Chapter 21: Chapter 21

The blinding sunrays seeped into Kendall's room, giving her an idea of the current time. She was already dressed and was only waiting for Grayson to knock and call her. However, there had been no signs of the man since she woke up. Unable to wait any longer, she impatiently stormed outside of her room and knocked into the room next door.

"Grayson, aren't you done getting ready yet? Look at what time it is already! If we don't leave now, we'll be late for our first class," Kendall shouted.

When she received no response from the man inside, she continued knocking until her fist hurt. After calling him a few more times, she heard the clicking sound of the doorknob, making her breathe a sigh of relief. However, her expression immediately froze upon seeing how Grayson looked.

His hair was a mess, and he was still in his pajamas, evidently looking like he had just woken up. Traces of lethargy were visible in his eyes while his face was unmistakably pale.

"I'm not going to school today. Just go by yourself," Grayson said in an unusually hoarse voice.

Then, he went near his study table, took the car key, and handed it to Kendall, saying, "You can use my car."

The latter accepted the key without complaint and left as soon as the man closed his door. However, Kendall had only taken a few more steps when she stopped, feeling a little anxious. She looked back, stared at Grayson's door, and recalled his lifeless stares. Then, she completely turned around and knocked.

"Why are you still here? I thought you already left," Grayson weakly said as he opened the door.

Not minding his question, Kendall unhesitatingly put the back of her palm on his neck, checking his temperature. "You have a fever, Grayson. Why didn't you tell me?" she said, her eyes full of worry.

"It's nothing to worry about, Hailey. It's just fever, and it won't kill me. You should leave now if you don't want to be late," he replied.

Kendall knew that, but she couldn't care less since her main priority should always be Grayson's welfare. "Have you taken medicine yet? You haven't had breakfast either, have you?" she asked, constantly ignoring Grayson's questions.

"Just leave, Hailey, and don't worry about me," Grayson said before closing the door.

Kendall ignored the man's words and went into her room in a panic instead. She put down her things and sprinted toward the kitchen. Then, she asked the old maid, Esther, to teach her how to make a porridge, which surprisingly turned out well. She also made a warm lemon juice for Grayson, put everything on the tray, and brought it to his room.

"You're still here? Hailey, you can't afford to take any more absences because you're already too behind in class," Grayson remarked, evidently tired of repeatedly opening his door.

He still wanted to say something more, but the girl had already barged into his room, carrying the tray in her hand and placing it on the table.

"Don't worry about my class, Grayson. I could just ask Nancy for notes or submit an excuse to our professors. Looking after a sick man like you is more important right now. So, eat this instead of lying there with an empty stomach," Kendall reasoned.

Grayson looked at the bowl of porridge on the table and said, "I don't have an appetite."

Then, he sluggishly went back to bed and covered himself with a thick blanket. Just when he thought he could finally take a rest, Kendall approached him and pulled the blanket off his body.

She looked at him intently and said, "I'm not leaving here until you eat."

"What about your other classes?" Grayson asked, knitting his brows.

"I won't attend them," Kendall stubbornly said.

Grayson thought for a moment and eventually got up. He sat in front of the table and started eating.

"Have you taken your medicine?" Kendall asked.

The man only shook his head in response.

Because of that, she went into the bathroom and searched for medicine meant for fever. Then, she placed it beside the lemon juice she had prepared.

"Drink that after you eat," she instructed.

Grayson's gaze shifted from the medicine to Kendall while eating the porridge. Although it didn't show on his face, he was delighted to know she was concerned about him. He had been with her for a while, but he was only able to witness her bold and stubborn side. Thus, he was somewhat surprised that she could also be gentle and caring.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kendall asked with one of her brows raised.

"N-nothing," Grayson replied and hurriedly diverted his gaze to his food.

Kendall nodded and watched the man as he ate. She could tell that he was only forcing himself to eat, so she said, "I know that you have no appetite, but you must finish that, okay? Drink that warm lemon juice as well. I made it myself, and it'll help relieve your cold."

