Chapter 31: Sick Day

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Sick Day

The drive to Nicole’s house was quiet for the most part. Chloe spent some of the time looking out the window, occasionally asking about places we passed, while I kept my attention on the road.

I was mostly thinking about Nicole and how she was doing. It wasn’t until I turned onto her street that I started wondering if bringing Chloe along had actually been a good idea.

"This is her house?"

I glanced at Chloe. "Yeah."

She looked out the window again, taking in the house. "My future sister-in-law is loaded."

I stared at her for a moment.

That wasn’t quite the reaction I’d expected, but I wasn’t complaining. If anything, I was relieved she looked genuinely excited.

I pulled into the driveway and parked beside the Mercedes, which was outside the garage instead of beside the Bentley.

The moment I turned off the engine, Chloe was already getting out of the car. She closed the door behind her and started walking toward the house, barely giving me enough time to grab my keys before I followed.

"Chloe, wait."

She slowed down but didn’t turn around.

I sighed and caught up with her, then looked toward the open-front garage. The Bentley was still there, exactly where I’d expected it to be.

Chloe glanced at it, then back at me.

"She has a Bentley."

"Yeah."

She looked at the car again, clearly impressed.

I shook my head. "Let’s just go inside."

I turned toward the front door and reached for the bell, but before I could press it, the door opened.

Nicole stood there with a bright smile on her face.

My eyes immediately moved over her. Her hair was neat, though it looked softer than usual, and she was wearing an orange pajama set with a matching shirt and pants. The memory foam scuffs on her feet completed the look, making it pretty obvious she had no intention of leaving the house today.

She looked comfortable.

Sick, but comfortable.

Her eyes moved past me and landed on Chloe.

Chloe smiled. "Hey, big sis."

I closed my eyes for a second.

Of course.

Nicole’s smile widened immediately. "Hey, Chloe."

I looked at Nicole. She was already giving me that look. The one that said she was enjoying this far more than she should.

She stepped aside with a small smile, letting us into the house.

Chloe walked inside and immediately looked around, her eyes moving across the spacious entryway and the open living area.

"Wow. Your house is so cool."

I ignored her and looked at Nicole instead.

"You went out?"

Nicole gave me a curious look. "Hmm?"

"Your Mercedes."

"Oh, yeah." She nodded. "I went out earlier to get some medicine for the fever."

I frowned slightly. "You went out while you were sick."

"I wasn’t feeling that bad."

I gave her a flat stare.

She looked down at her hands for a moment, then glanced back at me. "You’re scolding a sick person," her voice suddenly sounding genuinely vulnerable.

I blinked.

She really just switched lanes for no reason at all.

Chloe looked at me with a small frown. "Yeah, Nathan. She’s sick."

I looked between the two of them.

"You’re already siding with her?"

Chloe shrugged. "She’s my big sis."

Nicole looked at me with a small smile. "I’m on your side."

Chloe’s face brightened. "Aw. That’s so sweet."

I sighed. "I knew it was a bad idea bringing you."

Nicole laughed softly, and Chloe just smiled at me like she had no regrets.

I shook my head and looked back at Nicole. "What have you eaten today?"

Nicole pressed her lips together.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I had tea."

"Just tea?"

She looked down again. "I didn’t have much of an appetite."

"So you took medicine on an empty stomach?"

She shook her head. "I haven’t taken it yet."

Chloe cut me off before I could say anything else, turning her attention to Nicole. "What do you want to eat?"

Nicole thought about it for a moment. "There’s some chicken soup in the kitchen. I made it yesterday, so there’s still plenty left."

Chloe nodded. "Okay." Then she looked at me. "She’s sick, Nathan. You can stop scolding her now."

I opened my mouth, but Chloe was already walking toward the kitchen.

I watched her disappear around the corner, then sighed.

She was right. I was just worried about Nicole and wanted to make sure she was okay, but I’d probably gone a little too far with the scolding.

I turned back to Nicole.

"Sorry. I just don’t want you taking medicine without eating anything."

Nicole shook her head, smiling. "I actually like it when you scold me."

I looked at her.

She held my gaze, her smile softening slightly. "It means you care."

I stared at her, not really sure what I was supposed to say to that.

What was there to even say? She’d somehow managed to turn me scolding her about taking medicine without eating into something sweet.

I shook my head. "Just... sit down."

Nicole smiled. "Okay."

She walked over to the couch and sat down. I sat down beside her, and she immediately scooted a little closer, turning toward me until she was facing me directly.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Then she smiled again. "So... how was your day?"

"It was okay."

Nicole gave me a small pout. "That’s it? I actually want to know what happened."

I stared at her for a moment, taking in the slight pout on her lips. She didn’t even seem to realize she was doing it.

Even sick, she somehow managed to look cute.

"You know Jackson, right?" I finally said.

She nodded. "Your best friend." She leaned forward slightly, looking at me with genuine interest.

"He had an argument with his girlfriend today."

Nicole blinked. "He has a girlfriend?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Is she pretty?"

I opened my mouth, then paused. "Nice try."

Nicole smirked.

"Anyways," I continued. "She caught him liking a picture of some girl on Instagram."

Her eyes lit up, like she was genuinely enjoying the story. "Ouch."

I stared at her for a moment, then found myself thinking about what had crossed my mind earlier: If I were the one who did that, how would she react?

It was probably a stupid question to ask, but I was curious enough to ask anyway.

"What if I did that?"

Nicole’s expression changed slightly. "Did what?"

"Liked a picture of some girl on Instagram." A pause. "How would you take it?"

"I’d get jealous."

"Jealous. You."

She nodded.

"I thought you weren’t the jealous type."

"Every girl is the jealous type."

"True." We both turned at the sound of footsteps, finding Chloe walking back into the living room.

"The food is all set," she added.

I looked back at Nicole. "Go eat."

She nodded and got up, walking toward the dining table with Chloe. They sat down together, and Nicole immediately started eating.

I stayed where I was, watching the two of them for a moment.

A small smile crept up my face.