Her skin was on fire, but she couldn’t stop shaking. I felt horrible for letting her go out into the weather. She’d acted fine when I got here. Happy as hell, as a matter of fact. It didn’t matter, though. It didn’t stop the guilt from nagging at me that this was my fault.

I kicked open the door, hearing a loud shriek from the living room. Bri peaked around the wall, waving a candlestick out to the side as if to threaten an intruder.

“You scared the shit out of me,” she said, lowering her weapon as she took in the sight before her. She sprinted toward us, concern across her face. “What’s wrong? Leigh?” She touched her arm and looked up at me for answers.

“We were outside, and she said she got lightheaded. Said she wasn’t feeling well.”

Bri’s brow shot up. “Outside? In the rain?”

I looked down at Leigh sound asleep. “Yeah. We, uh…” There was no point in trying to explain to her what we were doing out there. Mainly because it was none of her business that I was scared of bad weather and Leigh had forced me out there to face it. I didn’t let anyone know stuff like that. Only Leigh. “She needs to be cleaned off before I put her in the bed. We were lying in the sand…” The words trailed off, so low I wasn’t sure if she even heard them.

“Bring her to the bathroom. I’ll wash her off with a cloth and help her change clothes. I would say you could do it, but I’m not sure if you two have gotten that far in your relationship.” She blinked down at Leigh like she expected her to start ranting, but when she didn’t, Bri’s gaze shifted back up to me.

“We’re friends. That’s it. So, I don’t think she would want me to see her naked. She acts modest enough in a bikini.”

She nodded, silently agreeing. “She’d be livid with me. But you have to admit, she looked hot in that bikini, didn’t she?”

I didn’t answer. Somehow the question seemed like a trap. Like she was testing me to see how I’d respond, as if she were waiting to confirm a theory. “Can we just clean her? She needs to take some medicine.”

Bri puckered her lips, and motioned for me to follow her.

We went down the hall, and stopped as she turned into a room to the left and flipped a switch. Yellow light glowed against the carpet, lighting the dark hallway.

“Sit her down on the floor. Go look in that mess she calls clothes on the floor of her room and bring me some underwear and a t-shirt.”

Gently, I lowered Leigh to the tile. Her eyes fluttered open, and she reached for me and pulled at my shirt.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her when panic transformed her delicate features. “Bri is going to help clean you up, so I can put you in the bed.”

Leigh’s eyes darted over to her friend, then she slumped back against the tub.

I stood, watching Bri run a damp cloth over her face, clearing it of the sand.

She stopped and stared at me pointedly. “Clothes would be nice. These are soaking wet and covered in sand.”

“Oh, yeah.” I backed out of the room, rolling my eyes at how stupid I was. At the end of the hallway, I went into the room where Leigh was staying. It was tidier than the first time I’d been there. The clothes were folded in the chair, and her other possessions were displayed on the dresser.

“Don’t be trying to sneak any of her underwear in your pocket either. I’m going to make her do a count when she’s feeling better to see if you did!” Bri shouted.

I grunted, wondering how a quiet girl like Leigh ever ended up with such a best friend. Guess the quiet ones always needed the loud-mouthed ones to take up for them when they couldn’t.

I picked up a bottle of perfume and put it to my nose. It smelled different when she wore it. It was like the scent mixed with hers and made it smell ten times better. I put it back down as my eyes dropped to the chair holding the clothes. I hated doing this. I wouldn’t want anyone going through my underwear. It felt like I was invading her privacy.

I snatched a pair off the top, not bothering to look too closely at them, and selected a Led Zeppelin shirt from a pile that looked like sleep clothes. At least the girl had great taste in music. I stuffed it under my arm, not wanting to take too long. There was no way I was giving Bri any reason to think I was in here doing something she would assume I was doing.

Rounding the corner, I found Bri brushing Leigh’s hair. Sand littered the floor around them. Bri’s back was to me, shielding Leigh’s face.

“Bri… I feel awful,” Leigh moaned.

“That’s because you’ve got a fever, sweetie. Most people feel like shit when their temperature is up. But don’t worry I’ll take care of you.”

“I want him. But I can’t. That would mean I’m letting him get too close,” Leigh babbled.

I stepped back, not wanting her to know I was there in case Bri moved.

“After what Russ did to me, I don’t know if I can ever let myself open up like that again.”

Silence fell. After a few seconds, I peeked around the corner.

Bri rocked back on her heels; she didn’t seem to see me. “He’s not Russ. Russ was a dick. I could tell that the moment I met him.” She tossed the damp cloth down in the middle of the sand. “Always had this whole vibe of him thinking he was better than everyone else. Like we were less than him.”

