i wake up in the morning, burning hot. my throat is dry and painful, my nose is stuffed and my skin is on fire.
"you're up, finally," ethan says.
"i feel horrible," i croak, trying to swallow to ease the painful dryness of my throat.
"you were burning up, but i didn't want to wake you," he says. he hands me a thermometer. "put this in your mouth."
i comply, the cool metal of the stick soothing on my tongue. a few minutes later, the thermometer beeps and ethan takes it from my mouth, reading it quickly.
"102," he says, placing it on the bedside table.
"you're not going anywhere today."
"but it's monday," i say. "we have work-"
"there is no way in hell you're going to work," ethan says instantly.
"is everything alright?" grayson opens the door a crack, peeking in.
"emma has a one hundred and two degree fever," ethan states and i roll my eyes. "so, we're staying home from work today," he says.
"no, you're going to work, ethan," i say.
"i'm not leaving you here by yourself," he says sternly.
"i could take care of her," grayson says.
"no," ethan says instantly.
"why not?"
"because... because..." ethan struggles for a liable excuse and i smirk.
"get in your work clothes ethan, i'll make emma some tea," grayson says, smirking as well.
ethan huffs, knowing he's outnumbered. grayson turns on his heel and walks out of the room.
"i guess i'll go then," he sighs.
i nod.
"i'll tell grayson where i keep my medicine, and get lots of sleep," he says, leaning down and kissing my burning forehead.
"god, you sound like my mother," i say.
he rolls his eyes. "don't do anything stupid and if you steal my snickers i will know."
"and how will you know?"
"trust me, i'll know." he smirks and kisses my cheek before straightening up.
"have fun at work!" i call after him.
"not likely!" he calls back.
grayson enters the room just after he leaves, bearing toast and tea. i smile at him thankfully as he sits beside me on the bed.
"i'm so sorry you're sick," he says as i take a careful sip of tea. "ethan mentioned having ibuprofen, i'll go see if i can find it." he exits the room.
my phone suddenly rings from the nightstand and i roll my eyes at ethan's caller ID.
"you haven't even been gone five minutes, what could you possibly want?" i smirk.
"it's important, i swear."
"what?"
"don't tell grayson where i keep my snickers."
"that's the important thing?"
"chocolate is very important, frances."
i sigh. "fine, your secret is safe with me."
"good. also, i love you."
i flush and smile. "i love you, too."
i hear his smile. "i've got to go, there's a lady wearing too much lipstick in the car next to me giving me the evil eye for talking on the phone."
"alright, i'll see you later."
"damn, she needs to take it easy with the lipstick. she looks like she drank a liter of blood or something."
"bye, ethan."
i hang up just as he begins ranting about how the woman may or may not be a vampire, chuckling at his humor.
grayson bustles back into the room, studying the label on a bottle of pills. "i think this is the right one, take two," he instructs, handing me a glass of water.
"thank you, grayson," i say, swallowing the white tablets and leaning back onto some of ethan's pillows.
grayson switches on the TV and constantly asks me if i need anything, his caring hazel eyes hopeful and wide. i'm so grateful for grayson now, he's so kind and sweet. although he and ethan have a muddled past. i hope they can get past it, because i know grayson and i will be good friends, regardless.
ethan texts me on and off, mostly judgmental messages about our coworkers. for instance:
zeke's hair is really tall today, you should see it.
and, my personal favorite:
damn it, emma, now that you're not here i'm directly facing marion and she looks like she wants to sever my head from my neck.
i giggle and share each text with grayson. he laughs along with me as we exchange stories about ethan, many of which i'm sure ethan would not want grayson telling.
"he's changed, ethan has," grayson says. "since i last saw him, anyhow."
"really," i say.
"yes, very much. he looks happier, i think. his smile's a lot wider, too." he pauses. "i think it's because of you."
"me?" i almost laugh.
"yes, you," he says, smiling. "i mean, he's so stubborn, no doubt if you weren't here he wouldn't have let me stay the other night. and he looks to you a lot of the time for your views on things, i've noticed that. i never thought i'd see the day when hard-headed ethan fell in love." he laughs lightly.
i flush. "neither did i."
grayson smiles. "you're really good for him. i think, and he's very lucky to have you."
i smile back at him. "i would hug you, but i don't want to contaminate you."
he chuckles. "much obliged."
at around two, my fever gets worse, and grayson wets a cool washcloth for me to press to my forehead. i thank him and shut my eyes, focusing on the coldness of the cloth instead of my flaming fever.
i fall asleep shortly after, and my ringing phone awakes me. i don't open my eyes, deciding it's too much energy to reach for the phone.
a second later i hear grayson answer it for me. "ethan, she's asleep," he says in a hushed whisper. "no, it got worse... 103 degrees... i gave her two pills a few hours ago... i will when she wakes... no, i won't wake her, she needs sleep... alright, i'll tell her... bye, ethan."
i hear him set the phone back on the nightstand and shuffle out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
i sleep for three more hours until i hear the door open again.
"how can she still be sleeping? it's been almost four hours," ethan says. i keep my eyes shut.
"i don't know, sickness is tiring," grayson replies.
"what if she has something serious?"
"she's not showing any serious signs, ethan. quit worrying so much."
"i can't, this is stressing me out." i feel cool fingers touch my forehead and i'm hit with a wave of spearmint aroma. "shit, she's boiling," ethan says, his cold fingers still on my blazing skin.
"i'll go start preparing dinner," grayson says as ethan gets into bed with me.
at around six, i finally muster the strength to open my eyes.
ethan sits on the bed beside me, his worried eyes trained on me. he hasn't changed from his work clothes, and his sleeves are rolled up to the elbows.
i manage to smile at him and he smiles back. almost relieved to see i'm awake.
