, wanting to return to my room, into Edward’s stone arms. There was no way Charlie would check on me tonight, I didn’t have an ounce of adrenaline left in me to do anything other than sleep, and he could see that too.

I hurriedly brushed my teeth, changing into one of the many ragged t-shirts I had, then pulled on a pair of shorts—Edward was convinced that letting my body shiver in cold would help with the fever, sweatpants weren’t going to help put a halt to our arguments.

My Greek god was slumped across my bed casually, meeting my gaze as I stepped into the room. He managed to look gorgeous as usual, even under the dimmed light of my table lamp. I saw his figure blur while he propped himself up, his arms open; it was another one of his irresistible invitations. I dragged a blanket along with me before I climbed into his embrace—he felt colder than ever.

“Bella, you know that won’t help. You’re burning up. Take a cold shower, please love? It’ll help cool you down.” His golden eyes were smoldering, his voice a soft velvet. Cheater. Cheater. Cheater. I looked away, hiding my face against his shoulder.

I had promised him earlier on, but caved the minute I stepped into the shower accompanied by an involuntary shiver. So instead I drenched myself with hot water, unknotting my tight muscles and erasing all signs of cold in my body at the same time, only to be met by Edward’s anxious glower when I got back to my room.