𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙸 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 | 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐑𝐊 [Collins]

Chapter 3 - Ephemeral

(revised)

I was waiting for Eden to join me after breakfast, ready to tackle another day of work. I had no idea what a normal week was anymore, for we had so much work to do we did not count the hours spent in the office. With such intense days, a good night of sleep was not enough to recover, but the feeling of playing a key role would give us the strength to wake up every morning and do what was expected from us. For some more than others, for Eden had skipped our usual breakfast to sleep a little longer, and even if she should have already joined me, she was nowhere to be seen, and I started to think she had forgotten about me.

"It's unusual to see you alone," Andrew had appeared at my side, visibly as tired as I was, the smile on his face shier than ordinary.

"My roommate had troubled getting out of bed," I explained.

"Can't blame her. It's tough. How do you keep up?"

"Fine so far."

He had stuffed his hands in his pockets and appeared surprisingly reserved, not looking at me, as if this time, he was the one to be intimidated. I had noticed he was different when James was not with him; calmer, more serious, more withdrawn, as if for once, he did not have something to prove, for fear his friend's buoyant personality would erase him from the picture.

"You're not homesick?"

"Not really. I love what I'm doing here, and I have good company," I teased him the way he would tease me. He was the one trying to hide his embarrassment, which felt like a small victory. "I miss my Dad though."

"I'm sure he misses you too."

"But he won't say it. You men don't know how to express your feelings," I joked.

"We're trying," he expressed sincerely.

"By fighting?" I referred to the reason he had been at the infirmary a few days before.

"Here we go," he laughed as he had expected a remark. "I hope you don't think I fight all the time. I don't, unless I've a good reason."

"What was the reason?" I inquired.

"Just some disagreement. Over politics," he shrugged. "William and I don't really get on well anyway."

"I saw that," I chuckled. "That's some bruise you gave him."

"I didn't fail to hurt myself though."

"Is it better now?"

"Yeah, it's all good. It wasn't a big deal."

"Because you got the best girl to treat you," I could not help reminding him of what I had witnessed.

He looked away, as if searching for the right words to tell me, before turning back to me with all his confidence.

"I would've come to you, but you're not a nurse as far as I know."

I regretted joking about that, because he had turned it against me, and I could feel that I was turning red under his eyes. I hoped he did not think I was jealous, for it was the last impression I wanted to convey. I just wanted to banter with him the way he would with me, but it seemed I was not good at it.

"I'll see you later," he announced when he saw James in the distance. He smiled at me before walking away, putting my uneasiness to an end.

James who had hurried to catch up with him, stopped when he reached me, and he bent towards me to comment on what he had interrupted.

"You should stop blushing every time he talks to you, he'll start thinking you like him," he whispered in my ear.

And with that remark, he left me alone and mortified. He had just confirmed I had sent the wrong signals.