Chapter 15

MILA

I can't findanything to do or to watch.

I think about texting Ward, just to let him know that his sister is sick.

I'm not sure it will even matter.

I can hear Ward now…

So? What can I do about it? She's sick. It happens.

Now I'm mentally saying fuck you to my boyfriend while I pace the dorm room of his sister, thinking about Jax.

Shirtless Jax.

He purposely messed with me too and I fell into the trap.

I got myself all worked up thinking about him and Willow having sex.

Like… why does it matter? Why?

I sneak closer to Willow's room and carefully open the door.

She's still sitting up in bed. She's almost looking straight down.

There's no way that's comfortable for her.

She's going to wake up with a killer stiff neck.

The second I touch her, she wakes up.

Her eyes pop open and she smiles.

"Mila," she says. "You made it."

"You're drugged up," I say.

"Yeah. Jax gave me medicine. Not real drugs though. He didn't drug me. And take advantage of me…"

"Okay, Willow. I know. He's gone."

"He left?" She sighs. "That's okay. For the better. We weren't going to hook up anyway. We tried though. We came really close…" Willow leans toward me. "Really close. He's so fucking hot, isn't he?"

"I'm not answering that. You need to close your eyes again."

"Oh, come on, Mila, just tell me."

"Willow. How about some soup?"

"Yeah, sure," she says. "Hey, Jax wasn't wearing a shirt."

"I know. I saw."

"I spilled soup on him."

Okay. That part is at least true…

"I didn't do it on purpose," Willow says. "I'm just… I don't feel so good, Mila."

"I can tell. Do you need a doctor?"

"No. Here… watch…"

Willow puts her head back and reaches for her throat.

She squeezes a few times.

"Yup. Swollen."

"What's swollen?" I ask.

"Glands," she says. "My body is fighting something. Maybe I should take more of that medicine."

"I don't think so," I say. "You're not going to overdose on cough medicine. You need to either eat or go to sleep. Or do both. But not at the same time."

"You're funny."

"You're delirious."

"I know. Why is Jax so hot? Why can't I fuck him?"

"Oh, Willow…"

She reaches for me. "Hear me out, Mila. We were ready. Okay? He was going to kiss me but he stopped. But I'm glad he stopped. Like we're just friends and all…"

"That's good."

"I don't get why. Is it because of Ward? Hey, why are you dating my brother? Like, I like you, but my brother is a loser. What do you see in him?"

I feel heat creeping up into my cheeks.

Willow is touching on some nerves now. Sick or not.

I reach for the soup and she won't take it.

"Are you going to make me feed you?" I ask.

"Can you? Just a few spoonfuls. That's all. Just a little."

"Willow, how much of that cold medicine did you take?"

"Not a lot. I just think it hits me really hard. That's all. I'm not into drugs and stuff. I guess I'm not into Jax either. I don't get it. His body is so beautiful though. Those muscles. Are all hockey players like that? Oh, I should ask Violet. Or Ruby. I should text them."

"To ask them if Mac and Gabriel look sexy shirtless?"

"Yes!" Willow says. "Is that cool?"

"That is not cool. Holy hell. You are out of your mind right now. Eat some soup. Shut up about Jax. And then go to sleep."

"Psst," Willow says. "Come here. Come closer to me, Mila."

"Willow, this is getting awkward."

"Do you have a little crush on Jax? You can tell me. I'll keep it a secret."

I hurry and scoop some warm chicken noodle soup and basically slap the spoon against Willow's mouth.

She opens up and closes her eyes.

She swallows the soup and makes some weird orgasmic sound.

A sound I never want to hear her make again.

Sadly, I endure that same sound three more times before she calls it quits on her soup adventure.

I place the soup down on the nightstand.

I make Willow drink some water.

I casually check the cough medicine Jax gave her.

No, he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't drug her. He just got really potent stuff. Stuff that obviously has Willow feeling relaxed and loopy.

"Time for sleep," I say. "Get comfy. No sleeping sitting up. You're going to hurt your neck."

I tuck Willow in.

I touch her forehead.

She's not burning up.

She's just rundown and sick.

I take a deep breath and leave her bedroom.

I'm wondering what my position is here.

I'm not sure I can just leave her like this.

Hey, you can always call Jax to come back! You and he can take turns… shifts, right?

I swallow hard.

I tell myself I need to get in touch with Ward. Tell him what's going on.

Maybe he can come sit with his sister.

Why's that, Mila? So you can run off and find Jax and flirt with him?

Now, that I heard in my head in Willow's voice.

I touch my forehead, wondering if I'm getting sick too.

This whole Jax thing is not even a thing.

He's a pain in the ass.

I'm in a relationship.

That's the end of it.