I am excited for what is to come, the door is not locked, and as soon as I open it, I realize that Molly is not in the living room or the kitchen. Maybe she's already in the bedroom waiting for me, and I get even more excited. That woman has some fucking lingerie. I decide to call for her after noticing the silence in the apartment.
''Molly?''
I hear her voice coming from the bedroom:
'' I'm here.''
I go towards her room, already smiling, and open the door to wait for a pleasant surprise. Molly is under the covers and lifts her head when she sees me. She doesn't look well at all. I approach her and ask:
''What happened? What's the matter with you?''
She says:
''My head hurts like hell. ''
I instinctively put my hand on her forehead, and she is burning up. I stand up and say:
''You need to go to a hospital.''
She says:
''No! It's just a cold. I wouldn't say I like hospitals. I'll be fine, and I need you to get me a painkiller from the bathroom. I can't even lift my head.''
I walk towards the bathroom and find a box with some medicine in it. I take one I know is for pain because I have taken it before and then go to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
She takes medicine and lies down again. I ask her:
''Where is Chantal?''
And she says:
''I don't know, she went out.''
After a few seconds, she tells me:
''Thank you. You can go now, Chris.''
I say:
''But you are alone.''
'' I'll be fine.''
''Are you sure?''
''Chris: Yes.''
I continue:
''If you need anything else, anything at all, you can text me, right?''
She shakes her head affirmatively and closes her eyes again.
I got up from where I sat next to her on the bed and left the room, closing the door slowly.
...
I really won't be able to continue this game knowing that Molly is in such a wrong way like that. I've never seen her like that before. I go to the kitchen and look in the cupboard for things Julie uses to make tea. She has several, so I do a quick search for which one is ideal for someone with a cold. Only then do I realize that I will have to watch a tutorial on how to make tea.
... Molly...
It's as if any noise I hear in this house is tripled in sound. Then I hear when the door is opened again just after a time when Chris has left. Seconds later, my bedroom door is opened, I expect it to be Chantal or maybe Julie, but to my surprise, it is Chris.
So I show my surprise when I ask:
''Chris?''
He enters slowly and closes the door behind him. He is holding a glass in his hands and asks me:
''Are you feeling better.''
I sit up in bed and say:
'' It's a little better!''
My head still hurts, but not like it was hurting before. He approaches me, and I hold out the glass, saying:
''It's tea. They say it's good to help you get better soon. ''
I'm a little stunned right now, but I choose to say thank you as I take the cup from him. He seemed to care about me, and for the second time in my life, after I met him, I appreciated how he was acting toward me. First, it was that surprise dinner, and now this.
I bring the glass up to my nose and smell the mint, then say:
''That sounds good.''
He smiles as he watches me drink the tea. It's a little sweeter than tea should be but still good. He is sitting on my bed, and as I finish my tea, I ask:
''Why are you home on a Friday night? ''
He looks a little embarrassed now but quickly changes his manner and says:
''I have this game that I've been trying to finish for days.''
I laugh, and he has always been a fan of these things. I remember the times I have seen him playing in the living room.
Then I say:
'' You know I don't demand any exclusivity.''
It seems to take him by surprise, but he promptly says:
''Of course, I do.''
I feel better after he proves that he knows that, that he can be with other people, that what we have doesn't prevent him or me from being with someone else.
I finish my tea, and he picks up my glass placing it on my bedside table. He then asks:
''You have been sick since when?''
''Since earlier today, after I got back from class.''
''Why didn't you call Julie or something? I bet she would have been here to help you.''
''She's at Brennan's because he's painting his apartment.''
''Of course, I forgot about that. ''
''You could have called me.''
'' I didn't mean to bother you.''
''You never do.''
I smile faintly. I prefer this new Chris. Then he says:
''Can I stay here with you fofor a while?''
''I don't think I'd be a good company today.''
He answers:
'' You always are.''
I am speechless, and he smiles as he comes to lie down next to me with a cell phone in his hand, then says:
''I don't have anywhere else to be, and you are the first person to take a tea I have made. I have to wait a while to see if you won't have any adverse reactions.''
I end up laughing, making me hold my forehead with my hand so that the pain of the exertion passes soon. He puts his hand on my forehead and says that I am not as hot as I used to be, then asks me to lie down, and I do because my body is asking for it.