Mend (Care Duet, #2)

18 | mend yourself

AVELINA WOKE UP to complete chaos. Her eyelids slowly peeled open to brightness that forced her to close them again with a grimace. After blinking repeatedly, she was finally able to open her eyes where she found Adrik out on the balcony. The door was open and most of the curtains were pulled back, making the room much brighter than Avelina was used to.

"Natasha," Adrik said, grasping Avelina's attention.

His hands were gripping the railing so tight that his muscles were bulging at his triceps. Even through the white v-neck he was wearing, she could see it.

"I can not... not at this moment," Adrik told the person on the phone. Avelina's brows pulled together as she watched him grip the railing of the balcony so tight that his knuckles practically began to turn white.

"No," he said.

She found herself wishing she could hear the other part of the conversation. If he was speaking to Natasha, that meant she was alive, which did relieve Avelina of some guilt that just wouldn't let go of her. She left Natasha there, knowing the hateful grudge her brother had for her. Despite it all, Avelina still couldn't help but feel like a monster.

She grabbed Adrik's pillows and put them behind her so she could sit up on the bed more comfortably.

Adrik seemed to sense Avelina's eyes on him because he turned around.

"Goodbye," he said, hanging up the phone. He walked up to Avelina and planted a kiss on her forehead, muttering, "Goodmorning."

"Who was that?" Avelina asked him, pointing at his cell phone.

"Natasha," he answered. She eyed him as he headed into the bathroom. He left the door open so she was able to watch him through the mirror as he began to brush his teeth.

With a sigh, she scooted over to the edge of the bed and placed her feet down on the ground. She stood up and practically wobbled over to the bathroom. The moment he noticed her, he scooted over so she could brush her own teeth.

"I'm sorry. I really have to pee," she said with widened eyes.

One thing she hated most about pregnancy was how quickly the urge to pee would come and how quickly she needed to feed into that urge otherwise she would pee on herself. It would come out of no where, and the harder she fought it, the more the urge grew.

Adrik nodded his head and exited the bathroom with his toothbrush in his mouth, making sure to close the door behind him. Avelina didn't waste any time handling her business.

Once she was finished, she washed her hands and opened the bathroom door for Adrik to come back in.

"Is Natasha okay?" Avelina found herself asking. She was squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush, but still managed to catch a glimpse of Adrik through the mirror.

"She is," was all he said, moving over to rinse the toothpaste out of his mouth. Her shoulders fell, but she continued to brush her teeth like normal.

She only stopped after rinsing her toothbrush off and placing it in its holder as Adrik did the same.

"What's going on? You look stressed," Avelina stated, noticing how withdrawn he seemed. He looked to be lost in his thoughts, and although anyone who didn't truly know him wouldn't be able to detect it, Avelina could spot it a mile away.

"I'm not sure what you are asking me," Adrik said. He walked out of the restroom, leaving Avelina to follow him. As she went after him, she didn't notice the shoe she left on the floor and could feel the shift in her balance as she braced for herself to fall. Before she could actually hit the ground, Adrik grabbed ahold of her and easily lifted her back up until she was able to stand on her own two feet again.