16:58

Chapter Fifty-Nine

"Are you almost done?" Colton asks me. I'm sitting at the kitchen table watching him make dinner.

"Yeah. Almost," I tell him even though I'm not. I started writing an email to send to one of my professors but I have no idea what to say.

"You better not be texting anyone," Colton says.

I laugh as I look at him. "Really? Why would I be texting anyone?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

I set my phone down on the table and smile as I walk over to where he is. I wrap my arms around his chest and rest my head against his shoulder. I smile because he always hugs me like this, but I never do it to him.

"What's for dinner?" I ask.

Colton grins sheepishly. "It's nothing fancy," he tells me. "Go sit down. I'll bring it over to you."

"You're not gonna tell me?"

"No. Go sit down," he says. I roll my eyes as I walk back to the table. I pick up my phone but set it back down right away. I can email my professors tomorrow. Maybe I'll figure out what to say.

"How are you feeling today?" I ask as I bite my lip.

"I'm okay," Colton says. He starts walking towards me with two bowls. He sets one down in front of me.

"This looks really good," I tell him.

He grins. "Thanks. Do I get a gold star?"

"Sure." I grin as we start eating. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm good," Colton says.

"But you'll tell me if you aren't, right?" I ask him. "I want you to tell me exactly how you're feeling, even if it's bored or constipated."

"I will," Colton says and his voice is convincing but his eyes aren't. "I promise."

************************

I sigh as I roll over. I stretch my arm out to try and find Colton but I can't feel him. I rub my eyes as I sit up. Colton isn't in the bed. I stand up and look around. I see a light on down the hallway and I rub my eyes as I stand up and walk towards it. I knock on the bathroom door.

"Colton?" I ask. "You okay?"

He doesn't say anything and suddenly I feel a lot more awake. I open the door and Colton's hovering over the toilet.

"Fuck," I mutter. I walk over to him and rub his back. Colton sighs and shuts the lid to the toilet. "What's going on?" I murmur.

Colton wipes his mouth and flushes the toilet. "My stomach was just upset," he says. "It's better now."

"Are you sure?" I ask as he starts to stand up.

"Yeah—oh, fuck," he mutters and he opens the lid and hunches over the toilet. I sigh and rub his back. There's nothing else to do. After a minute, he says quietly, "The nausea is only bad when I move."

"I'm sorry." I look at him and then the toilet. "You should lay down."

He doesn't say anything and a small smile tugs at my lips as I tell him, "You can put your head in my lap, or use my boobs as a pillow like you used to do in high school."

Colton smiles slightly as he puts his head in my lap. "Your boobs are a really good pillow though," he says.

I smile as I start rubbing his temples softly. "How long have you been up for?" I ask.

"Two hours maybe," he says. "I spent most of it hovered over the toilet waiting to throw up."

"Do you have a prescription for anti-nausea meds?"