“Good to know. I’ll make sure I only do things with guys who are different.”

She started to walk but Romero grabbed her arm. “What the f**k does that mean?”

She glared down at his hand on her arm and he immediately loosened his hold. “Get your hand off me.”

“First tell me what that means.”

“Let go of me!” He did. “Get out.”

He stood there unable to believe how his lunch with Cici had escalated into this. Her words still burned him but he was mad at himself for grabbing her arm like that. “I’m sorry.”

“I said get out.” Her tone softened but just a bit. “You don’t have to leave, just get out of my room. You shouldn’t be here anyway. I’ll get you sick.” She coughed before getting into bed.

He knew she’d only said what she did because she was mad, and hurt. But he hoped to hell she didn’t actually act on it to prove a point. “Izzy, I get it. Okay? I made a mistake. I was stupid. I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again.” He got down on his knee next to the bed and touched her arm. “Please don’t do anything just to make things even… you have no idea how crazy that would make me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You really think I have no idea?”

“Promise me.”

“I’m not promising anything right now, Romero.” She grabbed another tissue. “And you really shouldn’t be touching me. I’m telling you. You’re gonna get sick.” She shook her head after blowing her nose. “Go. You can sleep in Valerie’s room tonight.”

Romero noticed how her pink-rimmed eyes looked so dreary. She really was sick. He stood up and kissed her head. “Let me know if you need anything. Okay?”

She nodded and made herself comfortable in her bed. He walked out feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. Their place. Of course.

CHAPTER 18

Suspicions

Falling in and out of delirium, Isabel didn’t even know what time or what day it was. She turned to see Romero walk into the room. “Hey, how you feeling?”

She didn’t respond. She remembered she was mad at him but she couldn’t even remember why. “I’m still mad at you.” She heard the rough words rasp out of her mouth, felt the burn in her throat and tightness in her chest.

Romero began to apologize, then his expression changed and he touched her forehead. “Izzy, you’re burning up!”

“Huh?” In such a daze, she glanced around expecting to see flames.

Romero pulled the blankets off her. “But I’m freezing!” she said, trying to pull the blankets back on. Her clothes clung to her, wet with perspiration, and she began to shiver. She tried in vain to get the blankets back from Romero’s hands. “Please! I’m so cold!” Just speaking scorched her throat and her entire body ached as Romero sat her up.

“I know.” His voice was as panicked as hers was. “Baby, we gotta get this off you, now.”

She didn’t even realize she was crying until she heard her own whiny voice, “Why are you doing this to me?”

“Because I have to,” he said, pulling her top off and then helping her up. “We gotta get your temperature down.” He put his hand on her back. “Fuck, I should’ve checked on you sooner, you’re on fire. I’m sorry, babe. I just wanted to let you sleep.”

Her eyes burned when she blinked and her body shivered uncontrollably. Everything after that was a blur of her crying and trying to fight him while he held her under the cold shower as he tried frantically to calm her explaining why it was necessary.

Then there was a trip to the emergency room, her parents and sister arrived just as they were releasing her. Pat was angry that Romero hadn’t contacted them sooner but he explained that in his haste he’d forgotten to take Isabel’s phone. He didn’t have any of their numbers. By the time Isabel was well enough to think straight and give him their numbers, they’d already been there for hours. “You’re coming home with us,” her father announced flatly. Pat nodded as Isabel held on tight to Romero.

“It’s not pneumonia but the doctors said you’re borderline. You need to be watched very closely.” Her mother attempted to pull her away from Romero.

“I can watch her,” Romero said.

“Don’t be silly, the doctor said she’ll be out the whole week. Don’t you have to work?”

“I’ll take the week off.”

“I’d feel better if she was at home with us.” Her mother’s words were firm but cautious.

“You should go with mom and dad, Bell. Pneumonia is no joke. Don’t take any chances.”

Isabel just wanted to go home to her own bed. Her fever was finally down but she felt completely drained and her body still ached all over. Speaking alone, left her breathless.

“What do you want, Izzy? We’ll do whatever you want.”

“I wanna go home.” Her words were barely a whisper and she inhaled deeply, those four little words taking so much out of her.

That’s all she had to say. “I’m taking her home. I’ll take care of her this week. Don’t worry.”

Though they tried to argue, the decision had been made. Romero was by her side the entire week. Preparing her meals, bringing them to her in bed, making sure she took her meds on time. The only times he left was when her mother and sisters had stopped by to check in on her. He said he’d take advantage of them being there to go stock up on more meds and groceries but she knew his aversion to being in the same room with Pat was the real reason. The two had barely exchanged greetings but they’d both managed to be civil.