Chapter 19 This Could Get Awkward!
April
The warm bubble bath feels good, but now I have a problem! A dizzy spell has hit me. I worry that if I try to climb out of the bath, I will lose my footing or worse, pass out. I don’t know what to do. I can stay in here and hope it fades, but the heat probably won’t help the dizziness. There is another option. It will be embarrassing and weird. Corran may not feel comfortable with doing it. I sigh and try to stand, but my head starts to spin, and I sit back down.
“Corran?” I call out as loud as I can with my sore throat, hoping he will hear me.
“Yes? Is everything okay?” He sounds like he is right outside the bathroom. Has he been here this entire time?
“Um, I may need your help. I am really light-headed. I can’t get out of the tub alone. I am scared I will fall or pass out.”
“Do you want me to come in and help?” The nervousness in his voice is evident.
Maybe it isn’t a good idea. I am not going to force him to come in and help if he is uncomfortable. I wouldn’t do that to him.
“If you don’t want to, it is okay. I will wait until it passes.”
I wait for a reply, but it doesn’t come. I wouldn’t blame him if my request scared him off and he left. I will be stuck, but I will manage somehow. The sound of the bathroom door creaking open draws my attention towards it.
“You aren’t staying in the bath, April. The place you need to be is in bed.” Corran says as he strolls into the bathroom.
How do we even do this? I don’t want him to see me naked. Corbin is the only man ever to see me naked since we were together from such a young age.
“You don’t need to do this, Corran.”
He grabs the largest towel in the bathroom and comes over to stand at the tub. “Yes, I do. I promise not to look. Can you stand up? You can use my arm to steady yourself.”
“I will try.”
Corran opens the towel all the way. I take my time to stand, not wanting to move too quickly. I grip his arm and manage to stand. Corran quickly slips the tower around my body tightly before he physically lifts me out of the bath, setting my feet on the floor. He grips my hips to make sure I stay steady.
My cheeks heat. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome. You could have asked sooner,” he chuckles.
I chuckle in return. “I didn’t want to make things weird.”
It would seem I was worrying about nothing.
“Let’s get you back to bed.”
I nod. Corran repositions himself at my side and slips his arm around. I am still a little light-headed. I don’t know how I’ll manage to change, but I will work it out. The second we arrive in my bedroom, Corran makes sure I am safely on the bed before he lets go of me.
“Where is your hairdryer?”
“In the top drawer. Why? I don’t have the strength to dry my hair. I don’t even have the strength to change.” I sigh.
“I can help with both. Going into bed with wet hair isn’t going to help you get better.”
He has a point. Corran strolls over to the drawers. He takes out some clean PJs along with everything he needs to do my hair. I would rather do it myself or not at all because it is something quite personal. Something you do for your best friend, child or the person you love. Perhaps it is only I who thinks that way.
“I will dry your hair first. By the time I do that, you should be dry, and we can slip your pjs under and over your towel.”
Good idea! It means he still won’t see me naked. Corran plugs the dryer in and climbs onto the bed, taking his place behind me. He begins to dry my hair. I close my eyes, enjoying it. It feels nice, nicer than it should. I can tell it isn’t the first time he has done it. I smile because it has been a long time since someone has done this for me. Once he dries it, he braids it for me.
“All done.”
I glance over my shoulder at him. “Thank you. Not the first time you have done that, huh?”
Corran shakes his head. “No, Edin liked it, so I have done it many times.” I can hear the sadness in his voice as he says her name.
I turn around to face him. “I bet you were an incredible husband.”
Corran reminds me a lot of Corbin in some ways. Corbin was the best husband in the world until the world ruined it and took him from me.
“I tried to be until Edin’s last breath.”
I reach for his hand and squeeze it. “She was lucky to have you. In the same way, I was lucky to have Corbin.”
Our eyes meet; no other words follow. No! I am not getting caught up again. I sigh and face away from him again. Corran sighs from behind me, too. I reach for my PJs and manage to get them on, and remove the towel.
“Now, get your ass back into bed.” Corran chuckles, lightening the mood.
I playfully roll my eyes at him, laugh and slip back into bed. It is only then that I notice he has changed the bedding too. Thank God, because, like me, they were starting to smell due to all my sweating.
“Thank you for changing the bed.”
“It was needed. It was smelly,” he teases.
I snicker and don’t disagree as I make myself comfortable. He hands me the bottle of orange Lucozade. Tonight is the first time I tried it. I quite like it. He encourages me to drink, which I do.
“Are you tired?”
I shake my head. “Not right now. If you want to leave, it is okay.”
I don’t want to keep him here. I am sure the last thing he wants to do after a long day at work is spend his night taking care of me.
“No, I am fine right here. Would you mind if I ordered some food? I am going to order Chinese food. Do you want anything?”
“I don’t mind. Maybe a small portion of rice. I don’t know if I will manage, but I can try.”
“Okay, I will order. I am going to go home and change. I will be back soon.”
Corran exits my bedroom, and I lie down on the bed, snuggling under the covers because I am freezing again.
Corbin appears next to me and strokes my cheek. “Hello, my love. Are you feeling any better?”
Corbin has been keeping me company over the last few days. I hate being sick, but I have liked being locked in alone with him.
“No, not really,” I whisper.
Corbin sighs. “I hate seeing you sick. I am glad you aren’t alone, and Corran is here to take care of you.”
“It is very kind of him.” I would prefer it to be Corbin who is taking care of me in the same way Corran is, but that isn’t possible.
Our conversation ends because we hear Corran come back in the front door. Corbin vanishes as quickly as he came. I am happy I don’t need to be alone tonight. I don’t know when Corran will leave, but I will take what I can get.