When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian) novel Chapter 52

"Do you enjoy walking in the rain?" Noel approached Whitney with a black umbrella, his expression stern.

Whitney pushed her wet hair from her face and forced a smile. "The rain helps clear my head. Noel, am I incredibly stupid?"

She was not just referring to misunderstanding his kindness but also her persistent hope in Damian.

Noel shifted the umbrella to cover her better, exposing his shoulder to the rain. "Better late than never to realize it."

Whitney's lips trembled as her mood visibly dropped.

"Let's go inside," Noel said, turning around. When he realized that Whitney was not following, he looked back.

Whitney's figure swayed, her vision blurry as she felt herself losing control and collapsing forward. Thankfully, Noel reacted quickly, catching her as she fell. He was shocked to realize how hot she was.

"Whitney?" He shook her gently, but she had already passed out. Without hesitation, he lifted her and rushed to her apartment.

Then, Noel used her fingerprint to unlock the door and carried her straight to the bathroom, setting her in the tub and turning on the warm water.

"Soak for a while. I'll get you some clothes," he said, heading to her bedroom.

Noel was uncomfortable with the idea of rummaging through her room, and he was relieved to find her pajamas at the foot of her bed. After a moment's hesitation, he retrieved the necessary undergarments from her dresser drawer and tucked them between the pajamas, keeping his expression neutral.

"Change into these. I'll be outside," Noel stated, placing the clothes by the sink without looking at Whitney.

While waiting, he called his family doctor, who confirmed it was just a fever. Noel knew how to handle that as he was used to dealing with his own fevers during his time abroad.

He prepared hot water and looked for medicine before returning to check on Whitney. She was still in the tub with her eyes closed, mumbling incoherently.

"Don't go..." she whispered, her long lashes trembling and her cheeks flushed with fever. Her slightly parted lips released hot breaths, and her loose pajamas revealed more than they should.

"Don't you know how dangerous this is?" Noel muttered, carefully removing her arms and tucking them under the covers.

The thermometer showed 102.2°F. It was too high, and she needed medication. Fortunately, she took the medicine easily and rested quietly in his arms like a small, sleepy kitten.

With no fever patches in sight, Noel soaked a towel in cold water and placed it on her forehead. He also left her arms and legs uncovered to help cool her down.

After a while, Noel felt exhausted. He sank into a single armchair across from her bed, ready to keep watch in case she moved and knocked the towel off her forehead.

Almost immediately, Whitney rolled over, and the towel slipped off. This happened several times as she tossed restlessly, clearly uncomfortable from the fever and wet cloth.

Realizing he needed fever patches, Noel headed out to the pharmacy. As he returned to her door, he saw a figure standing there.