Broken Mate, Fixed By Fate

10 - Rebound?

“Did you have to bring her out there in the bloody rain? It was pouring and she’s not exactly the healthiest horse in the stable. I barely managed to get her to eat like a normal person, Elijah! What were you thinking!?”

In my fevered state, I hear him sigh near my bed. “She needed it, Mum. She calmed down considerably after that. They call it the ‘therapeutic nature of rain’.” He mumbles defensively.

“Well, you know what I call it? Dumb ways to die… How to get pneumonia in one sitting.” Maria snaps acidly, sounding very annoyed.

Elijah sighs again. “Mum, she’ll be all right. She’s stronger than you think. It’s just fever, probably from the emotional stress of finally letting it all out. It is a big deal that she was finally able to cry. Go rest, I promise to stay with her all night long and I’ll wake you up if she needs to be taken to the hospital, but I really doubt it.”

Maria finally leaves, muttering to herself about how the young people think they are invincible and indestructible until they find out that they are not.

Oh, but I feel so cold. So very cold.

“I’m really sorry, Maeve,” he whispers. “Mum is right, I probably should not have done that. It was reckless and…just plain stupid on my part,” he sighs. “Please get well soon. She’s very worried about you.” He takes a deep breath. “I’m worried about you.”

He keeps a steady stream of chatter in a low, soothing voice which relaxes me enough to fall asleep. And due to the fever, I would go in and out of consciousness throughout the night, but every time I’m awake I would still hear him talking softly, sometimes singing, and I wonder if it was just my imagination playing tricks on me or if my fever was so high I’m getting it all mixed up.

When I opened my eyes again this morning, my fever seemed to have broken, and I found him sleeping on the chair next to me, his head tipped backwards in what looks like a very uncomfortable position.

It’s an opportunity for me to study him closely without him thinking I’m a creep so I stare at him now, wondering about many things.

He has a medium-length haircut, although with those brown waves, I’m sure his hair is longer. With his eyes closed, I can’t see the color but I cannot help but admire the thick, long lashes that women would sell their souls to the devil to have.

I like his nose, thin and straight. He has taken off his glasses and I can see the mark where it usually is perched on.

He has a very kind face, even when asleep. There are laughing lines in places showing that he’s a generally happy person. Maria said he’s in his early thirties but he looks younger and definitely acts more like my age when teasing his mother.

Is he always so carefree? That seems odd, for someone who works as the personal secretary of the lycan king. If I hadn’t met Elijah I would’ve thought someone like that would look very serious and gloomy. Someone who looks unapproachable or even downright intimidating.

I wonder how it is to have him as my—nope, don’t go there! He’s too old for me anyway. I’ll only be twenty in a few months, and I really have no business even considering anything romantic right now. Any kind of interest towards another man at this time will only ever be a rebound thing and as I get to know him, I think I can say he deserves better.

I look away.

I wish I could fast forward to the day I am finally better. To the day I can easily say I am over it, and memories of Jack will no longer make me feel so miserable… so morose. I wish I could sleep for the whole duration of my…healing—whatever this shitty period is…and just wake up all fixed, all better.

And that when I open my eyes, I will find someone like Elijah…

The thought bothers me. Did it really have to be his name I thought of first when I think of finally being able to move on? He’s not even… I mean, he’s just being very kind and friendly. I’m being weird, it’s probably just a phase of being broken-hearted. And who knows, maybe he already has a girlfriend or a fated mate somewhere.

Ugh, the last thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Dark thoughts so early in the morning?” He asks, jolting me out of my reverie. “You’re frowning so hard, it looks like you want to throttle somebody.”

Yeah, your girlfriend. My brain answers tartly, which stuns me with its intensity.

I blink several times, staring at him in shock. Where the f**k did that come from!?

He frowns. “Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Do you have a girlfriend? I almost blurted out, but I bit my tongue just in time. What in the hell..?

I shake my head, looking away. The fever must have fried my brain.

I gasp when he suddenly puts his hand on my forehead. “Oh, good, your fever has gone down,” he sighs with relief. He stands up and stretches, wincing as he massages his neck.

“Oh, I’m getting old,” he groans. “It was never this bad before I turned thirty. Then it’s downhill from there.” He grins when he sees me watching. “Embrace your twenties… enjoy it. It goes away all too soon.” He does one last stretch and then heads to the door. “I’ll go get you some breakfast and tell the dragon lady that you’re all better now. Maybe she’ll have mercy and feed me something too.”

I find myself smiling as I watch him go, admiring his lithe figure and I shake my head to shoo away whatever h0rny fairy is flying over my head sprinkling flirty dust instead of flying dust…or pixie dust, whatever that thing that makes you fly to Neverland is called.

He’s not even my type, I argue with myself. I like the muscular ones, those with bulging biceps and guys who walk like they can barely carry their own balls—sh*t, I meant—those who walk like they’re looking for a fight. Like they own the territory and they’re gonna kick your ass for being dumb enough to get lost. Jack is like that.

Elijah is more of a…ballet dancer…or figure skater. He walks calmly, his every move smooth and graceful.

Damn it, now I’m comparing them!?

This is just rebound. I tell myself, panicking slightly. He’s so nice, I can’t help it.

Also, it makes no sense comparing them! They are polar opposites, as different as night and day.

Stop thinking about it already! I hiss at myself. Focus on healing first!

When Elijah comes back with the breakfast tray, I have already smoothed my face into another blank page and can look at him straight in the eyes without fantasizing about whether or not he can actually take Jack on, in a fight to defend my honor.

“I hope you’re hungry. Mom said I can only have my breakfast if you can eat even half of these.” He puts the tray over my thighs and smiles at me. “I’m not allowed to ask for—and I quote—‘crumbs’ or ‘scraps’ so… I’m gonna go to the kitchen and make puppy eyes at my mum while you eat in peace. Do have pity on me and try to eat it all so I get to have breakfast too, okay? And I promise, the moment you feel better, rain or shine, I’ll take you to the Crystal Cave, deal?”

I stare at him blankly. He merely winks and leaves the room.

Sighing as I turn to my plate, I imagine poking his eyes with my fork so he would stop winking at me and making my heart all wishful… crushing on someone so out of reach.

Because that’s what’s happening now, really. I’m developing a stup*d crush on him. I mean, who wouldn’t!? He’s so attentive and nice, and he teases a smile out of me everytime he opens his mouth.

It would serve him right if he goes hungry this morning, a rebellious side of me mutters. Flirting with me when I have barely fixed my own heart.

Although…is he really flirting with me? Or am I just mistaking his intentions because I am so eager to feel wanted, after Jack had treated me like garbage?

I stab the sunny side egg on the plate, watching the yolk bleed out and spread on the plate. I sigh as I start to eat, debating inside whether I want to maim Jack or Elijah…

Jack for being an ass. Or Elijah for…making me want to trust someone again, when it’s too soon.

Before I knew it, I had finished everything on my plate, except for the toast, which I start to nibble on while I think some more and by the time Elijah and Maria come to collect the plate, I am already drinking the last of my freshly squeezed orange juice.

Elijah grins at his mother. “What did I tell you? She likes me too.”