Catch The Stars | Paul Lahote

:Thirty-Four:

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
VINDEMIATRIX

●○●○●

The soft, golden glow of the sun slithers their way through the crevices of the curtains until they stain Eve's and Paul's skin until a dim shimmer appears early that morning. Through a heavy dousing of stress, the two were somehow able to fall under a peaceful slumber and while Paul was still washed away in the depths of his dreams, Eve was just peeling her eyes open to only snap them shut upon viewing the harsh glare of the sun.

She groans faintly, her hands balling into fists so they could rub off the exhaustion from her eyes. Her body was curled up and stored neatly to Paul's side where his arm still remains around her waist.

Cheeks tinting pink, Eve stares at his arm before cautiously removing it in order to escape her bed. All she could focus on then was going to her bathroom.

And with her mind determined on this, she gently eases herself off of her mattress and steadily makes her way to her door in an attempt to not awaken the boy. She does so without fault and soon, she's entering her hallway and targeting the bathroom door.

Except, before her hand can capture the golden doorknob, the wooden door pulls back to reveal Agatha already dressed and prepared for work. They gasp, stunned for a few seconds before her mother giggles. "Mornin'," she greets with a thick, sleepy voice. "I see that someone slept well. That graduation party, must've worn you out huh?"

Eve blinks, trying to regain her mindset before nodding her head. "Yeah," she whispers, "one heck of a party."

"I hope we didn't wake you up last night."

By her mother's pout, Eve frowns in bewilderment. They didn't. When Paul and she did arrive here, she was positive her parents were fast asleep.

"It was late when Jan and I came back," she clarifies, leaning against the doorframe. "We tried to be quiet since we knew you were asleep by then. Did we?"

"No," her daughter lies, fidgeting. "I just woke up and came here to use the potty."

It dons on Agatha then and she scolds herself underneath her breath. "Sorry, darling," she apologies, stepping aside to let her daughter through. "Listen, I gotta go to work. Jan made some waffles earlier and saved some for you." Then, before Eve could conjure a response, a wet kiss is splattered on her nose. "Love you."

"Love you too, Mommy," Eve whispers while watching her mother escape down the stairs before eventually closing the front door to leave for work. All the while, a sick - nearly toxic feeling blossoms in her gut. Waffles were Jordan's favorite and with the reminder of him comes the question of when?

When will the day come where her brother could finally reunite with his family? It was already killing Eve that she had to witness her parents mourn over a lost boy whose already been found. It's in her hopes that sooner than later will Carlisle allow Jordan to roam free, but as of right now, everyone in the Tobin family must continue to suffer.

In minutes, Eve was back in her room to only find Paul slowly awakening. The large boy was muttering incoherently underneath his breath while he hastily wipes at his eyes, forcing himself to stay awake despite his body screaming for more sleep. They both needed it desperately.

"Good morning," she greets and watches as his eyes flicker to her figure. "I would've thought you would be sleeping more. You looked exhausted."

"I am," Paul insists with a deep, sleep-deprived voice that causes her heart to skip a beat. "It's just that I felt...cold."

"But you're always warm," Eve argues, tossing herself back on the bed. Their eyes meet and Eve frowns at the sight of all the bags sketched underneath his eyes. "It must be rare for you to be cold."