Chapter 67
A Day Not Unlike Any Other
It was a day not unlike any other. Nothing had forewarned of what was to happen. It never did. The day with the crow, only one symbol of doom to prepare them for what lay ahead. Nothing had told her as she began the day as she always did that it would end being curled up on Logan's couch with Alec's arms around her.
It made no sense... All the times they'd been fine…
Hell in the very room she was so frozen in, they had lain on the floor and…His lips had been upon her shirt, barely separated from her poisonous skin.
Only weeks earlier had Cale been passed back and forth between them, Logan's hands careful to only touch the little boy's swim trunks, where Max's hands had minimal contact with and retained the most chlorination until he rinsed the little boy off in the pool…
They had been walking that fine line, but not today. She'd taken off her gloves, but she was going to replace them…She'd been walking into the living room to grab another pair from her bag…God she didn't even know what happened. She could still see him, a white tee shirt with the sleeves cut off, khakis, he'd been going to leave the room as she was walking into it… She'd reached out, just like he had once before, she'd wanted to tell him about fuckin Alec… God she couldn't even remember what stupid comment Alec had made to her that she wanted to repeat. But, she'd grabbed him, she'd felt his flesh upon her hand. He'd felt it too and he looked down, her hand had snapped back, but it was too late. All he said was, "Shit," as he looked down, she remained silent as she realized what she'd done.
He looked up what seemed like an eternity later, but in fact was only seconds. He didn't look scared, not like she did. He looked worried seeing her face, "It's okay," he said going to raise his hand up to touch her cheek.
"No," she shook her head and stepped back.
He stepped forward and didn't let her escape him, "It's okay," he repeated bringing his hand up to her cheek.
"Josh," she spit out his name, she couldn't put anything else together just that they needed Josh.
"Shh," he whispered and brought his other hand around her waist and pulled her in close to him.
"No," she repeated, she didn't want to expose him anymore.
"Yes," he nodded and dropped his lips to hers.
She wished she could say she forgot all about the virus because of bliss his touch created, but she couldn't. She felt the love, the tenderness and she returned it, but she couldn't escape the fear.
He wouldn't let her go, he held her tight knowing she'd bolt, his lips refused to leave hers for anything more than to whisper to her and softly taste the skin he'd been so long denied. She felt his body start to slacken, but he refused to crumple, refused to give up his time with her before it was absolutely necessary. His strength feigned quickly until finally, he had no choice but to give in and her arm went around him before he fell far.
His body had gotten a super dose of the virus compared the previous two times and he was already unconscious by the time Max hung up the phone on Alec. She'd grabbed a pair of sterile gloves out of box he kept in his desk drawer and shook him, screaming his name at him. He didn't even turn his head.
She ran to the kitchen looking for ice to bring down his sudden fever, there were two trays and an icepack, she wondered if she should try a freezing cold bath as she was laying the pack across his forehead, then she debated dumping the entire contents of his freezer on him. Alec or Zen would be there soon, he'd told her to stay calm and neither lived too far by the time she got the bath filled they would be here.
"Mama…Daddy," Max was shocked out of her kneeling position before Logan by that strong little voice wondering where all of his attention had gone, unaware of what his mother had just done to his father. She almost remained frozen in her position, but as she heard the rattle of the gate at the top of the stairs, she took off before anything else could happen.
Her son was in her arms hysterically crying in reaction to all of the frightening emotions his mother was sending off as she was in Logan's bathroom filling the tub with cold water as she heard the door open and Alec screaming her name.
That had been almost nine hours ago, she didn't know how long it had been since she'd moved or when Alec's arm had wrapped around her in silence. Just sitting in the darkened room, only lit by the few streetlights, the humid summer heat the only thing filling the air as the house was quiet.