After saying that, she went to his bed and arranged it neatly. She picked up all of Grayson's things on the floor and put them back in their respective places, saying, "I'll tidy up your room while you finish your food, but note that this must be counted to the three times I have to clean your room, okay?"

Grayson just smiled, ignoring Kendall's endless attempt to negotiate the terms of their agreement. Even though he had always hated her whenever she nagged at him, he couldn't deny that he felt more relieved than earlier due to her loudness.

While eating, he took out his phone and called Abigail, who hadn't returned and accepted any of his calls since the day of the fashion show.

Kendall was arranging the books on his study table when she saw what he was doing, so she smirked and asked, "It has been days since the fashion show. Is Abigail still ignoring your phone calls?"

Grayson nodded in response, not bothering to throw a glance at Kendall.

Hearing that, the latter shook her head and teased, "Is that why you are sick? Do you always catch a fever whenever you are heartbroken?"

Grayson then rolled his eyes and sneered. "I don't have a fever, Hailey. You're just claiming that. I feel a little unwell, but I should be fine after taking a rest. Anyway, I'm done eating," he explained and stood up.

Kendall dashed to the table to see if Grayson was telling the truth. When she saw that the medicine and lemon juice were untouched, she glared at him and said, "You are far from done, Grayson. You didn't even drink the juice and your medicine!"

"Oh," he reacted as he looked at the glass of lemon juice. It wasn't that he forgot to drink it, but he deliberately didn't touch it.

"I don't drink lemon juice, so just give me a glass of water," he casually said.

However, Kendall repeatedly shook her head and replied, "No, you must drink this. A glass of water won't relieve your cold as much as this lemon juice could, Grayson."

"I said I don't want it!" Grayson refused. "Just go get a glass of water."

Still, Kendall remained unwavering. "I don't care if you hate it or not, Grayson. This is non-negotiable, so drink it before it gets cold," she remarked.

When Grayson didn't move, she grabbed the glass of lemon juice and put it near his mouth, forcing him to drink. However, he stubbornly zipped his mouth closed.

Feeling impatient, Kendall resorted to her last strategy, which had always worked on Grayson.

"I'll count to three, Grayson. If you still don't drink this by then, you wouldn't like what will happen next," she threatened.

"One!"

Grayson rolled his eyes at Kendall's threat. Still, he remained defiant. "There you go with that method of yours again! Who do you think you are to force me to do something, huh? Are you my mother?!"

"Two!"

Seeing nothing but seriousness in Kendall's eyes, Grayson heaved a deep breath in annoyance and frustration.

"Okay, fine! I'll drink it. Why do you have to count?!" he exclaimed, utterly giving in.

Kendall's face instantly lightened due to Grayson's response. She took the tablet from its container and shoved it into his mouth. Then, she made him drink the lemon juice while holding it herself.

"Damn, that's so sour!" Grayson complained after drinking. He looked coldly at Kendall and said, "You're really something, Hailey. You're the only one who has ever made me drink that disgusting lemon juice in my entire life. Grandpa couldn't even do that!"

"Let's call it even, then. You're also the only one I ever have to take care of throughout my entire life," Kendall replied.

Grayson fell silent upon hearing that, but a strange sense of happiness enveloped his heart. He didn't know what exactly Kendall did, but he instantly felt better. He then went to his closet and took out a pair of clothes.

After that, he turned to Kendall and said, "I'll take a shower, so leave my room now."

"Can't you skip taking a bath for today? You might feel sicker if you do," Kendall worriedly said.

"Don't worry. I feel better now. You can go to school and attend the rest of the class. I'll take a rest here at home," Grayson guaranteed.

"No, I'm staying," Kendall quickly said, causing him to glare at her.

"Do you need me to go to class before you go? If that's what you want, then I'll get ready now," he abruptly said.

Hearing that, Kendall immediately stopped him and said, "Okay, fine! I'm leaving."

"Don't even think of cutting classes, Hailey," Grayson warned. "I don't trust you because I know that you hate studying the most. Just know that I'll be asking our classmates if you attended the rest of our subjects for today."

