Sarawat's Story

Part X: Deeper

(Please feel free to LIKE or COMMENT on this chapter, or the whole story so far. I appreciate all compliments, feedback, etc. This part was a little harder to write, but I hope you enjoy it. I'm already working on the next part so stay tuned! -J)

Before I opened my eyes Thursday morning, as my mind drifted in that space between being asleep and being fully awake, I didn't feel Tine's body next to mine. The painkillers I had taken the night before had put me into an unusually deep sleep, and I wondered if they had been powerful enough to cause hallucinations. I was sure Tine and I had fallen asleep together, his head next to mine on the pillow and his left arm across my chest. I could still smell the intoxicating fragrance of my coconut scented body wash on his skin. I was still warm from his arm over my chest. But I was fearful of opening my eyes and realizing it had all just been a vivid, drug-induced dream.

I sat up from the couch, squinting in the bright morning light. Tine was indeed not next to me.

Then I heard him say, "Finally, you're awake."

I turned towards the bathroom. Tine was standing in the doorway, dressed in his uniform from the day before. His hair was adorably messy, but his face was bright and he looked well-rested. He leaned against the doorframe, smiling that charming smile, and pulled his phone from his pants pocket. "It's a quarter after seven," he said, then looked up at me. "I'm gonna go back to the dorms. I need to shower and change before class."

"I can drive you," I quickly volunteered.

"No, it's okay," Tine replied. He lifted his chin, motioning it towards my leg. "How's your ankle? Feeling better?"

"It's better because you healed me," I said with a huge smile on my face.

"Whatever," Tine scoffed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the empty glass on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen sink to fill it with water. He took the medicine bottle off the counter, opened it, and tapped out four pills into his other hand. "Take two of these these now," he instructed, bringing everything to me. As I swallowed the pills, Tine added, "And stay home today. Let your ankle heal fully. You can skip class one day, right?" His question was more of a command than an inquiry, and he placed two more pills on the table. "Take these when you wake up," he continued, "but eat something first." Tine walked over to my fridge, mumbled something when he looked inside, and shut the door. "Just order food. You don't have anything to eat."

Although I initially didn't want Tine to worry, I enjoyed him taking care of me. Although my flirting was still met with dismissive eye rolling, I could tell that Tine and I had elevated our friendship. Despite him probably saying otherwise, I knew Tine genuinely cared about me. He had skipped cheerleading practice the night before to make sure I got home safely and had spent the night on the couch next to me. I might always be the aggressor and the more dominant one between the two of us, but Tine's arm across my chest all night made me feel safe and secure. It also made me feel loved.

"Can't you stay with me?" I asked softly, like a sick child to a parent.

Tine shook his head. "I have classes." He checked his phone again. "I need to go."

"Come back tonight?" I requested as I returned to my sleeping position on the couch.

"Aren't you already healed?" Tine retorted, a smirk on his face. He walked towards the front door. As he put on his shoes and placed the strap of his bag across his chest, he turned back to me. "Call me or text me if you need anything," he smiled. Then he swiftly added, "But only if you need something like medicine or food. Don't text me with your perverted requests."

I pouted at Tine. "Can't I just text you because I want to talk to you?"

"I'll be in class," Tine replied. When I huffed dismissively, he smiled. "You can text me but I may not respond right away, ok?" When I nodded, Tine waved his hand a little. "Talk to you later."