Tend To My Heart

29

Evangeline

      Wednesday couldn't have come quick enough and now that it was here, I've been up since 7 am debating if Tristan was actually being serious. Lucas was on Hayden duty today, pretty much guaranteeing that my entire day was left in Tristans hands.

To distract myself, I've managed to wash every piece of  clothing so there wasn't a pile of dirty laundry in sight. I then cleaned the apartment spotless, right down to the bathroom and bedrooms, I'm pretty sure I've burned enough calories for the rest of this month.

I've never been so wary, I felt like a 16 year old girl.

"You okay?" I jumped when Jeremy stood in the kitchen dressed and ready for his day.

"Huh? Yeah...why?" I cleared my throat and slid him the lunch I also managed to make him for his shift later in the last few hours I spent binge cleaning.

"You seem...jumpy...jittery even" he narrowed his eyes at me with an amused look in his eyes.

"I did have an entire pot of coffee to myself and I'm not sure when I stopped drinking it" I shrugged making him let out a chuckle.

"Mmhmm..." he hummed with that smirk that parents wear when they're suspicious of something. Both of our attention snapped towards the front door at the sound of three knocks and I checked the time, my heart practically lodged in my throat when my phone read 10:00 am.

Very punctual that Tristan.

I tried to rush for the door but Jeremy was much quicker and way closer.

He looked down at me and stuck his tongue out like the man child that he is, making me step back with a glare.

My uncle swung the door open and there Tristan stood, a warm smile and two cups of coffee in his hands. I fought the idiotic smile that might have grown on my face at the sight while his dropped just a bit when his eyes met Jeremy.

"Hello young man...can I help you? Are you this T fellow I've heard so little about?" Jeremy asked trying to make his voice firm and low, all authority like or whatever. I couldn't even take him seriously and let out a snort behind him, hiding my grin behind my hand.

"Um...good morning sir" Tristan nodded, a polite smile on his face.

"Sir? God, where'd you find this guy?" Jeremy asked me unable to keep the act up any longer.

"Good'Manners R Us" I shrugged earning a glare from Tristan and a cackle from my uncle.

Jeremy swiped his keys and lunch off the counter before kissing the top of my head.

"Do have fun dear children, have her back by 9 pm and no drinking and driving, it's one or the other" Jeremy rambled on his way out earning a very confused Tristan.

"I'm so very sorry about him" I sighed and grabbed my coat, sliding it on and following Tristan out.

"9?" Tristan quirked an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes.

"Joking, he does that sometimes- all of the time actually" I laughed and locked the door behind me, happily accepting the coffee from his hand.

"I wasn't sure what you ordered so I just...got...what I ordered?" He explained questioning if he made the right choice to do so as I sipped the hot drink.

"Coffee is coffee" I told him, not wanting to tell him our orders were identical yet.

A secret I wanted for myself, for now.

"Ready?" He beamed and I followed him to that familiar car that costs more than I could probably imagine.

I climbed in with a warm smile, the nerves I had all morning suddenly washing away now that he was actually here, like any other day.

"Your dad seems nice, I didn't know you still lived with your parents" he said with pure curiosity, no judgement, just him wondering out loud. And although the topic used to make me shut down and want to curl up into a ball, I simply chuckled at his comment.

"That wasn't my dad, though he might as well be" I told him and before he could start the car, he looked over at me with furrowed brows.

"He's my uncle" I explained further and watched the curiosity in his eyes melt into sympathy. He swallowed and looked as if he didn't know what to say.

"Can I..." he started the question but couldn't bring himself to finish as most people do when this conversation comes up.

"Story for another time" I nodded and he gave me an understanding smile, starting the car and pulling off.

Without telling me where we're going, the drive consisted of a comfortable silence and a few sips of coffee to really get our day started.

I even took it upon myself to admire Tristan while he focused on the road. His left arm steered the wheel while his right elbow rested on the middle compartment and I got a good look of that dimple that poked his cheek thanks to the light smile on his face. He looked happy.

"Finally realizing how completely irresistible I am Carter?" He asked making my cheeks flare up right on cue.

"You are the most self absorbed person I know" I laughed while he stole a glance at me.

"That's not true, you're friends with Cooper James" he smirked, parking the car and I now realized we were at the pier in the city.

I've never been but I was always told how beautiful it was, any time of day.

"You are...absolutely right, second most self absorbed then" I smirked and hopped out of the car before he could retort.

"First you insult me and now you strip me of my gentlemen duties of opening the door for a lady? Evangeline, you are already quite a handful" he shook his head.

"And it isn't even noon" I smirked, sipping the warm drink in my hands, following behind him.

"What's on the agenda?" I beamed, our shoulders brushing against each other while we walked.

"I thought we'd be tourists for the day, take obnoxious pictures of buildings we'll probably never enter again for another few years, look at post cards, take in the city" he sighed.

"It's about time I do that, I've never been further than the campus" I snorted making Tristan stop in his tracks.

"Excuse me?" He asked and I turned to face him, taking another sip.

"I live here, never thought I needed to come see what's down here unless I stumbled upon it" I chuckled and gave him a slight shrug.

"You've lived here your whole life and have never even taken in your city?" He asked, truly shocked by the idea.

"I'm seeing a pattern in these kinds of conversations, Tristan, I never had the ti- woah!" I was cut off when he grabbed my hand and started dragging me behind him.

"Now I've got to go all out, this is going to take hours" he mumbled, in full disbelief.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I snickered earning a playful glare while he continued to drag me behind him and I tried not to drop my coffee as he did so.