"I get it, okay? There's no need to do that, Grayson," Kendall replied, left with no choice.

Before leaving, she asked Esther to watch over Grayson from time to time while she was away. However, even though she left for school, her mind was clouded with worry for the man. She then called Grayson repeatedly to check on him and ensure he rested at home. When he stopped answering her calls, she hurriedly went home, not minding the rest of her class.

Of course, Grayson's room was the first place she went to as soon as she got home. Her pace slowed when she saw that his door was half-open, and Esther had just come out from inside while holding an ice pack.

"Did something happen to him?" Kendall asked the old maid worriedly.

"Sir Grayson's temperature elevated, Hailey. I came to put this ice pack on his forehead, but I'm afraid to wake him up," Esther replied.

"What?!" Kendall exclaimed before dashing inside Grayson's room. She saw him sleeping, so she tried not to make a single noise. When she touched his forehead, her eyes instantly widened in shock.

"I told you not to take a bath," she whispered.

After saying that, she went to her room and changed into comfortable clothes. She didn't even bother fixing herself or resting for a bit and immediately returned to Grayson's room. When she saw Esther looking a little troubled about how she could put the ice pack on the man's forehead without waking him up, she walked closer and smiled.

"Let me do that, Esther. You can go down now. I'll take care of him," she said.

Esther nodded and smiled gratefully. When she was about to leave, Kendall called her again and asked, "Have you called a doctor to check on him?"

"I did, and the doctor just left. He left some medicines, though, and some instructions that needed to be done. The list is on the table. You can check it," the old woman said, pointing her finger to the side table.

When Esther left, Kendall carefully read the doctor's prescription and instructions. Then, she meticulously arranged and prepared the medicines Grayson needed to take for a specific time.

When the latter woke up, what flashed before his eyes were Kendall, who was reading the doctor's note beside him. He then glanced at the wall clock in his room and figured it was still early for her to be home. "Why are you already here?" he weakly said.

Grayson's sudden question slightly startled Kendall, not knowing when he had woken up. She reached for his neck and forehead several times to check his temperature and asked, "How are you feeling, Grayson? Are you dizzy? Cold? Do you feel like vomiting? What? Say something."

In the face of her consecutive questions, Grayson only forced himself to sit down and lean on the headboard.

"You're overreacting, Hailey. I'm fine. Just give me water," he said.

Hearing that, Kendall unhesitatingly stood up and poured a glass of water. She held it for Grayson and brought it near his mouth, but he refused to drink. He snatched the glass from her hand and said, "Stop doing that! I can do it myself, Hailey. I'm not a kid."

"Do you really have to be a killjoy, Grayson?" Kendall blurted in a fit of annoyance. "Can't you see I'm having a good time here pretending to be a nurse?"

Kendall's nagging continued after that. Even though her mouth was spitting complaints after complaints, she would still give him a sponge bath, wanting his temperature to drop. Then, she would let Grayson sleep soundly, waking him up only if it was time for him to take his medicine. She would also take his temperature every now and then to see if his fever had subsided.

Kendall had never been a hardworking student. However, since she couldn't think of anything to which she could divert her attention while watching over Grayson, she decided to do her assignments. When she encountered a part that was too hard for her, she remembered Noah had already sent her an email about it.

"Grayson, let me borrow your laptop for a while," she whispered to the man sleeping in the bed.

After that, she logged into her account and thoroughly read the answers that her colleague had sent. The more she read, the more she felt like blood could drip down from her nose at any moment, unable to understand a single word.

Suddenly, Grayson's voice echoed in the room, breaking the silence inside.

"A-Abigail..." he called.

Unsure of what Grayson was saying, she rose from her seat and approached him. "Did you say something, Grayson?"

"Abigail," he repeated while his eyes remained closed.

Kendall couldn't help but sneer upon hearing the name he was repeatedly calling. "This guy... you hurt her, and now you're being like this because of her," she commented, shaking her head.

Then, she carefully sat on the side of his bed and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. Seeing that his fever had slightly subsided, she prepared to retract her hand and leave when Grayson suddenly grabbed it.

