Tend To My Heart

35

Evangeline

Hayden has a fever.

Jeremy and Lucas called me during Tristans party to tell me his fever was at 102 and I had no other thoughts after hearing a number like that.

After getting what we needed at the emergency room, I gave up my bed for the kid, doing my best to nurse him in the comfort of my bedroom while he loops in and out of slumber every once in a while.

It's been two days and his fever is finally starting to break.

Every time he comes to, he tries to convince me he's perfectly fine and makes it a point to let me know he'd rather suffer than pass his illness to me.

Damn kid is my brother after all.

I haven't heard from Tristan since his party and regardless of my heart breaking just a little bit because of that, I understand completely.

Lucas has been taking extra shifts because I've taken the last two days off to be by Hayden's side while Jeremy's taken it off to be by my side.

He insists it's for Hayden but I know him better than that, he's home to watch over me.

My friends stop by at least once a day but I keep telling them not to show up in case they catch whatever bug Hayden has.

It's been the most stressful two days of my life.

"V" a voice snaps me from my spiral of thoughts and I turn to see Jeremy leaning against the doorframe with his sad eyes.

The same sad eyes everyone's been giving me since I've practically attached myself to Hayden's bedside.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask quietly despite Hayden being so far deep in his slumber, not even an earthquake could wake him.

Without another word, Jeremy steps aside and my eyes widen when Tristan appears in the doorway with his hands full of what looks like soup and other things that might be for Hayden.

I shoot to my feet and try to ignore how fast my heart is beating. Can he hear it? It's beating very loudly and I can't seem to stop it.

Instantly, my mind flashes with images of the other night. His lips on mine, on my skin. God, he must hate me for leaving him after that.

The memories bring a flush to my body and I feel nothing but shame for it in the presence of my sick, kid brother.

"Tristan" it comes out breathless and Jeremy takes that as his cue to leave us.

Traitor. What happened to the protective male figure? Boy in my room. Hello!

"I brought soup, made it myself" he explains with a small smile.

He is so handsome. I can't help but drink him in as he takes a step forward, placing the soup on my night stand.

"I also brought some children's Tylenol and a rag. When I had bad fevers, my mother wo-"

"What are you doing here?" I cut him off, folding my arms across my chest. Tristan stared at me with pity eyes and I have to turn away.

I hate pity eyes. I can't stand them and I didn't realize how much I hated them until he was the one to give them to me.

"You weren't at Liv's and Maya told me what happened when I ran into her on campus" he explains.

"You didn't answer my text" I choke out, swallowing the lump in my throat and slowly making my way around my bed, closing the distance between us so that we weren't speaking over Hayden's sleeping body.