Tend To My Heart

07

Evangeline

     "You dirty liars" I chuckled when I approached them.

"Surprise! We're having a picnic!" Maya beamed and I just smiled, taking the seat between her and my brother.

"Jeremy and Hayden said they'll handle dinner tonight and I figured since we're both off the rest of the day, why not?" Lucas told me with shrug.

"Very thought out, it's cute" I laughed, steeling some grapes from the bowl in Thomas' lap.

"Did you find your way okay? Nice right?" Cooper asked, gesturing to the fountain behind him.

"Oh, yeah, it's beautiful" I nodded, looking around. My mind replaying everything with Tristan and I could feel my cheeks get warm.

"What happened earlier? You just cut me off and it sounded like...you fell or something" Maya asked, laughing but only to hide the genuine concern in her eyes.

"Oh, nothing, I bumped into someone, it's becoming this bad habit of mine, not paying attention" I tried to joke.

"I knew it! I knew I wasn't crazy! I heard a voice, I heard his voice!" She exclaimed, making me jump because it seemed like she was holding it in for a while.

"What? W-wh-"

"It was Fuller right? God, he made it a point to stop here and say hi like we didn't hear about what happened at the party. Then he runs into you right after, what a prick" she continued to rant.

"V, what's going on?" Thomas asked, all of their eyes on me.

"Nothing" I tried to laugh again but I seemed to be the only one.

"Really, we just keep running into each other, I find him annoying and he...keeps finding me" I poorly explained.

"It's all by coincidence" I told them confidently because regardless of how frustrated I get, it was like Tristan said, we couldn't help that we just seem to always cross paths.

"We just don't want a guy like him pulling his shit with you Vangie" Maya tried to explain.

"Yeah, any guy really, but him especially" Cooper grumbled, agreeing with Maya.

"Just be careful V" my brother sighed and I just looked around, feeling the tension grow.

"Yes, I get it, what do you all take me for?" I asked, growing a little annoyed with them. Did they really think I was so naive? Was I so fragile in their eyes that I couldn't handle one guy on my own?

"Nothing V, we're just trying to look out for you" Thomas reassured me.

"And I appreciate that, but come on, I can handle one guy, I'm not this doe-eyed damsel you're all making me out to be. I'm a bartender for Christ sake!" I scoffed, rubbing my face in frustration.

"We're sorry..." Thomas' voice was the first one after the moment of silence.

I raised my head to see all of them staring at me, concern and guilt in their eyes.

"I've got it okay? What's one more asshole? I grew up with all of you, have some faith in me" I told them, letting out a long sigh and a small smile.

"To be fair, I've got a right as the older brother, the rest of you are on your own" Lucas smirked and I just rolled my eyes.

"All you do is look out for us V, we just want to return the favor" Maya admitted.

I looked at my friends again who seemed to agree with her and I couldn't help but smile at them.

"What a bunch of softies" I joked, grabbing a sandwich from the basket that I'm assuming Maya prepared.

"We have gone soft haven't we?" Cooper pointed out.

"Well look at you, you're sat at a picnic in front of a fountain eating chocolate covered strawberries" Maya smirked.

We watched the boys all stare at each other, Cooper and Thomas dropping the strawberries and trying to flex.

"Jokes on you, women love that I'm in touch with my feminine side" Lucas shrugged, scarfing down a few more.

I rolled my eyes and threw a grape at him, watching it bounce off of his forehead.