When he stepped inside, his heart sank.
Her face was flushed.
He pressed the back of his hand against her forehead.
Shit.
She was burning up.
Without wasting a second, he pulled out his phone and called Lucas.
"Pick up fever-reducing medicine too."
"Damn, she's that bad?" Lucas asked on the other end.
Carlos' gaze didn't leave Cee's sleeping form. "Just hurry."
Lucas returned within minutes, tossing the pharmacy bag at Carlos.
"Here. Got the ointment and fever meds." He glanced at the closed bedroom door and then back at Carlos. "Good luck, nurse Milton."
Carlos rolled his eyes, took the bag, and shut the door in Lucas' face.
Cee was still lying on the bed, her breathing uneven. He crouched beside her and carefully applied the ointment to the swollen part of her face. She flinched slightly, her lashes fluttering, but she didn't wake up.
Carlos sighed. He needed to get her to take the medicine, but when he gently shook her shoulder, she whimpered in protest.
"Cee," he tried again. "You need to wake up and take your meds."
She barely stirred. Instead, her face scrunched up as if she was about to cry.
Carlos cursed under his breath.
If she wasn't going to take it willingly… he had no choice.
Without a second thought, he popped the fever-reducing pill into his mouth, took a sip of water, and leaned down.
His lips met hers.
Carefully, he forced the medicine into her mouth with more water, coaxing her to swallow.
A moment later, she did.
But just as he was about to pull away, her lips moved against his.
Carlos froze.
She wasn't kissing him intentionally—at least, not in the way he wanted. She was reacting to the bitter taste in her mouth, seeking another taste to replace it.
But Carlos was already too far gone.
He had wanted to kiss her from the first moment she walked into his life. He had held back, controlled himself.
But now?
Now, he was uncaged.
His lips moved against hers, deepening the kiss.
He didn't just kiss her—he claimed her. His hand slid into her hair, tilting her head, pulling her closer. She tasted warm, sweet, and everything he hadn't realized he was craving.
Then, she whimpered softly against him.
And just like that, reality snapped back into place.
Carlos broke the kiss, panting.
His heart pounded in his chest as he looked down at her flushed face.
His body was on fire, but that wasn't the only problem.
He glanced down at himself.
Shit.
Junior had fully woken up.
Carlos groaned and ran a hand through his hair.
Without another second of hesitation, he stormed into the bathroom and turned on the cold shower.
This was going to be a long night.
Carlos stepped out of the bathroom, his hair damp, the cold shower having done little to cool the fire raging inside him. He had kissed her—actually kissed her—and it had taken everything in him to stop.
Now, he needed to distract himself.
Dressed in fresh clothes, he walked back into his room to check on Cee. Her fever had gone down a little, and her breathing was more even. Carlos sighed in relief. At least something was going right tonight.
Deciding to give her space, he left the room and entered the living room just as Lucas was shutting the door.
"Who was that?" Carlos asked.
Lucas stretched lazily. "The police. They brought her stuff—her bag and phone." He held up the tote bag and tossed it onto the coffee table. "They also said someone's been calling her nonstop. Told us to reach out to whoever it is and let them know she's safe."
Carlos frowned. "Her phone?"
Lucas pulled it out and handed it to him. The screen lit up with 15 missed calls from 'LOML'.
Carlos' entire body went rigid.
Love of my life?
His grip on the phone tightened.
The phone buzzed in his hand—LOML calling.
Carlos didn't even think. He ended the call.
A second later, it rang again.
He ended it again.
It rang once more.
Carlos' jaw clenched, his fingers curling around the device as he cut the call for the third time.
The phone vibrated again.
Carlos exhaled sharply, his anger threatening to snap. Who the hell was calling her this much? Who the hell had the audacity to save their name as Love of My Life in her phone?
Lucas, who had been munching on a snack while watching the whole thing, let out a low whistle.
"Man, whoever that is, they're persistent," he mused. "Maybe you should just pick up and tell them she's okay—"
Carlos shut the phone off completely and tossed it onto the couch.
Lucas blinked. Then smirked.
Carlos sat down, rubbing his temples. He was exhausted, but now his mind was racing. Who the hell was that person?
"You gonna tell her you turned off her phone?" Lucas asked, amused.
Carlos didn't answer.
Lucas flopped onto the couch beside him. "Damn, I knew you were into her, but I didn't think you'd go full jealous-boyfriend mode this soon."
Carlos shot him a glare. "Shut up."
Lucas chuckled. "Hey, don't kill the messenger. But seriously, who do you think LOML is? Boyfriend? Secret admirer?" He wiggled his brows. "Maybe it's that guy I told you about—the one I saw her with."
Carlos' jaw twitched. The thought made him feel worse.
Lucas sighed dramatically. "Damn. You should've moved faster, bro. What if she's already taken?"
Carlos's voice was ice cold. "She's not."
Lucas raised a brow. "Oh? And you know this how?"
Carlos didn't answer. He just sat there, gripping the couch like it had personally offended him.
Lucas smirked. "Well, if you're that sure, then why are you mad?"
Carlos ran a hand through his damp hair. He wasn't mad. At least, that's what he told himself. He was just… irritated. He had spent the entire night taking care of her, holding her, making sure she was okay, and meanwhile, someone else was desperately trying to reach her?
Someone else had that kind of access to her?
The thought made something ugly twist inside him.
Lucas watched him for a moment, then sighed. "You're hopeless, man."
Carlos scowled. "Shut up."
Lucas grinned. "You gonna go sleep next to her again?"
Carlos grabbed a cushion and threw it at his head. Lucas dodged, laughing.
"Fine, fine. I'll shut up," Lucas said, standing up. "But seriously, you need to get your shit together. And maybe turn her phone back on before she wakes up and kills you."
Carlos leaned back against the couch, staring at the dark screen of Cee's phone.
Yeah, he should turn it back on.
But not yet.