Chapter 59: Chapter 59

× Rosenville, Minnesota ×

Hours fleeted. The flight didn't take long. No unnecessary delays or mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

Her parents fetched her and welcomed her back home with hugs and smiles. They actually redesigned her old room days before. Just to surprise her.

Although grateful that her mom and dad remained healthy, Jessi couldn't get rid of her anxiety. It might take her months to mentally recuperate.

Buried under her blanket, she clasped the padded covers and stared at the dim ceiling. The chills were back in action, her temperature still above normal.

Was it another side effect of the emergency contraceptive pills? With a loud sigh, she propped her elbows on the pillows and checked her phone again.

Almost five million views now. Quarter of a million likes. Not bad at all. A big channel posted the interview video months ago on social media.

Why this interview? It didn't seem eager to promote their TV show. For as long as she'd worked with the two, he and Darren seldom did these kinds of interviews together. Mostly because of Jenson's jam-packed schedule.

Reclining in the dark couch, Darren tried to hide his restless leg as he sat next to Jenson, who had no trouble playing the "cool and level-headed big brother" for the cameras. Jenson spoke in fluent Italian whenever the host would revert to his native tongue.

She couldn't understand shit. They could be talking about paint for all she knew. Yet she couldn't tear her gaze away from the screen.

"Good luck. Self-torture at its finest," Kel would say.

It was his voice. Why did he sound all too relaxed? Almost the opposite of his mysterious and "elusive Hollywood star" reputation. Even his mannerisms were almost nonexistent.

The 25-minute clip had been playing on repeat for the past hour. The well-dressed and bilingual interviewer tried to dig deeper into the personal stuff.

But Jenson held his own. So did Darren. They diverted the more intrusive questions like seasoned pros. Cracked smiles and jokes here and there to evade the controversial topics.

Jenson never mentioned a thing about his breakup with Charmaine.

Wait. Maybe... Did they get back together? Were they busy planning their much-awaited wedding?

Ouch. Maybe they would hold the ceremony out of Los Angeles. Were they vacationing in Beijing? Enjoying each other's company?

Jessi pouted and stared at the handsome men on her phone screen. "Wish you two the best. Sorry for expecting too much. Nice knowing you..." should've been her last text for the Italian-Spanish hunk in the hot seat. Just trying his best not to blush at the thirsty females in the audience who clearly wanted to hurl themselves at him.

Ugh. Why did he have to be so attractive? A white sweater hid the top of his blue jeans and his muscles. Picture-perfect Mediterranean features. Angelic yet intriguing. Magnetic green eyes. Fit all over. He'd trimmed his beard that day.

Face. Body. Sex appeal. A quiet air of confidence. Talent. Depth. Sincerity. Humility. And that smile...

Good heavens—his teeth looked brighter than her future. No hyping up necessary.

Her heart throbbed. Her chest and stomach twisted into knots again. She understood now what his uncle saw in him. Why Magnus thrust Jenson into that kind of life...

Maybe the businessman was right. Perhaps she was lucky that she still had the chance to escape that trap. Maybe she just wasn't built for all that. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Unfortunately, she didn't feel like she could ever escape Jenson's grip on her heart.

×

At the crack of dawn, Kel didn't forget to call again to check up on her. She wore a face mask and a ponytail, seemingly hanging out alone by the pool—Enzo's pool in his house in New York.

"Morning, loves," Jessi greeted.

"Hi. Morning. Did you take the second pill?"

Sheesh. Her friend just didn't waste any time. "Of course." Jessi held back a frown. Why wouldn't she take the pills?

Kel stared at her, as if gauging the honesty in her eyes. "Did you throw up today?"

"No."

"Good. No other flu-like symptoms?"

"Nope." Jessi glanced away, pretending to be busy with something beside her. "I'm fine. Just having a slight fever. Still kinda dizzy."

"Okay. And body pains?"

She tilted her phone and tried to keep a straight face. "A little. It's manageable."

"No quarantine?"

"Those who had high-grade fevers and other symptoms had to quarantine."

Kel removed her face mask, her bruised nose and the dark bags under her eyes both stark reminders of her demanding hospital duties. "You don't wanna get tested?"

"No," Jessi muttered. "No need." She'd rather hole up in her room all day all weekend than be stuck in an isolation ward again.

"If you experience other symptoms later today, go get it checked. They should run a blood panel the moment you set foot in the ER."

"I'm fine. I don't need to go."

"Fine." Kel pulled a face. Admitting defeat only deepened her voice. The concern never left her pretty eyes. "Just be sure your oxygen sat is in the high 90s."

"Yep." Jessi sighed and sat against the headboard. Pulse oximeter check. First aid kit check. Go-bag somewhat ready. But it wasn't like she'd need it anytime soon. Surely the symptoms she felt now were not going to escalate. Maybe it was just her body adjusting to the new weather. "What if I'm one of those happy hypoxics, though?"

"Don't wish for it. Oh." Kel smiled now. "You got a haircut?"

"Yeah."

"Looks nice."

A haircut and a lighter color. New look. New beginnings. Some sort of a reset button. A way to set her brain anew or something. It wasn't really working, though.

"If you feel any dizzier in a few hours, call or text me. Keep an eye on your symptoms," Kel murmured.

"Yeah. Okay."

"If they go away the next day or the day after, you should be fine. Must be the pill's side effects."

Huh. She wished it were that simple. This lingering dizziness was getting annoying.

Or was it just a bad case of jet lag?

×

The chills and dizziness turned into nausea the next hour. Sweat blanketed her from head to toe.

As she tried to ignore the lightheadedness, Jessi closed her eyes and leaned against the side of her bed. It only got worse by the minute. No matter how still she remained. Alone in her bedroom, with her vision turning dim, she ran to the bathroom next to the stairs.

Her breaths turned shallow. The back of her mouth was sour. Something smelled and tasted weird.

"Shit."

Her eyes and the back of her throat burned. Her gut and forehead pulsated. Kneeling on the cold tiles, Jessi leaned over and retched into the toilet.

What came out wasn't a lot. Not even bigger than her fist. Watery. Mucus? Saliva? Both, probably. Her stomach felt like it sank into her uterus. She couldn't even get up yet. The pounding in the back of her head calmed down, though.

"Jess?"

Oh shoot.

"Jessiah?" her mother, Sarah Kinley, called out from the other side of the door.

Darn it.

Her mom definitely heard all of it. Worry softened her husky voice. "You okay, hon?" Sarah knocked twice.

"Yeah." Jessi made a face and turned to check the doorknob. Locked. Thank goodness. "Just using the toilet."

"D'you still feel dizzy?"

"No. I'm fine, Ma!" she lied. Throwing up felt like her soul got sucked out of her. But dang. Her head wouldn't stop spinning. Whatever this was, it didn't want to leave her alone.

"Okay. Your dad wants to grill some steaks. Come down in a bit."

"Yeah. Okay." Jessi muffled a cough with her damp palm. As she tried to get back on her feet, she blinked again and again when her vision turned white.

Shit. Was it just the pills? Or was it the viral infection again?

×