What the heart wants

33. Care

Kicking the door to my room open, he walked inside with me in his arms. Reaching the bed, he lowered me down and placed me on the mattress. He searched through the drawers for the first aid kit but didn't find it.

"It must be in the cupboard.", I stated.

He nodded and made his way to the cupboard. I kept my eyes to the floor, suddenly feeling another turmoil arising in my mind.

Wait! Cupboard? Oh my God.

"Hazel?", I angled my neck anxiously and watched Xavier's face contorted in confusion. He was holding the hoodie in his hand, his own hoodie, which he once gave me to wear two years ago.

Crap!

"Yeah.", I emitted, my face flushing because of embarrassment.

"You still kept it?", his voice was low, barely above a whisper.

How could I throw the only thing I had of you?

"Well, it is quite comfy.", I managed to say and the corner of his lip lifted up a little.

He assessed my face with his penetrating gaze which made me squirm. Putting the hoodie back in its place, he drew the first aid box from the cupboard and squatted down in front of me.

He pulled the injured foot in his hand and cleaned the cut. Tingles appeared on my skin wherever he touched. And the long slit on my gown didn't help either. I tried my best to cover my legs but to no avail. Xavier himself looked quite uncomfortable with our position.

After he was done with bandage, he lifted his head to meet my eyes and I felt myself losing in them again.

"Thanks.", I whispered, averting my eyes to my lap.

He stood up and settled on the space beside me. His scent invaded my senses and I inhaled deeply, committing it to my memory.

"You think I am a coward, don't you?", I heard him whisper beside me.

"Would it hurt you if I say yes?", I tried my best not to let my voice waver.

He turned his eyes to me and bobbed his head up and down.

"Then yes, I think you are a coward.", I stated.

For a moment, hurt flashed his eyes which he hid with another gentle smile.

"Maybe you are right.", he whispered and stood up. Casting one last glance at me, he turned around and left, leaving me wondering what was going inside his mind.

...

It was Thursday, two days before the wedding. The preparation were on the peak. Jessica and Nathaniel left early in the morning to visit their relative who was in the hospital. Stefan was busy with the church arrangements while I was supposed to take care of the seating arrangement in the reception.

I spent the whole afternoon planning about this, it was not an easy task considering the huge number of guests. By the time I made the final draft, it was 5'o in the evening.

Letting out a satisfied sigh, I put the draft in the cupboard and pulled my hair out of the messy bun. I exited my room and strolled towards the stairs. But a sound of someone coughing badly stopped me. It was coming from Xavier's room.

I tried to ignore it but the noise was getting louder. At the end, I turned around and made my way to his room.

"Oh my God, what happened?", I shouted as soon as I entered the room. Xavier was lying on his bed, his face was flushed and his body was shivering. Rushing towards him, I touched his forehead. His skin was burning and his eyes looked sunken.

"D.. Don't worry. I have already t.. took the medicine.", he stammered, leaning his head back.

"How can I not worry? You are practically burning.", I screamed but lowered my voice when he winced.

"Just l... let me sleep.", he spoke in a low voice.

I looked at him for a minute, contemplating what to do. I couldn't just leave him alone, could I?

I helped him lie straight on the bed and placed a pillow beneath his head. Using the blanket, I covered his body. When his shivering didn't stop, I excused myself and went to my room. I carried my blanket to his room and buried him under this. This actually helped as the pained expressions finally left his face.

"You can go.", he whispered.

"Umm.. It's ok. I'll wait for Jessica to return so she can take care of you.", I responded and slumped on the wooden chair beside his bed. He nodded and closed his eyes, his breathing returned to normal. Watching him sleep peacefully, my own lids felt heavy. Resting my head back, I closed my eyes to take a little nap.

The sound of a small moan woke me up. My eyes landed on Xavier whose eyes were closed but his face was twisted with pain. Leaning towards him, I touched his forehead which was even hotter than before.

I felt helpless, I had no idea how to relieve his pain. Suddenly, an idea came to my mind.

"Just hold on for few moments.", I whispered in his ears and dialed Alex's number while rushing towards the kitchen.

"Hey sis, how a-"

"No time for greetings, just tell me your secret recipe which you used to give me whenever I was sick.", I commanded.

"But--

" Just tell me Alex. I need it badly. ", I scolded and heard a sigh from the other side.

"Ok.", he told me the recipe step by step. It was not much difficult , considering the fact that I hadn't burnt the whole kitchen down. After it was ready, I tasted a spoon. I felt nauseated at the bitter taste but I was full aware of its effectiveness.

Pouring the soup in a bowl, I hurried towards Xavier's room. He was awake though his body was still shaking with cold.

"What's this?", he asked when his eyes landed on the tray.

"Your cure. Now come on, get up.", I placed the tray at the side table and helped him get up. Even with his burning state, he still managed to give me shivers wherever his skin touched mine.

I sat down beside him and put a spoon of soup in his mouth. His face distorted at first but then he gulped it down. His eyes held mine during the process, a strange emotion flashing through them, something mimicking adoration and gratitude.

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Somebody marry these two already. :D

Just 4 or 5 chapters are left.