Painting Paper Hearts | ✔

Chapter 26- Skin-Deep

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I didn't know what hurt more—my back or my blisters.

When Marcus fell on top of me, his weight crushed my body. I had to drag him from the door to his living room. Literally. Thank goodness he had tiles as it made easier to drag him all the way to his couch.

Once he was settled on his couch, I took the liberty to search around his house for a face towel and a thermometer. I put the meter stick in between his armpits.

He was blazing hot with 38.3 Celsius. I decided to wipe him down with wet towel since I couldn't drag him to his shower because a.) He was high on fever and b.) He was too heavy.

After doing my best to wipe him down, I slumped miserably against his tiled bathroom wall and sighed. It must be around ten thirty in the evening and I've been gone for over an hour. When Cedric and I attempted to sneak out, Maegan caught us. When she asked us where we were headed, Cedric said- and I quote- "We'll grab some fries and burgers. Want some?"

I wanted to slam my face into a wall when he said that. Maegan shot him daggers, assuming that he'd take me somewhere secluded to perform indecent acts, but I cleared out the confusion. I said a little white lie and promised that he'd take me to a fast food place and that we'd be gone for three hours, max.

Well, in my defense, I thought talking to Marcus would take less than three hours but clearly, fate had its own plan.

And clearly, I couldn't leave him like this which had left me no choice but to tuck him in to sleep, safely remove any toxic liquid around his house and leave immediately.

My ears perked up when I heard a loud thud from the living room so I scurried to where Marcus was supposed to be sleeping. Instead, I found him approaching his kitchen counter, his eyes darted to the half empty Jack Daniel's. Before his hand caught the alcohol, I snatched it.

For a drunk man, he had a pretty fast reflex as he stepped forward to reach the alcohol. Too bad for him, I was the sober one and I reacted quicker. He paused and stared at me.

For five seconds, he stared at me in amusement. "Oh heeeey baby," he almost fell when he attempted to stand straight. "When did you get here?"

Un-freakin'-believeable. He couldn't even remember that he passed out by the door, and I had to drag him to his living room! I then pressed my palm on his forehead to check on his fever when he grinned at me.

"You're still very hot. Why don't you go to your bedroom so I can help you get dressed and rest properly?"

His lazy grin widened. "Ah, I see. You want to see the goods."

I ignored his drunk remark. "Oh, you wish Marcus! I'm not interested in your goods."

I put his arm around my shoulder and it reminded me of one of our drunken nights in our apartment. Since I was always the sober one, I'd ended up carrying Erin to our bedroom and cleaned up whatever mess she had made.

With a gentle kick, his bedroom was on sight. Marcus cooperated and walked to his bed and sat at the edge of the bed.

"I'm going to wipe you down, okay? You can take off your shirt all on your own, right?" he looked up at me; his eyes in slits. I knew that look. His head must be throbbing from being shaken up. After a few seconds, he bobbed his head.