"god damn it, emma, you never cease to worry the hell out of me."
i laugh and sit up slowly. "are you feeling any better?" he asks anxiously.
"a little," i say.
"good, it's better than nothing. grayson's making food."
grayson finishes cooking and we all congregate on ethan's bed to eat and watch the big bang theory television.
ethan makes us turn the lights off at ten, telling grayson he can stay another night. he thanks him and he even lets grayson hug him before he exits the bedroom, shutting the door softly.
"before you can even say anything, no, you are not going back to your apartment tonight," ethan says, unknotting his tie.
"but-"
"you're sick, and you're staying with me."
i sigh in defeat, too tired to argue with him.
he changes into pajamas and makes me take two more ibuprofen before joining me in bed turning out the light and cuddling me close until i fall asleep.
in the morning i feel considerably better. my throat is still slightly sore, but i'm not flaming with fever. the bed is empty when i open my eyes, and i reach out to feel for ethan, but he's not there.
i hear his voice from the living room. "how did you even find me, grayson?"
"it took me a while, but i managed to get your number from our neighbors."
"why the hell did the neighbors have my number?"
"you gave it to them in case there was an emergency with... with dad."
pause.
"oh."
"yeah."
"still, you shouldn't have come when i specifically told you not to."
"what, you were just planning on keeping me out of your life forever?"
"ideally, yes."
"how could you? we're all each other has left, ethan."
"i have emma."
my heartbeat picks up.
"yes, that's true, you do. and if it weren't for emma you probably would have kicked me out two nights ago because you have yet to develop a decent bone in your body."
"you're one to talk, grayson!" ethan's voice is rising rapidly.
"don't you think what i did haunts me, ethan? i regret it every single day."
"then you shouldn't have done it."
"we can't go back in time."
a pause.
"how could you, grayson," ethan says, his voice softer. "she was my mother too."
"i'm sorry," grayson says so quietly i have to strain to hear it. "i don't know what i was thinking."
they both fall silent again.
i hear footsteps and the door to ethan's room opens, and he steps through.
"hey," he says, and i can tell he's stressed. his hair is slightly unruly, no doubt from his fingers running through it again and again, and his eyes are tired. "how are you feeling?"
"much better."
he sighs. "you heard all that, didn't you?"
i know he's referring to his fight with grayson and i nod.
"i'm sorry," he says.
"it's okay, you don't have to apologize," i say. "he hurt you, you don't have to be sorry for that."
he swallows, his adam's apple moving up and down slowly.
"i thought you wanted me to forgive him."
"i do," i reply. "but it's obviously going to take some time."
he exhales slowly. i scoot closer to him and wrap my arms around him, pulling his head so it's resting on my chest.
"what time is it?" i ask.
"seven forty."
"we're going to be late!" i'm instantly out of bed, grabbing the key to my apartment.
"be ready by eight fifteen!" he calls after me as i yell good morning to grayson, racing through his apartment and into mine.
i get ready and wait outside ethan's apartment.
"i'll be home by six," ethan says to grayson before shutting the door.
i smile at him as he joins me by the elevator, his shirt light blue today.
we step out of the elevator in the lobby and walk out to the parking lot, the chilly morning air instantly engulfing us.
"i can drive you, if you want," ethan says.
"or, i can drive you," i counter.
ethan raises an eyebrow.
i cross my arms over my chest.
"fine," he caves, following me to my car.
i smirk triumphantly and unlock it, getting into the driver's seat. ethan gets in next to me.
i back out of my space, pulling out of the lot.
"so we're going to this party on saturday, hmm?" ethan speaks.
i nod, chewing on my lip. "yep."
ethan turns on the radio, lightly blaring tame impala.
"what do you think alec is planning?" i ask, my tone more serious.
"i have no clue, and it scares the shit out of me," ethan says, shaking his head.
"you don't think... my dream..."
"let's talk about something else."
i'm more than willing to change the subject as i park in front of crystal.
i lock my car as ethan and i walk in. he reaches for my hand, his fingers slipping through mine softly.
we part ways once we reach our desks, ethan plopping into his seat, already seeming bored for the day.
at around three o'clock, my work phone rings. "hello?" i answer it.
"miss chamberlain, mr. crystal has requested to see you," marion says on the other end.
"alright, thank you."
i hang up and walk out of the complex.
i nod to the receptionist as i enter his office, shutting the door behind me. the receptionist is not the same one as before, and i swear i have seen her somewhere, but i just can't put my finger on it.
"miss chamberlain, nice to see you." crystal greets me. "have a seat."
i sit carefully. "you wanted to see me?"
"yes, i did." he leans forward on his desk, folding his hands. "i have thought about what you, ethan and zeke told me about wolfe very hard these past few days."
i swallow, nodding slowly.
"it has come to my attention," mr. crystal continues. "that there is a party in my favor this weekend, and you will be attending."
i nod. "yes, i will."
"i'd like to know what exactly you and this alliance are planning," he finishes.
the door to crystal's office suddenly opens, and the receptionist walks in, a slip of paper in hand.
"message for you, mr. crystal."
her voice is as smooth as velvet and the nagging sense at the back of my mind telling me i've seen her somewhere intensifies.
"thank you, violet."
my blood runs cold and i widen my eyes as she turns and smiles slightly at me. soft blonde waves tumble over her shoulders and her blue eyes match the ocean. that's why i thought i had seen her before, because she is none other the girl ethan was once in love with.
"emma, this is violet, my new receptionist," mr. crystal says.
"it's so nice to meet you, emma," violet says, her smooth voice almost taunting.
and i can't help but think as she slowly half smiles at me, that she knows exactly who i am.