Why? Why had she just blacked out? As he sat pondering that question, his arms still wrapped around her, he remembered the way she’d avoided eating her slim breakfast. Was she slowly starving to death? Had she passed out from low blood sugar? That was a terrifying thought.
He stuck his fingers in her glass of water and sprinkled some on her face. She didn’t respond. He slid his wet fingers down her cheek. Then he patted it lightly.
“Hey! Hey! Wake up! Please!” he hissed, his heart hammering in his chest.
Was she truly sick? Did he need to take her to a hospital? He was scared now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out enough cash to pay for both their meals. He left it on the table. Then he maneuvered her body until he was holding her in his arms. He pushed himself forward and stood up, his arms supporting her full weight. He carried her outside. He glanced down the block. Why had he parked so far away? There was nothing for it. He was going to have to carry her over a block to his rental car.
Thankfully, the light changed just as he hit the crosswalk. He held onto her tightly and crossed the street as quickly as his legs would carry him. He proceeded to walk down the block to his car. After successfully carrying out some fancy balancing act, he managed to get his passenger side door open. He set her in the seat and leaned over her to fasten her seatbelt. After the buckle clicked, he glanced up at her face. He was less than six inches from it.
He reached out and touched her cheek again. “Miss! Please! Wake up!”
She moaned. He felt his heart start abruptly. That jolt hurt. He was terrified she was really sick.
“Miss! Wake up!” He shook her shoulder.
One of her eyes popped open a fraction. “Ohhh. I feel awful.”
“I think you need to eat.”
He opened the glove compartment. And he sighed with relief. Jungkook had crammed a chocolate bar in there yesterday – “For an emergency,” he had grinned as he excused its presence – and it was still there. Hobi grabbed it. He opened it, breaking off a chunk and pushed it between her lips.
“Eat this.”
“No!” she moaned, but she sucked on the chocolate until it melted. Then she lay still for a few moments.
He pushed another piece into her mouth. He bent close to her ear. “Please. Please eat it,” he whispered loudly.
“But I don’t want to be fat,” she moaned, clearly upset. Then she began to cry. But her eyes were still squeezed shut.
He looked down at her slender frame. “That’s absurd. You couldn’t be fat if you tried.”
“I did try,” she whispered, “and I was. Everyone made fun of me for it.” Even her mother and father. And her older brothers. They had been merciless.
She was shaking now. Hobi reached out and touched her. She was cold as ice. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Then he chafed her arms with his hands, rubbing up and down the length of them, trying to transfer heat by friction.
She opened her eyes finally.
“You scared me,” Hobi informed her. “Did you drive here?”
She shook her head slightly. “No,” she breathed. Then she closed her eyes again.
“Good. You’re coming with me.” He closed her door and circled the car.
She should be afraid right now. Some tiny voice inside her was speaking, warning her to be careful. Telling her to flee. But her body wouldn’t cooperate with that voice. She forced her eyes open. But then she simply leaned further back into her seat, her eyes fluttering shut again. It took too much effort to keep them open.
She heard the driver side door open. She felt him slide into his seat. The door shut. The seatbelt clicked. The ignition turned over. Then she felt jarred as the car began to move. She didn’t care. She was simply grateful that the seat was supporting her weight. She knew she couldn’t do it alone anymore.
