Clover

chapter forty-three: pen-win

PUSHING the door open slowly, she assessed Amaya's room. The flowers in the vase needed watering, so she went to the bathroom and filled it up a bit more, returning it to its place on the side table.

Gently, she lifted Amaya's head off the pillow and fluffed them up a bit, making sure her head was well elevated. Next, she dabbed some of the sweat lining her upper lip and bandaged arm, cleaning off any dust or other stuff that had got caught in some places.

Although they were all holding out hope for Amaya's recovery, the doctors had made it pretty clear that her chances of survival were slim to none. They were just trying to make her remaining days more comfortable, if anything.

Swallowing tears, Nevaeh kissed Amaya's forehead, let the nurses know what she had done in there and suggested a bandage change, then slumped into one of the chairs outside of the room. Her head was still reeling from therapy.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she clocked the time. She still had 5 minutes before she needed to go back to the others, and technically another ten before Elias would be free to call, but if she didn't now, she wouldn't get to speak to him. And that just wouldn't do.

After a few rings, the familiar gravelly rasp of Elias' voice lifted her spirits.

"Clover?"

"Hey my love."

"Is everything okay? You're early today."

"Yeah, everythings fine, I won't be able to talk for long today is all."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Ember and Fern want to go out."

"With Alessandra?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Nevaeh fought back a smile.

"Yes. Why?"

"I don't trust those two alone. Alessandra isn't much better but at least it's another person with a moderately level head. Know what you're doing yet?"

Resisting the urge to snort, Nevaeh shook her head at how wrong he was. Of the three of them, the most level headed was Fern. By a long shot. Alessandra was ten times worse than Ember, on a good day.

"No clue."

Elias hummed, and Nevaeh could see his face in her mind.

After a moment of quiet, she spoke again.

"And you're - you're not mad?"

Elias' breath hitched.

"Ma- why would I be mad, Clo? Frankly, I'm glad. You'll get sick of me if we keep up with this."

"Never."

"I don't buy that for one second. You get sick of a TV show in less than 10 minutes. And Kavi - who is actually your twin brother in case you forgot."

"None of those things are you."

"Clover, did you just try to woo me with romantic drivel? You sure you're okay?"

"Shut up, Brantley."

"I'll miss you, but you guys deserve to spend this time together. I have kind of stolen you away these past few months."

Swooning ever so slightly, Nevaeh bit down on her lip to stop her grin.

"Besides, I was planning on visiting you tonight anyway."

"Oh really? And you didn't think to consult me about that first?"

"Fuck off. As if you wouldn't have thrown yourself at me the second you caught a whiff of my fucking scent."