I had never laid eyes on the guy in person, but from the way she talked, I already knew I would hate him. Guys like that weren’t any good. He’d proven that by what he’d done to Leigh.

“I’m fooling myself. There won’t ever be anything between us. We’re friends. That’s it,” Leigh said, so quiet I could barely hear.

I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. I had wrestled with telling myself that the entire time I was away. Now here I was, standing in her hallway, eavesdropping.

“Luca?”

The sound of my name startled me. I dropped the clothes, practically jumping out of my skin. I bent low and snatched the items from the floor.

Bri’s eyes trained on me as I entered the bathroom. I looked past her to see Leigh still in her damp clothes, leaned back against the tub, asleep. “Did you have any trouble finding them? You were gone long enough.”

“I, uh…” I didn’t know what to say. Seeing Leigh that way shook me to my core. I didn’t do sick people. It brought back too many unwanted memories.

Bri ignored my lack of forming words. “Can you help me get her to the bed after I help her change? She needs to get some rest.”

I put my hands up as if barricading myself from the situation in front of me. “I can’t. I need to go.”

“Luca! I can’t do this by myself. This girl is like a brick house. You’ve seen the ass she’s got.”

I backed out into the hallway as Bri’s brows slowly inched in. Her face contorted the angrier she got. I thought she was going to blow a gasket when the redness from her skin seeped into her hairline.

“If you don’t get back over here, I’ll kick your ass. I don’t care if you’re friends with her or not. She can just be pissed off at me for it.”

“I can’t.” I spun around and darted for the door.

“Luca?” Leigh’s voice sounded faint.

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Where did he go?”

“Don’t worry about that. I got you. He had to run home for something. Is there anything I can get you?” Bri asked.

“Soup. Vegetable soup. You remember when we were little, and my mom used to cook me that when I was sick?”

“Yeah. But I’m not sure if I have any of the ingredients. Hell, I don’t even think there’s anything here but liquor.”

Something bumped the wall. If I didn’t leave now, I would have to face them both. That was something I didn’t want to do. After twisting the knob, I bolted through the front door and slammed it shut behind me. My chest heaved. I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep from shaking. Over the past several years, I had made it a point to stay far, far away from anyone sick. Being around them made it feel like the walls were closing in around me. The thought that they might not battle whatever was wrong with them was something I couldn’t stand to think about. It was all because she’d never bounced back. She’d never made a recovery. Only gotten worse with each passing day. No one should have to deal with that.

It didn’t matter if it was a simple head cold or not. It was all the same to me. I stared out into the night, wanting to run away, but no matter what I tried, my feet stayed planted on the Welcome rug. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. She would be fine. Her best friend was in there caring for her. She didn’t need me getting in the way.

Before I realized it, I was in my truck driving away. The process of getting to this point was a blur. Light rain dotted the windshield. I turned on the windshield wipers and stopped at a red light. I just needed to get home. Then I could do something to take my mind off her.

The faint glow of a sign made the water on the glass appear green. I studied the Publix to my right. A horn blast from behind jarred my hesitation. I twisted the wheel and gassed the engine so hard the tires spun out as I whipped into the parking lot. What was I doing? This was the exact opposite of my original intention. I swear, I am beginning to lose my shit.

I screeched into a parking spot near the entrance and grabbed my phone. Vegetable soup. Vegetable soup. It couldn’t be that hard to make. Of course, I had never done it before, but I was a pretty decent cook.

I found a recipe and jumped out of my truck. Tucking my phone in my pocket, I pulled a buggy out and power-walked through the aisles, collecting the items on the list. Once I double-checked that I had gotten everything, I maneuvered through the checkout line and paid for the items.

Driving back to Bri’s house was hard. So many times, I wanted to turn the truck around and go home. But I didn’t. I kept going. Soon, I was sitting in front of the house. It wasn’t any different than the first time I’d arrived tonight, so why did it scare me so bad right then?

I gritted my teeth and grabbed the bags from the passenger side seat. It was now or never. If I didn’t go back into that house, I could kiss my friendship with Leigh good-bye. Despite not knowing her long, I already valued our time together. What we were doing was going to benefit her when she left. It would give her the confidence she needed to not pick assholes like her ex.

I walked to the front door, hesitating for a moment before knocking. Three gentle knocks were all it took. Within minutes, Bri was standing in front of me.

“What are you doing back?” she asked through clenched teeth.

I held up the bags.

She cocked her head.

“I’m here to make vegetable soup. Or as least attempt to.”

