Chapter 134
Julian's POV
After Nora fell back asleep, the doctor met me in the hallway.
"Severe hypoglycemia, mild dehydration," she said, flipping through the chart. "Stabilized with fluids and glucose. She'll be fine, but she needs real rest. No work for at least a few days."
"What does she do for a living? How did she end up like this?" she asked.
"Journalist. She just covered a week of flood disaster relief."
The doctor shook her head. "Young people always think their bodies can take it. But at this rate, she'll end up with chronic problems. Make sure she actually rests when she gets home, or this will happen again."
"I'll make sure of it." The words came out harder than I intended, more like a vow than a reply.
She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Once the IV finishes, she can be discharged."
When I returned to the room, Nora was awake, propped against the pillows. The IV bag was nearly empty. The hospital light made her look washed out—hair still damp with sweat, dark circles carved beneath her eyes like bruises.
"Let's go home," I said.
She blinked. "Now? I can—"
I didn't let her finish. I bent down, slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, and lifted her off the bed in one clean motion.
"Julian!" Her arms flew around my neck on instinct.
"You can barely stand." I carried her toward the door. "Don't argue."
She made a sound of protest but didn't fight me. By the time we reached the parking lot, she'd gone quiet, her head resting against my shoulder. I settled her into the back seat and wrapped my jacket around her. She sank into the cushions, eyelids already falling.
I took the long route home, avoiding every rough patch of road, slowing to a crawl at every intersection. Halfway there, I glanced in the rearview mirror. She was asleep.
Something in my chest pulled tight.
When we arrived, Lily was waiting at the gate, tail going. I carried Nora inside. The dog circled us once, satisfied, then trotted back to her post. The elevator rose smoothly to the third floor.
I laid Nora down carefully, pulled the blanket over her. She stirred slightly, murmuring something too soft to hear, then stilled.
I fetched a basin of warm water and a clean towel. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I wrung out the cloth and wiped her face—her forehead, her temples, the curve of her jaw. Her skin was still hot. The fever hadn't broken yet.
"Julian…"
Barely a whisper. But the weight of it landed somewhere it had no business landing.
"I'm here," I murmured, setting the towel aside. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, light as I could make it. "Easy. You'll be okay."
Her fingers stirred, closing weakly around my wrist. Then they relaxed, and she slipped back under.
I didn't leave.
---
Late into the night, the fever finally broke. But the chills came with it.
She started shaking in her sleep, teeth clicking together softly but clearly. I'd been half-dozing in the chair beside her, but that sound snapped me awake. I touched her forehead—cool now, almost clammy—and cursed under my breath.
I should have brought more blankets.
Instead, I made a different call.
I eased onto the bed behind her, careful not to jostle her. Then I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her back against my chest. My body heat wrapped around her almost immediately, and the trembling stopped within seconds. Her breathing evened out.
She shifted slightly, pressing closer. And just like that, she was still.
---
When I woke, sunlight was slanting through the gap in the curtains. A phone was buzzing somewhere on the nightstand—insistent, not stopping. I reached over half-asleep and grabbed it.
"Julian Sterling."
A pause. Then: "Julian? Why are you answering my sister's phone?"
Lucas.
I cleared my throat, glancing down at Nora still curled against me. "Nora's at my place. She collapsed yesterday. I brought her here."
"What? Is she okay?"
"She will be." I gave him the address without hesitating. "Come whenever you want."
I set the phone down on the nightstand.
Then I reached over and pressed the back of my fingers to Nora's forehead. The fever was gone.
I exhaled slowly.
---
About an hour later, the doorbell rang. I went downstairs to answer it. Lucas's voice echoed through the foyer—followed immediately by Lily's low warning growl.
"Uh… Julian? Could you maybe call her off?"
I almost smiled. "Lily. He's family."
The growling stopped. A moment later, Lucas stepped through the door, wearing the expression of a man who had narrowly avoided something unpleasant. "Your dog is terrifying."
"She's supposed to be," I said. "Come on. Nora's upstairs."
"So," he began slowly, "since you and my sister are officially together... I have to ask. I thought you gave me the job because you saw my potential. But was it actually because of Nora?"
The assumption landed wrong.
"No," I said, keeping my tone even. "I gave you this position because of you. Not because of her."
The grin faded. Lucas blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"I don't hand out positions as favors," I continued. "When I first met you, I saw someone decent. Kind." I paused, letting the words settle. "The next few times we crossed paths, I watched you. Thorough. Honest. You didn't cut corners, and you didn't bullshit to save face. That's why I offered you the job."
Lucas stared at me for a long moment, processing. Then his shoulders dropped, the tension easing out of them.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
The elevator reached the third floor. I gestured toward the living room. "Come on. Sit down. Let's talk."