"Don't leave me, Abigail..." he moaned.

Kendall didn't bother removing the man's grip on her wrist, nor did she attempt to leave. She stared at his sleeping face and heaved a deep sigh

of pity.

'Looks like you have been deeply affected by your and Abigail's breakup. I could tell now that your feelings for her were genuine,' she thought.

"Stay with me, Abigail..." Grayson whispered again before pulling Kendall's wrist toward him, which caught her by surprise.

He was so strong that she ended up lying next to him, and before she could even move, he hugged her tightly.

"Grayson, I'm Hailey, not Abigail," she whispered while tapping Grayson on his shoulder, wanting to escape.

However, the latter only hugged her tighter, saying, "No, stay. I'm cold."

Kendall felt utterly uncomfortable with their position, but a part of her couldn't help but feel sorry for the sick man next to her. Since he said he was feeling cold, she stopped resisting and let him hug her. She waited for him to fall asleep, and when he finally did, she took that opportunity to carefully slip away from his grasp.

Fortunately, she successfully managed to escape. However, just when she thought she could return to the table and resume her assignment, Grayson pulled her again toward him and hugged her tightly.

Stunned, Kendall looked at Grayson's face and nervously swallowed upon seeing him too close. She wanted to leave, but he instantly closed the gap between them. Before she could even react, Grayson had already claimed her lips.

Kendall's body froze in shock as she felt the latter's lips pressing against hers. She didn't resist, so Grayson continued kissing her. Then, she felt him suck and bit her lips as if he wanted her to kiss him back.

Kendall only remained still, not knowing what to do. She wanted to push Grayson away and escape. However, his kisses kept sending indescribable tingles through her body, slowly draining her strength. He kissed her until she lost all the marbles she had, causing her to automatically part her lips open. Not long after, she closed her eyes and returned each aching press of his lips and stroke of his tongue.

Grayson must have sensed that the woman in front of him had finally let go of her defenses, so he hungrily kissed her more aggressively. He caressed her back with one hand while the other traveled on different parts of her body.

Kendall's mind went fuzzy as she struggled to find the right words to describe her feelings. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but Grayson's sweet and warm kisses refrained her from thinking in the most rational way possible. She hugged and kissed him back.

However, Kendall immediately returned to her senses as she felt Grayson's hand sneakily traveling inside her shirt. She felt like she had been splashed by a bucket of cold water, causing her to push him away on impulse. Her eyes widened in disbelief while the sick man's eyes remained closed.

'Fuck, Kendall! What the hell did you just do?!' she scolded herself inwardly while covering her mouth with her trembling hand.

'How could you give in to Grayson's kisses just like that?!'

Not wanting anything more to happen, Kendall immediately went to the study table, logged her email off Grayson's laptop, picked up her things, and returned to her room.

She immediately jumped into her bed and vented her emotions on the innocent pillow. Once she felt tired, she lay down, stared at the ceiling, and let herself drown in a series of thoughts.

'What the hell is happening to me?'

'Have I lost my mind?!'

'Why did I let Grayson kiss me, and why did I respond to his kisses?'

'Why did I let that happen when I could've just pushed him away from the start?'

Kendall felt guilty about what she did, as if she had just committed a heinous crime. She felt like she had just betrayed Abigail. Still, there were voices in her head that kept saying there was nothing wrong with what she did. After all, Grayson was calling his girlfriend's name, not hers.

'I know he thinks he was kissing Abigail, not me,' she concluded.

Then, she let out a sigh of frustration.

'I hope what happened would seem like a dream to him once he wakes up,' Kendall silently wished as she rolled over the bed.

Even though she was confident that he would think he was merely dreaming due to his current state, she still couldn't help but worry that Grayson would remember.

"This is all your fault, Kendall! You should've restrained yourself!" she scolded herself for the last time.

'How childish, Officer Whitlock...'

...

The sun was already resting high when Kendall woke up. She almost jumped out of bed when she saw it was already six o'clock.