She blinked as if trying to comprehend what I was saying. I knew the moment it clicked because a broad smile graced her face. “I’m glad you came back. This will mean the world to her.” She moved to the side and let me in. “I’m sure she doesn’t want me to mention this, but she wouldn’t stop asking where you were.”

“I came to my senses in the truck. I really don’t handle being around sick people too well.”

Bri nodded but didn’t push my reasoning any further. “Well, you should have everything you need in the kitchen, I guess anyway. I don’t really cook that much, so if you don’t see it, you probably shouldn’t ask.”

“You sound a lot like Finn. He doesn’t even know how to boil water.”

She laughed. “Yep. Definitely me.”

“I’ll make it work. Hopefully, it will be edible for her.” I walked to the kitchen, and sat the bags on the counter. Cutting board. Pot. Those were some of the things I needed. I shuffled through the cabinets and pulled out everything the recipe called for. Bri was right. She had everything, but none of it looked used. Some things even still had the stickers on them. I chopped the vegetables up and tossed them into the boiler. Soon the house smelled amazing.

“Damn. If it tastes as good as it smells, I think she’ll love it,” Bri said, coming into the kitchen.

I dipped a spoon into the soup and gave it to her. “Here. Taste it before she does. If it’s bad, I’m going to say you made it.”

“Wow. Thanks for that.” She took the spoon and blew on it a few times before putting it in her mouth.

I held my breath, waiting to hear the verdict. Her hand shot to her mouth, fanning rapidly. “Still hot.” Her eyes watered, making her look up toward the ceiling. “If my taste buds still work after all that, I’m going to say it’s delicious.”

The tension released from my body. “Good.” I opened the cabinet and snatched a bowl from the stack. Then I scooped out a small portion and twisted around before shoving it toward Bri’s hands. “Take it to her.”

She looked to the bowl then back up to me. “Um, no. You take it.” Before I could protest, she trotted back into the living room.

I sighed and stepped out into the dark hallway. Her bedroom was only a few feet away, but it appeared looming as if it stretched for eternity. Every step I took felt like I was sealing my doom.

I stood on the outside of the door and barely knocked. Maybe she was asleep. The last thing I wanted to do was wake her. Yeah, it was probably a good idea for me to come back later. I turned, prepared to leave, but her voice stopped me.

“Yeah,” she said.

The door seemed heavier than I remembered, but I pushed it open to find her in a somewhat seated position in the bed. “I made you vegetable soup.” I tried to keep my voice upbeat, but my stomach was hollow.

“I thought you left.”

“I did. But I went to the store to get the stuff for this. I know it won’t be like your mom’s, but maybe it will be okay.”

She smiled, looking at the container. “I’m sure it’s perfect.” Her hands rose to take the bowl, which I swiftly put in her grasp. I backed away, putting distance between us.

“You can sit down. If you’re going to get this, I’m sure you’re already infected.”

I bit my lip, fighting the panic. This was pushing it for me. “I don’t know…” I trailed off, staring at the floor. She was so pale. I hated it.

“I forgot. Sick people.” The spoon clinked against the ceramic side as she stirred the contents, steam snaking its way up. “It’s really hot. Can you blow on it for me?”

I nodded, coming closer to take it from her. Before I could grab it, she pulled me down beside her. My back went stiff. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll be fine.” She winked at me, shoving a spoonful of the soup in her mouth. “Can I ask why this scares you so bad? I think you did better with the storm and the spider.”

I patted the covers, running my finger along the fabric until it reached the end. “My mom was in bed a long time.”

“She was sick?”

“She had a stroke that made her bedridden. It only got worse throughout the years. I prayed everyday that she would come back to us.” I looked up at Leigh’s face. “She never did. I usually don’t tell people that,” I said, swiping a tear away with the back of my hand.

She put the container down on the nightstand beside her and motioned for me to come closer. Despite everything in me wanting to get up, I leaned forward. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders as my head rested on her chest. Tears streamed down my face, dampening the sheet between us.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

For the first time since my mother had passed, the ache in my heart didn’t hurt as much. Her fingers knitted through my hair, taking tiny strands, and twisting them around. My mind felt fuzzy. A comfort I’d never known before draped over my body. In her arms, nothing else mattered.

Her hand stopped moving as her breathing came out in slow rhythmic patterns. I stood, seeing her eyes closed. Gently, I moved the pillow so she could lie flat and pulled the covers up to her chin. She shifted, mumbling something too low for me to hear.

I paused there, staring at her for a good minute, wondering why it took so long for me to find this girl. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I also wondered how long it would take me to forget her when she left.