“Okay, I get it now,” Scott said. “So what’s next?”
“Everything, I hope,” I said with a grin. “I’m into her, man. Like really into her.”
“I’m surprised, I figured you’d be back on Tinder by now.”
“Nope. No interest,” I said with a shrug.
“Wow,” Pete said. Both guys sat back and stared at me in awe.
“I know, guys. Believe me, I know.”
A burning formed in the back of my throat. I took a sip of seltzer, trying to wash it away. It didn’t work. Instead, each time I swallowed, the burning got worse. I tried clearing my throat, but nothing would help. The pounding in my head continued and now my throat. Something was up.
“You okay?” Pete asked, studying me. “You don’t look so good.”
“I think I’m coming down with something,” I said, holding my throat as the fire built stronger inside of it. And suddenly I felt cold. Like someone had turned the thermostat down ten degrees. “I should go. Sorry to eat and run.”
“Want me to get you a cab?”
“Nah,” I said, grabbing my wallet and dropping money down for the bill before throwing my coat on, trying to get warm. “I’ll get an Uber. Sorry, guys.”
“It’s all good. You can tell us more about Lyra another time,” Peter said, and I nodded in response.
“See ya, guys.”
By the time I walked through the door of my apartment, I was shivering. My head was pounding so hard I had to clench my eyes shut as I walked down the hall to find Advil. After reaching into the medicine cabinet, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
Holy shit, you look like hell.
After taking the Advil, I wandered to my bedroom and changed into sweatpants and about four hooded sweatshirts, desperately trying to get warm. I was too weak to walk to the thermostat in the living room, so instead, I climbed into my bed and huddled beneath the covers. Grabbing the TV remote from the nightstand, I put on The Office, hoping for a bit comfort as I struggled to get comfortable.
I’d had the flu a few times when I was younger, and I knew this was it. But I hadn’t had it since living on my own. All I wanted was for my mom to take my temperature and bring me khichdi. I reached for my phone, planning to beg her to come over, and then I remembered that she and my dad were in Arizona for the week, visiting my aunt and uncle in Phoenix.
“Shiiiiiiiiit,” I muttered to myself. The room spun when I sat up to reach for my phone to call my brother. I really hoped he was home and not staying the night at his girlfriend’s place. He answered right away.
“What’s up?”
“Ganesh.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sick. I have the flu. Help meeeeeeeeee.”
“Shit, that sucks.”
“Come take care of me, dude.”
“Not a chance, man. I’m sorry.”
“What the fuck?”
In addition to everything else, I was now pissed. Over the holidays, Ganesh had the stomach flu and I did everything for him. Everything. His girlfriend, Chelsea, was visiting her family in Oregon, so I stepped up. I went to the pharmacy, brought him Gatorade, made him toast. I did everything for that ungrateful motherfucker.
“My flight leaves at five a.m. I’m trying to get some sleep.”
“Flight? What are you talking about?” My brain was in a deep haze. I didn’t remember him planning a vacation.
“My business trip to San Antonio, remember? I’ve been talking about it for weeks.”
“Oh shit, I totally forgot.”
“Sorry, man, this is a huge account. I can’t risk getting sick. Want me to order you some soup or something?”
“No, I don’t want to eat.”
“I think I have that Theraflu stuff in the cabinet. I can leave it outside your door.”
“Thanks, man,” I said, hoping that would bring me a little relief from the hell brewing inside my body.
“And call Savita if you need anything else. She’s watching the dogs while Mom and Dad are gone.”
“Ugh, she’s useless.”
“Dev,” Ganesh said. “C’mon, my hands are tied here. Call her, okay?”
“Fine, fine. Safe travels,” I said, my teeth chattering.
“Geez, you sound like shit. I’ll text you when I land, okay? See how you’re doing.”
“Okay.”
I went into our company’s attendance program and made note that I’d be taking a sick day. There was no way I’d be fine in the morning. I tossed my phone across the bed and did my best to focus on the TV. After watching three episodes of The Office, I drifted to sleep, hoping the morning would bring even the tiniest sliver of relief…
Spoiler alert: It didn’t.
Chapter 18
LYRA
Dev was being weird.
Yesterday, I’d woken up on freaking cloud nine. Our kiss was ethereal and his touch lingered on my lips. I couldn’t wait to see him again, to kiss him again and to spend more time together. I was chomping at the bit.
All day yesterday, we’d texted throughout the day. He texted me during his morning break and again at lunch. He texted a few times from his desk, and I’d laughed when he sent me a picture of his office.
-That’s the cleanest office I’ve ever seen.
-Is that a problem?
-I mean, I knew you were a neat freak, but wow!
-The only thing dirty are my thoughts. <laughing emoji>
-Nice! I thought everyone’s desks were as messy as mine. I’m rethinking that now…
-I can’t see your desk then…EVER.
-What? Will you have a panic attack or something?
-You laugh, but yes.
-Well, shit. If you ever come to the library, I’ll clean it, I promise.
-Thank God.
It was fun, it was light, it was…easy. Things with Dev had never been easy, and I was enjoying it to the fullest. With every flirty text, I wanted him more. In fact, I was craving him in a way I’d never craved another person. It was surreal.
I knew he was going out with his friends that night and figured I’d probably hear from him when he got home. But I didn’t. And this morning, when I texted him, I didn’t get a response. Even after several hours. After our constant texting the day before, it gave me pause. Major pause.
It was a Friday morning, and I was trying really hard to play it cool. I refused to say anything to Maren, because knowing my best friend, she’d talk to Peter. She’d try to fix it. And I didn’t want that. If things were going to happen with Dev, they had to happen naturally.
Did his friends try to talk him out of it?
That was the thought that I couldn’t escape all morning as I shelved reference materials. Admittedly, I didn’t know Scott very well, but I couldn’t think of any reason that Peter would discourage Dev from being with me. If anything, it would create built-in double dates for Maren and him.
You’re overthinking this, Lyra.
And that was the other side of the coin. It was perfectly plausible that he got home late and was swamped with work that morning. Case closed. No big deal.
But something just felt off, and I couldn’t shut off that part of my brain. Just when I was contemplating checking my phone for the fifth time that morning, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face entering the library.