'Why did I let myself sleep when I should be watching over Grayson?! What if his fever worsened?' she thought to herself in concern.

Thinking about that, Kendall quickly fixed herself and ran towards the room next door. She was about to knock when she recalled what happened between them last night, causing her to hesitate for a second. However, she knew that this was not the time to overthink.

Gathering her courage, she straightened her back, cleared her throat, and acted as if nothing had happened.

"Open your door, Grayson!" she yelled after knocking thrice.

It didn't take long before she heard the clicking sounds of the doorknob. When she raised her eyes on Grayson, she saw how lively he looked compared to his pale face yesterday. Only a white towel covered his body.

"Are you feeling better?" Kendall asked worriedly. Then, she quickly put her hand on his neck and forehead to check his temperature. When she confirmed his fever was gone, she instantly nodded in relief.

"Yes, I'm fine already. I can attend classes now," Grayson said and frowned after seeing how Kendall looked. "Did you just wake up?"

The latter was about to answer when her gaze fell on the former's body. Looking at it sent tingles down her spine, causing her to swallow nervously and divert her eyes elsewhere.

"Yes. I stayed up late last night," she answered in embarrassment.

"What kept you awake last night for you to wake up this late?" Grayson probed, which rendered Kendall speechless.

Heat traveled through her body as she struggled to think of an excuse. Not wanting to appear suspicious, she hastily replied, "Assignments! I finished all my assignments last night."

After that, she dashed to her room, saying, "Alright! I'll finish getting ready too!"

...

When they got into the car, Kendall tried her best not to meet Grayson's eyes.

She inserted the car key into the keyhole and looked at him before starting the engine, asking, "Are you sure you can go to classes now?"

"I told you I'm fine, Hailey," Grayson reassured.

Kendall then nodded and drove.

While they were on the way to the university, she couldn't help but notice how the man beside her kept smiling. He even turned on the car stereo, played some music, and happily sang along to it.

"Why do you look so happy?" she asked. "Are you usually like this after getting sick?"

"I'm happy because of Abigail," Grayson replied.

"Oh. Are you two on good terms now?" Kendall asked.

"Nope," he answered, still on a full smile.

She then furrowed her brows in confusion. "I don't get it, Grayson," she said. "How could you be happy when you two haven't reconciled yet?"

With that, Grayson looked outside the car window with gleaming eyes, looking like he was trying to recall something. Then, he said, "I dreamt about her last night, and it felt real. I haven't been able to kiss her deeply, but I did last night—in my dream at least."

Grayson's words suddenly reminded Kendall of their kiss last night, causing her to step on the brake hastily and cough violently in shock.

"Hey, are you alright?" the man asked in concern as he gently patted her back. "What's wrong? Did you get sick while taking care of me?"

Kendall's face flushed red, so she tried to ignore Grayson's gaze. She composed herself and said, "No, I'm fine. Maybe someone was thinking of me, so I choked."

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Then, she looked directly into Grayson's eyes and solemnly said, "Grayson, do you understand what is happening? You got sick after you and Abigail quarreled, and now, you're even dreaming about her." Kendall paused for a second, smiled faintly, and added, "I think it's time for you to take the initiative to set things straight. You should apologize to her in person instead of waiting for her to return your calls."

"Yeah. That's what I'm planning to do," Grayson replied and nodded.

"It's good to hear that then," Kendall smiled and focused again on the road.

Silence enveloped the car while Grayson's gaze fell from Kendall's face to her lips.

He knew that he was not dreaming because he remembered everything.

The kiss they shared, his hand on her waist, and her warm body pressing against his chest were all vivid in his mind.

He could even recall the sweetness of her lips.

Feeling Grayson's intense gaze on her, she bit her lips and anxiously asked, "Why are you staring at me like that? Is there any problem?"

"Nothing," he replied, unaware that he had stared at her for a long time.

He then shifted his gaze to his right, pretending to be observing the passers-by outside. However, he still couldn't remove the smile on his face. He couldn't stop gently rubbing his lips, which the girl beside him kissed.