Tend To My Heart

04

Evangeline

     After my shift at Liv's, I had to rush to the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner before I had to get ready for my shift at Rampage. I also had to make a window to take Hayden to grandmas and that was just going to have to be right after dinner.

It was such a cluster of a day.

Once I made it back home, I hurried to grab my things from the backseat, struggling to carry my bag and the groceries while trying to shut the door with my foot all at the same time.

"You'd really break a few fingers before asking anyone for help won't you? Hayden and I were watching you struggle for a good two minutes" Uncle Jeremys voice filled my ears before he and Hayden had grabbed the bags from my arms.

I let out a breath and glared at the two while shutting the car door and following them inside our small apartment.

"Well, I'm glad I can count on the two of you, huh?" I rolled my eyes.

"How was work?" Jeremy asked as soon as he and Hayden set the groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Uh...normal day" I shrugged, pushing back any memory of the guy from the party to the back of mind.

"Are you packed for grandmas?" I asked my little brother who looked like I'd caught him in a trap.

"Um...yes...be right back" he lied and scurried off to the bedroom he shared with Lucas.

"You had all day to make sure he was packed uncle J" I looked at the older man who was stuffing his face with one of the bags of chips I just bought.

"This is true, to be fair, grandma call to confirm his arrival and then we started a Marvel marathon as soon as she hung up" Jeremy shrugged.

"Wow, a Marvel marathon without me? Do you not love me anymore?" I asked, taking the things out to start preparing dinner.

"What? My favorite niece in the whole world? How can I not?" He smirked.

"As your only niece, I'm very disappointed" I playfully glared and watched him slowly make his way to plop on the couch.

Minutes later, our front door burst open, the group of idiots all rushing in to bombard my personal space. Only expecting Cooper and Lucas, you can imagine my surprise to see all four of them trying to squeeze through the front door.

"Did he say something to you?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Did that prick try anything funny V?"

"What did he do to you?"

They were all trying to talk at the same time and I was practically cornered in our kitchen, my back hitting the counter.

"Alright, back up, the hells going on?" Jeremy cut in, yanking Cooper and Lucas by the back of their shirts. That caused Maya and Thomas to back up, not wanting to be next.

"Did he do something to you V?" Lucas asked again and I just furrowed my eyebrows.

"W-who? What is happening right now?" I asked growing more and more confused.

"Tristan Fuller, did he touch you? That prick" Cooper hissed and shook his head.

The sudden curiosity that filled their eyes now transformed into anger and I couldn't be anymore lost. Maya must have noticed because she just stepped forward to lock eyes with me.

"A bunch of people told us you had some argument with Tristan last night, at the party, it escalated and you threw a drink at him. Did he hurt you or try anything sleazy?" Maya finally explained and I let out a breath I felt like I'd been holding in for too long.

"Jesus...you guys can't just burst in here like that without explanations first, I thought something bad happened" I shook my head.

"Well, did something happen Vange?" Jeremy asked, his voice now full of concern.

"What? No, I-" I stopped to sigh and ran a hand through my hair.

"He was just being an asshole, he pushed all the wrong buttons and I lost my shit" I explained, replaying the scene in my head.

"Are you sure? Because I'll-"

"Really, I let it get to me, nothing funny, I swear. It was just...a bad night" I cut my brother off, stealing the words right from Tristan himself.

Tristan.

So, pretty boy has a name now.

"You...you all know him?" I cleared my throat and avoided eye contact by returning to the boiling water I had waiting for the noodles before I was cornered in my own home.

"Typical playboy, he's cool, more so around the guys but he holds your basic asshole tendencies and lacks certain manners" Maya explained.

I pretty much gathered that.

"He's also rich as hell" Thomas added.

Now, there's a factor to his persona that makes it make a little more sense.

"Explains a lot" I mumbled.

"Was it really nothing V?" Cooper tried again and I just chuckled.

"Yes, I was just tired and I definitely let it get the best of me, I don't know what came over me" I shrugged.

The last thing I ever wanted was for them to worry about me. I'm very capable of handling the situation on my own and they had enough to focus on. Maya, Cooper and Thomas were already balancing school and work. My brother, like me, worried enough about our basic home life and his job. I also didn't feel like dealing with his whole, overprotective brother persona, at the moment.

I just couldn't live with myself had I allowed something that had to do with me and me only interfere with the lives of the people I love.

"So, what's for dinner?" Thomas grinned, the four of them joining Jeremy in the living room making me laugh. Our uncle groaned when he was sandwiched between Lucas and Cooper.

"Don't you all get campus meals or something?! You don't live here" He whined, putting his face in his hands.

"Spaghetti" I answered earning cheers all around.

Guess I'm making dinner for seven.