Titus: Book Two of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Titus groaned as a hand that was cold yet soothing trailed up his cheek to plant itself on his heated forehead. Colors danced behind his eyelids as he focused all of his attention on the owner of those calming fingers. To the right, he could feel the person's weight dipping into the bed, another part of the soft body just barely touching his uncovered chest.

Sheets pooled at his feet, that he could tell; but as to where he was, how he had gotten here, and who was now taking care of him, he had no idea. His mind blanked of almost all memory. Only the roughened sound of his breathing filled the room, something acrid getting caught in his burning, dried throat.

Tentatively, he moved one hand to search for whoever was next to him. His hands first connected with the underpart of sheets and then traveled to the right until the tip of his index finger touched something soft and supple. The smoothness moved then, along with the calming hand on his forehead, forcing him to blindly reach out his fingers until it collided with a familiar arm.

“Anna?” he managed to croak, the air burning his throat and making him cough.

“Hey,” she said as her voice washed over him. “How are you feeling?”

In answer, Titus opened one eyelid and then another, cursing as the effort proved to be almost too much. He forged on, however, until he saw into the blank darkness, his eyes adjusting until Anna's form finally appeared through the lack of light.

Titus didn't understand. “Anna?”

“Yeah?” She smiled.

“I don't...” He was lost for words, not at all fathoming why his body hurt so much. All he could remember was the quaking feeling in his legs as he had gotten into his truck, pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the bartender's smiling face as he'd ordered himself a stiff brandy.

“Do you want some water?”

The burning, nauseating taste in the back of his throat had him nodding his head. He could only watch as she twisted to the side to grab a glass filled with the clear, forgiving liquid, her brows furrowed as she came back around to look at him.

“Sit up,” she said.

Titus tried, he really did, but the farthest he got was a few inches up on the headboard until his aching muscles protested too much. His shoulders landed back on the couch immediately, a gasp leaving his mouth as his lungs sucked in too much air and he began to choke.

Anna moved to run her hands up and down his back, helping him up with encouraging words as they got him to sit up against the headboard. “You just gotta take it easy.”

He reached for the water then, extending his arms out and accepting the glass. But he forgot to grab it, the shiny metal splints on two of Anna's fingers catching his attention and making him look up at her, not caring as a few drops landed on his leg before Anna regained control of the glass again.

“What happened?” he half-asked, half-coughed.

“I got you back,” she said, as if it were the most common occurrence in the world.

Titus racked his brain for any memory of the past days, his eyes tearing up as he came up short. “But...I don't remember.”

“You were at The Green Apple for a few days 'cause I was too scared to go and get you. So, I went there, and...Here, drink this first.” She raised the glass to his lips. “You're looking kinda pale.”

Titus let her pour the water into his mouth, already feeling the effects as his head began to clear and feel a little less fuzzy. “Thanks,” he said, once he finished off the glass.