Replay Of Shades

22

ENID

"Enid?" Cedar called, bringing me out of my thoughts. I glanced over at him to see concern written on his face.

It was 5 in the morning, and I was currently in the car with him. Since I booked a ride to Chase's place last night, he offered to take me home this morning in his own car.

"Sorry, did you say something?" I asked, figuring that he must have asked me a question, but which I didn't hear because I was lost in thought.

"It's nothing." He said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I bobbed my head while nibbling on my lower lip.

"Are you sure?" He pressed on.

"Um," Feeling uneasy, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, "Can you not mention it to Chase that I was at his place?"

"Why not?" The look on his face gradually turned to that of confusion.

"It's just..." I thought of an excuse that would be convincing enough to give to him but couldn't come up with any. "I just don't want him to find out." That might have sounded even more ridiculous, but I couldn't care about that right now.

"Alright. If that's what you want." He agreed, not pushing for further explanation and which I was grateful for.

Due to the silence that pervaded between us afterwards, my mind again drifted to what happened at Chase's place.

The kiss.

It was understandable that he was out of it because of the fever, but I, on the other hand, wasn't, yet I allowed it to happen. I could have prevented it.

We had only just managed to put the past behind us and started to relate freely, and I just ruined everything. I was always ruining things.

If he ever found out that I was there and that what happened was real, he would never forgive me this time. There was no denying that.

Clearly, he was delirious due to the fever and must have mistook me for someone else. Someone he was in love with. I could tell from the look he had in his eyes while he stared at me.

They'd been filled with a quiet longing.

It was stupid of me, but somehow, at that moment, I wished they were that way because it was me.

And, for a minute, I forgot the fact that we were siblings. I hadn't resisted him while he pulled my face towards his.

In fact, the hap could have been completely avoided if I had heeded Cedar's words.

Just last night, at 10p.m, I was still busy working on my laptop when Cedar's call came in. It was just me in the living room since Maya was tired and had to retire to bed early.

He let me in on the fact that Chase was sick. He wasn't strong enough to go to the hospital, and he didn't want any doctor over.

I was surprised to hear that because I was aware of him having a headache earlier that day, but he was fine before I left the company after taking the painkillers that he got from me.

From Cedar's words, he knew what to do to make his fever go down, but he wanted my opinion on the choice of meal to give to him once he could take something.

For me, the good option was chicken broth. I informed him I was going to get it myself on my way there. Cedar didn't think that was necessary since it was late already, but I wanted to be there to see how Chase was faring myself.

"We're here," Cedar announced, bringing me out of my thoughts for the second time that morning. Quietly, I got to undoing my seat belt. "Thank you so much for taking care of Chase,"