Tend To My Heart

11

Evangeline

"Vangie...."

"Vangie listen to me..."

"It's going to be okay baby"

"We love you Evangeline..."

I shot up gasping for air and gripping the sheets under me. My breathing grew heavy and when I checked the time, I'd slept in two hours more then I usually do on my day off.

I ran my hands through my hair and tried to slow down my breathing.

God, I haven't had a dream like that in years.

Remembering last nights conversation with my brother, he must've carried me to bed afterwards. I rubbed my eyes and threw the covers off of me, wiping the remaining sweat on my forehead with my sleeve.

I opened my room door and peeked down the hallway. Everyone already left for work or school. I checked my phone and saw Lucas took Hayden to school, meaning I had to pick him up.

With a few hours to spare before then, I decided to get dressed, gather up this months bills and head over to Liv's. My head was still all over the place after that dream and being home in all of that silence would only make me more anxious.

As soon as I walked in, Frankie greeted me with that cheery grin of hers and I smiled back.

She worked with Oliver, the other barista, when I obviously wasn't working. Both of them waved, asking me if I wanted my normal drink.

"Please" I begged and went over to the boys booth.

By the time my drink was brought over, bills were scattered in front of me covering almost half of the table.

"Thanks Frankie" I smiled and watched her return to the register.

The more I stared at the numbers in front of me, the more my head started to hurt. I set the papers I had in my hands down in front of me and massaged my temples. When I shut my eyes to take my little mental break, flashes of last nights dream started to flood my brain.

My jaw clenched and I could feel the anxiety grow when the memories started to get vivid.

Then, it was almost immediately that the images vanished when I heard someone slide into the seat across from me.

I didn't even have to open my eyes to know exactly who it was. His scent filled my nose and I hadn't realize how familiar it's become until right now...

"Guess who?" He cooed playfully and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"Johnny Depp?" I answered and heard his laugh right across from me.

"Wow, you're really good at this game" he beamed.

I finally opened my eyes, his blue ones brighter than I've ever seen them, staring right at me. That one dimpled smile greeted me as well and my entire stomach felt like it'd flipped.

"Evangeline, beautiful day isn't it?" He nodded, taking a look at the world outside of the window we sat next to.

"Tristan, please, not today" I sighed, picking up the phone bill and one of the car payments in each hand.

"Come on, I can't sit and have coffee with a friend?" He asked and I lowered the papers to give him a look.

"Acquaintance?" He tried again and I just raised an eyebrow.

"Girl I'm trying to get to know who finds me very irritating?" He smirked and I couldn't even hold back the light laugh that escaped my lips.

"Ha! So she does have a sense of humor" he grinned, crossing his arms on top of the table and leaning forward a bit.

I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on the numbers, determining who is going to pay what and by when. I had to take into consideration that Jeremy, Lucas and I all had different pay days. I also had to remember how much was already set aside and if we needed to put more in that amount to be able to make it on time.

"Are these...bills?" Tristan asked, interrupting the ranting I was doing in my head. He had a few papers in his hands and his eyes frantically scanned each one. The playful gleam that was there disappeared and was replaced with what looked like concern.

"Never seen one before?" I joked, setting the papers down in front of me.

"All of them? These are all bills?" He asked again.

"Rent, phone bill, car payments...I think this one is a permission slip for my little brothers field trip" I chuckled, reading the field trip form they're supposed to turn in order to go to the zoo.

"You pay these by yourself? What about your parents?" He asked, no humor in his eyes whatsoever. The mention of my parents punctured my heart and I had to look down in my lap.

"Well...no, I just determine who pays what, calculating the split and everything" I shrugged, avoiding answering the second half of his question.

"That's insane, you don't even pay these alone and still have to work two jobs?" He seemed so shocked by the idea.

"Yes Tristan, do you know what it costs to be a human being now a days?" I tried to joke but he just sunk into his seat, looking more and more disappointed.

"He's also rich as hell" Thomas' voice echoed in my head and I sunk into my own seat.

He's probably never had to worry about these kinds of things, not in the way I do anyway. If he's as wealthy as Thomas made it sound, I'm sure bills and any kind of payment has never bothered him or put him on edge the same way it does to the average person. By his expression right now, I'm almost, absolutely positive it doesn't...

"It's not as crazy as you think and it's also...not really your business" I cleared my throat, snatching the papers from his hands and gathering everything up into a pile.

He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest and watched me carefully. I could feel his eyes analyzing every move I made and when I slid the papers into my bag, I leaned back and took a sip of my own drink.

My eyes quickly darted to his cup and I remembered that they were exactly the same drink. It was the strangest coincidence I've probably ever come across.

One hot and one iced...

"It's weird to see you sitting down, I'd almost forgot you had legs" Tristan broke the silence making me roll my eyes and take another sip.

"When you're behind the counter, do you ever take your shoes off? Or do weird things with your feet or legs that the customers can't see?" He continued, amused by his little bit he was doing.

"Oh, like this?" I asked and kicked his shin.

He hissed, bending down to rub his leg and I couldn't even hold back the laughter that escaped me. I nearly had tears in my eyes and I couldn't even remember the last time I laughed like that.

"I-I'm sorry!" I apologized in between giggles, trying to calm down.

"You are anything but sorry Evangeline" he glared but I could see he was the one fighting a smile this time.

"Oh, wow" I let out a breath as soon as I calmed down.

"You just set yourself up for that one, that was too good, why are you asking about my feet? That's weird" I shrugged with a grin still plastered on my face.

"It wasn't meant to sound- alright, fine, whatever, this only means war" he playfully glared.

"Scary" I smirked and checked my phone for the time.

"Shit" I mumbled, throwing my bag over my shoulder and sliding out of the booth as quickly as possible.

"Woah, why the rush?" Tristan laughed, sliding out and following me to my car.

"I have to go pick my brother up and I'm- why am I explaining myself to you?" I cut myself off with a shake of my head.

"I'll see you later Evangeline!" Tristan called behind me and I just hopped in the drivers seat of my car, watching him across the way, waving like a child in elementary school.

I rolled my eyes and peeled off, letting another grin of my own form on my face.