Page 40 of Taking His Heart

“You are not fine.” I shove him back down when he tries to sit up. “Stay there. I’ll get you some Tylenol,” I tell him. Standing, I pick up his discarded shirt from yesterday and pull my arms through the sleeves before working my way down the buttons. “Where do you keep it?”

“Bathroom.”

“Don’t move,” I say more firmly when he looks like he’s going to sit up. Then I grab my phone, walk out of his bedroom, and find the kitchen pretty easily. I didn’t exactly get the tour when we came in last night.

Opening the fridge, I swipe out a bottle of water and call my mum. She’s going to need to hear this from me before anyone else. Also, I’m pretty sure CJ needs a doctor.

“Daniella, you better have a good reason as to why you’re not in the bed I was expecting to find you in. And why your sister and brother are trying to cover for the fact you are missing,” my mum says.

I smile. My siblings really are the best. “Uh, I’m at CJ’s place,” I tell her quietly.

“Oh. Okay then. I assume he’s there with you?”

“Yeah… I need you not to freak out, but we kind of did something…”

“Daniella, I do not need the details of my daughter’s sex life. But also, good for you.” She laughs.

“Ew, no, Mum, I’m not telling you about the sex. We got married.”

There’s silence on the other end of the phone. I pull the device away from my ear to check if we’re still connected.

“You what?” she finally says.

“Got married, but that’s not why I’m calling. I just wanted you to hear that from me, because I know CJ, and he’s going to be shouting this news from every rooftop he can.”

“You just went and got married? How did this even happen, Daniella? Did you even wear a dress?”

“Uh, no. But CJ needs a doctor,” I explain.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s burning up. I don’t know. He keeps saying he’s fine, but he’s not fine. Can you get Mr. Bianchi to send their doctor over?”

“I’m on my way to find Carlo now.”

“Thanks, Mum. I gotta go.” Cutting the call, I walk back into the bedroom and hand CJ the bottle of water. “Drink this,” I tell him before heading into the bathroom to find the Tylenol.

“Who were you talking to?” he calls after me.

“My mum. I told her you needed a doctor—oh, and that we got married.” I walk back into the bedroom with two pills in my hand.

“How’d she take that news?” CJ asks.

“Better than expected, to be honest. Take these.” I pass him the Tylenol.

“You really are bossy, you know.” He smirks but takes the pills and swallows them.

“If you die because you were too stubborn to admit you aren’t well, I’m going to have to find someone else to marry,” I grumble. I won’t, but I know CJ, and that threat will be enough to knock some sense into him.

“I’m not dying, Dani. Just a little under the weather. I’m sure it’s nothing,” he says.

“We’ll see when the doctor gets here.”

“You need to get dressed.” CJ looks me up and down.

“Excuse me?”

“You need to put some clothes on if people are going to be coming in here, Dani.”