If Only...

HAVING BIGGER FISH TO FRY

I awake to a warm hand on my forehead this time.

"Alex?"

I blink until I can see the light again, and sit up. My body feels frozen.

"What just--ow!" I cup the base of my head when I'm aware of the pain. There and the rest of my body.

"Easy, baby. Easy . . . "

I hear a voice on my right, and I have to blink again to recognize it.

Danny rests my head back down on the pillow, and I can now see Rosie kneeling at the foot of the couch. She looks like she is just about to break down.

Then, it all comes back to me.

"Hey, sweetie."

Rosie leaps into my arms and I hold her close, smiling.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart . . . You saw the size of that dog. I was just taking a time out." I try to laugh it off. The last thing I want is Rosie worried. Or anyone else in this room. They've done enough of that.

"For thirty minutes."

I jerk my head up to Danny kneeling next to me, and it hurts. Bad.

"Thirty?" I ask and he nods, the pain clear in his eyes.

"Hey, come on . . . " I say, caressing his face, though I am worried. Sure, Gatsby's blow was solid, but . . . thirty minutes?

The last time I remember fainting from falling after being rammed into by something was Heather's piano. And I was up and running in seconds after that; not to mention that I had also missed breakfast that morning.

But now?

"Here you go, honey . . . " I sit up again as Aynsely comes running and presses something cold to the back of my head. It stings at first, but the throbbing subsides.

"How do you feel?" Danny asks hesitantly, caressing my fingers in between his.

"I'm okay." I throw in a smile too, the worries going away all because of an ice-pack. I don't know why I didn't try this before: Problem? Ice it!

I sit up completely now, and Rosie hugs Danny's side, while Aynsely brushes her hair. Three pairs of the same beautiful brown eyes stare up at me and I know they're tense. Boy, I've really scared them. Although those eyes are intimidating the sweat out of me.

I lose the ice pack even though it feels good, and stand to my feet.

"See? I'm perfectly fine."

"Easy there." Danny stands too, bracketing his arms around my frame. "Take five."

"Danny, I'm really fi--"

"For me." He cups my face, and I lower myself back into the couch. Danny replaces the ice pack under my head and leans over me, brushing my hair.

"Does it still hurt?" He whispers, circling his fingers into my temples, and I watch Aynsely take Rosie into her arms and away.

"A little." I answer, swallowing when his face closes in.

"Is the room still spinning?"

"Yes." I wet my lips. "But it isn't because of that."

Danny's brows ruckle momentarily, and then he realizes that there is almost no space in between us.

"Oh." He smiles and leans away, and I can breathe deeper. "So the room spins when I try to kiss you, huh?"

"You were gonna kiss me?" I whisper, and my heart stops.