In your Arms

Chapter Forty One

Alexander kept on knocking at her door for quite awhile now but she never opened up. It made him worry causing folded lines on his forehead.

"What's up with her?" He mumbled. It's already dinner time and he had cooked beef stew. "Hey Jordin?" He called again and knocked for the nth time. "What the hell, I'm going in." He muttered. He slowly reached for the door knob, twisted it, and went inside.

The room was dark and there was no light even from the windows, he noticed that the curtains are drawn. He walked slowly towards her bed whispering her name.

"Jordin.. Jordin.." He came closely at her and saw her lying with her back turned to him. Her body was covered by her blanket and she isn't responding. "Jordin.." He reached for her and as soon as he touched her he felt her body was hot. She looked like she was having a fever. Alexander's eyes widened in alarm and switched on her bedside lamp.

"Jordin! Oh God you're shaking!" He shouted as he turned her to face him. She was feverish and is having some chills. "Shit! What am I going to do?! Jordin?!"

Alexander stood up and grabbed his phone to call Simon, after a few tries with no answer he gave up and paced around the room. He suddenly remembered how their mother took care of them when they were sick. His face lit up and dashed towards the kitchen to look for a basin and filled it with tap water. He came back in her room carrying it and rummaged in her drawer for a small towel and soaked it in the water then rinsed it and wiped her face and her extremities.

"This should do it, this should do it." He anxiously mumbled. Alexander heard her groan and it made him more nervous. "I'm here, Jordin.."

After a few minutes of giving her a sponge bath he felt for her skin who felt less warmer than before. He left her for awhile to look for a paracetamol in the fridge. When he found one he took it to her with a glass of water and made her drink it. He continued doing the sponge bath after.

Another hour had passed and her fever lowered down, Amity was able to open her eyes. She saw Alexander sitting on her bed looking at her with a worrisome face but it changed to relief when he saw her awake.

"What.. happened?" Amity asked. She felt a damp towel on top of her head. "What's this?"

"You had fever. I was so worried. How are you feeling right now?" Alexander asked her looking a bit anxious.

"I had fever? Really?" Amity asked looking unconvinced.

"Yes you did. It scared the hell out of me."

Amity tried to laugh, "I guess it did. You should've seen the look on your face the moment I laid my eyes on you when I woke up. Terrible, terrible.." She joked.

"Hah! You think it's funny huh? You were shaking all over I thought you're going to die!" Alexander told her looking a bit annoyed.

"You would've liked it." She smirked.

"Oh shut up! Don't ever do that again." Alexander answered grumpily. Amity reached for his hand.

"Thanks, Xander.."

Alexander looked at her hand holding his, "You really scared the hell out of me you know that?" He smiled. "Are you hungry?" He asked. Amity nodded her head. "Okay I'll get you some food." He was about to stand up when she grabbed his hand.

"Help me stand, let's go eat at the dinner table." She pushed herself up.

"No don't." Alexander stopped her. "You shouldn't get up. I'll bring you some food, leave it to me. You should conserve your energy."

Amity looked like she was protesting, "I can get up. Let me."

"You are so hardheaded you know that? Just listen to me for once will you? Stay here. I'll go get you something to eat." Alexander's tone was commanding.

"Okay, okay.. Don't get mad at me.." Amity surrendered.

"You are so annoying." Alexander scoffed and stood up. Amity couldn't help not to smile.

"Xander?"

Alexander looked back at her, he was already on her door. "What?"

"Eat with me will you? Please?"

Alexander thoughtfully looked at her and smiled, "Okay, I will."

He fed her and made sure her fever totally subsided and that she had fallen asleep before leaving her side. He left her bedside lamp on just in case and promised himself he would check up on her from time to time.

He was now seated on the couch in the living room waiting for Simon. It was already ten o'clock in the evening and he hasn't come home yet.

Alexander heard someone open the door of the condominium unit and saw his brother come in and he stood up. Simon saw him.

"Where's Jordin?" Simon asked.

"She's already asleep." Alexander answered stiffly.

"I see." Simon answered and walked towards his room.

"She had fever." Alexander told him and Simon became unable to move.

"What? How is she?" Worry could be seen on Simon's face as he walked briskly towards Amity's bedroom door but Alexander blocked his way. It made Simon's eyebrows furrowed.

"She's fine. I took care of her while you're gone." Alexander told him and his face softened. "I've been trying to call you but you seemed very busy to even answer my call."

Simon lowered his head and went speechless.

"You left last night and you were gone the whole day, did it ever occurred to you that there are people here waiting for you? Worried and wondering if you're okay while you're out there having fun and forgetting others are here whom you should inform at least about your whereabouts for them not to worry?" Alexander told him sharply.

"I wasn't having fun, Mia has a problem and she needs me." Simon's face hardened.

"And what about Jordin?"

"If I had known she got sick I would've come back home immediately."

Alexander scoffed, "Did you even tried to check on her while you were gone? Did you even remembered her?"

Simon drew in a sharp breath, "I don't need you reproaching me about what I did wrong, Xander. You left me as well without even telling me how you were doing. Or if you were even alive."

"That was different, Simon! I can take care of myself! We're talking about Jordin!" Alexander snapped. "What if I wasn't here and this happened to her? Huh? What?!"

Simon looked away. "It won't happen again."

Alexander clenched his jaw, "Jordin cares for you a lot. And it's fitting that you should be at least concerned about her as well." He looked at Simon sternly. "But hear this, as long as I'm here I'll be the one to fill in your inadequacies when it comes to her. I'll take care of her if I have to. That's my stand." He turned his back on his brother and walked towards his room. He left Simon standing with his shoulders slumped.

Amity had heard it all, she had been biting her lip for her not to cry but she couldn't help it. She was woken up by their shouting and she listened behind her closed door. As soon as she heard Alexander's last lines she broke down and cried. What made her cry more is when she had heard Simon tell him that Mia needs him, but how about her? She needed him too. Does he even care? Does he really care for her? She felt worse, worse than she had when she was suffering from her fever awhile ago. The fact that Simon is slowly slipping away from her scared her, she knew it was not impossible. In time it will happen, and she had to prepare herself for that. She just doesn't know where or how to start.