Chapter 34 - Recovering

Bright light filled the room when I peeled my eyes open, still barely conscious. I lay against Clay, basking in his warmth. My headache had faded from a steady thump to an annoying dull ache. I felt drained and very tired.

I tilted my head and met Clay's observant gaze. Worry glazed the chocolate brown depths. I tried to swallow, but the muscles didn't want to work.

"I'm thirsty," I rasped.

He gently moved me and got out of bed. I closed my eyes; I didn't want him to prove me wrong about the shorts. After a few seconds of silence, I forced my eyes back open. He stood next to the bed, holding out a full glass of water.

Shakily, I leveraged myself up on an elbow and grasped the glass. The cool water felt good going down. I drank it all and handed him the empty glass. He watched me curl up with my pillow.

I closed my eyes.

****

The next time I woke, I checked my alarm clock. The red digits showed two in the afternoon. Turning my head on the pillow, I happily noted the absence of weakness and pain. Whatever I'd done to cause my sudden illness, over sixteen hours of sleep appeared to have helped.

Gingerly, so as not to bring my symptoms back, I boosted myself into a sitting position. Clay no longer lay beside me. I glanced at my closed bedroom door. He must have gotten bored watching me sleep. I didn't blame him.

Although I could have slept longer, I pulled myself from bed. I grabbed my books then hopped back into my warm nest of blankets. Pillows stacked up behind me, I spread the work out. I'd lost a night and most of today because of the party. I couldn't afford to lose more time. I still had a few assignments from Friday to finish. In addition, I needed to review the prior week's materials to make sure I didn't miss anything.

After about fifteen minutes, I smelled bacon. My stomach growled loudly. The aroma tempted me to leave my warm bed. As I sat thinking about closing my book, the door opened fractionally, and Clay peered in. When he saw me sitting up, he nudged the door further to show a plate of food and a glass of juice. His appearance ended my internal debate and saved me from exposure to the cold.

"Thank you. I'm starving." I moved the book to the side, and he handed me the plate with a fork and set the orange juice on the dresser. I dug in right away, not realizing the extent of my hunger until the first bite touched my tongue. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast vanished in minutes.

Without a word, Clay handed me the glass of juice.

I drank it slowly, starting to feel the pull of sleep. Resisting it would prove difficult. I patted the bed next to me.

"Want to read by me?" Maybe his company would help keep me awake.

He flashed me a smile, collected the dishes, and left the room. I heard him move around in the kitchen. The sound of running water had me wrinkling my nose; I knew I'd need to risk the cool air once again for a quick visit to the bathroom.

When I dashed back into my room eager for the warm bed, I saw Clay already lounging on the covers. He was reading a book.

We spent the rest of the day together in my room. Clay read next to me while I paged through notes and completed assignments. Each of the few times he left my side, he returned with a drink for me.

Near dinnertime, Clay closed his book with a snap and left the room. I heard Rachel's car pull into the driveway a few moments later. Before I heard her car door close, he returned wearing his fur again. Somewhere in the house, Rachel would see a pile of clothes.

I grinned at him as he jumped up on the end of the bed. He settled with a sigh, and I stretched out to tuck my feet under his warm body.

****

Monday morning, I felt better and got ready for class under Clay's scrutiny. He didn't voice any complaint when I left, but I knew he worried that a full day so soon after recovering would overtax me. And he was right. By the last class of the day, I wanted to go to bed.

Dinner waited when I got home; two steaming bowls sat on the table. I dropped my bag next to the back door and flopped into the closest kitchen chair. Soup. Perfect. Clay picked up my bag and carried it into my room while I started to eat. After the first bite, I eyed the contents. I couldn't remember buying it and guessed he'd somehow managed to go grocery shopping.

He rejoined me and sat across the table. We ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you going to tell me about the coveralls or where you got the money for groceries?"

He shrugged in response.

Sighing, I pushed my bowl away. "I know I'm supposed to start asking you a bunch of questions, but I'm still too tired. Just don't be doing anything illegal, 'kay? It would be hard to visit you in jail on top of school."

I used a battered plastic container to put the rest of my dinner in the refrigerator and quickly washed the dishes despite his silent protests. He dried. Skipping homework, I changed and went straight to bed.

****

After another night's sleep, I felt more energetic and noticed more than I had the day before. The people I encountered during the day treated me indifferently. The continuation of the phenomenon I'd experienced at the party surprised me.

I saw Scott crossing the campus again. He only waved when he saw me and continued to his destination. A friendly wave from one acquaintance to another. Confused, I made an effort to interact more. I smiled at the people I passed. I'd grown so used to the pull I had on men that it felt odd when they didn't turn to look. Eventually, someone did stop me, another freshman, but he only wanted recommendations for a nice place to take a date. Why he stopped me out of all the other people drifting around on the campus grounds, I had no idea. However, it was the most normal, random conversation I'd had in my life, and I loved it.

Nicole caught up with me after our basic massage class and gave me the details of her weekend. Randy hadn't forgotten her and had called her on Saturday to ask her out on a date for Sunday night. She'd excitedly accepted.

"He was nice and everything, just not the way he normally is in class. He seemed a little more intense on the date. I talked to him before class today, and he seemed more like his old self. We're going to go out again tonight."

Then she told me about her walk across campus that morning. She'd turned down no less than eleven date requests and two, blunt one-night stands. She giggled as she related the details, but the humor didn't reach her eyes. I gave her a few pointers about keeping her physical distance if she didn't want someone to bother her and to say no bluntly. She nodded her thanks.

I wished her luck and hurried home to tell Clay my suspicions. I felt sure that something had happened to make Nicole the magnet for unwanted male attention instead of me. The shock we'd felt seemed to have been the turning point. I wondered how long the effect would last.

****

Rushing through the back door with a smile on my face, I felt a stab of disappointment at the greeting I received from the dark and empty kitchen. I set my bag on the table and dug the leftover soup out of the fridge.

While I leaned against the counter, waiting for it to warm, I wondered again about Clay's coveralls. I'd never gotten an answer about them. He probably worked somewhere, which would explain the wallet with the GED and the driver's license. But where? I could drive around and look for him, but I had no idea where to even start.

I sighed and settled at the table to eat and study. That he might have a job didn't bother me. That he bailed on what I considered our dinner night without a note or warning did.

When he wasn't home by six, I decided to head to the library to work on my speech. I needed the reference materials for research.

Studying at the library without my pull thoroughly increased my efficiency. Thanks to the uninterrupted work, I finished my speech by eight and headed home.

The windows glowed with light, and I felt a spark of excitement. I really wanted to share my unusual experience at the library. However, when I pulled into the driveway, I saw Rachel's car already in the garage. It meant I couldn't talk to Clay freely, but maybe I could still manage to whisper to him when we went to bed.

Inside, Rachel sat on the couch alone. There was no sign of Clay. She said she'd just gotten home and asked if I wanted to watch a movie with her. She didn't mention Clay-the-dog, so I told her I felt a little tired and went to bed early. I had no explanation for his disappearance and didn't want her to worry. I hoped that she thought he was already on my bed.