"It's just a bad cold so they can't give me anything for it."

"Well, then I'll have to give you my own personal remedy for colds. Wait here."

She sits in one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room at the pharmacy while I dash around the store collecting items.

Ten minutes later we're leaving with over-the-counter cold medicine, a carton of orange juice, a small jar of honey and the magazine I didn't get to finish reading.

Sasha gives me directions to her house but by the time I pull up in her driveway, she's asleep. She doesn't even stir when I stop the car. It's obvious she's exhausted and not just because of her crazy cleaning spree today. The dark shadows under her eyes were there even at the party on Friday night.

What drives her so hard?

Guilt creeps in. I could see that she was exhausted this afternoon at lunch but I still mauled her as soon as I got her alone. Instead of giving in to my libido, I should have stayed and helped her. My advice to trim expenses was never intended to be used as a reason for her to exhaust herself by trying to clean that entire space alone. Add on top of that the fact that she's obviously been sick and still thinks she can do it all by herself. I have to wonder about her life that she's so determined to prove herself that she won't accept help even when she obviously needs it.

I touch her arm and her eyelashes flutter against her cheek. "Gabe? Where are we?"

"Home. Come on, let's get you inside."  I come around to her side of the car and she leans on me heavily as we walk up to the house. It's a nice place, a duplex. The windows on the right side are lit up. "Your neighbor must be home."

"Mrs. Hanes. My landlady. She had the house converted to a duplex after her husband died so she could rent out the other side. I don't want her to see you."

"Are you ashamed of me?"

Even sick, she manages to give me a quelling look. "This is a small town. The last thing I want is everyone gossiping about who I have coming and going."

"I'll make sure to sneak out later if that makes you feel better, okay?"

She smiles and pulls out her keys. Once we're in, I look around her place curiously. Most of the outfits I've seen her in have been eye-catching. Bright colors and figure hugging. It doesn't surprise me to find that her place looks the same. Her vibrant spirit invades every corner of the house from the bright red paint color on the walls to the colorful Aztec print rugs on the wood floor. I can tell the home is older but it's been well taken care of.

"Okay, I'm here. I'm going to take some of that cold medicine and go to bed. You've done your good deed for the day so you can go." Sasha's words dissolve into a coughing fit that ends with a wet, hacking sound. Just listening to her is painful.

"Not a chance. Come on."

When she doesn't move, I pick her up and start walking. She swats at my shoulder weakly.

"If this is how you sweep a girl off her feet, your technique needs work." Her head falls against my shoulder as if she's too tired to hold it upright anymore.

"Dammit, stop trying to be so strong and just let me take care of you." The first room off the hall is mainly empty except for the bed so I figure that's a guest room. I continue to the next room and push the door open with my foot. Angling my shoulders, I turn so I can fit us through the doorway without bumping Sasha's head.

Now this really looks like her. The bed is covered with a ruffly purple comforter and there's a mountain of pillows covering the bed. I set her down gently and ease her back. She sighs deeply and then turns her face into her pillow.

"I'll be back with your medicine in just a second."

Before I can leave, her hand reaches out and snags my sleeve. "You really don't have to stay. I can call someone."

"Okay, who are you going to call? Your friend Kay?"

Her eyes don't meet mine. "You aren't planning to call anyone, are you? Well, I'm not leaving you here alone."

"I can't call Kay," she whispers miserably. "She'd come running but she has a fiancé, a baby and a bun in the oven. She loves me and would do anything for me but I can't do that to her."

"What about your sisters?" I know that if anything ever happened to me, Zack would be right there. 

"I could call them." She makes a face and pulls the comforter over her legs.

"But you don't want to."

"So they can say I told you so? They think I can't handle this. They think I should stick to being cute on stage, not trying to be the one in charge. I don't need to hear that right now."

Even sick and exhausted, she's determined to be strong. If her sisters think she can't handle owning a business, I have to wonder if they're spending time with the same person I am.

She shoves the pillows aside until she can get into a comfortable position.

"Well, you know what that means. Until you're strong enough to kick me out, I'm here. Now sleep."

"Thanks, Gabe." She tucks the covers under her chin and smiles up at me sweetly before her lashes drift down.

There's an unfamiliar feeling in my chest as I look down at her, something I'm not sure I'm ready to examine yet.  "I'll just move my car to the street and then go get your medicine."

And then I make my escape.

Chapter nine

GABE

I wake to the sound of retching. A cough. Then another choked sound of agony. Sasha's guest bedroom is right next to hers and I crashed in here after calling Zack to let him know I wouldn't be coming home.