A Thorn In A Game of Roses

Chapter Eight: Tiredless nights&days

(Evelyn's POV)

The ride back home was oddly quiet enough you could sneeze loud enough and it wouldn't matter, I sat on my bed in my thoughts, My father was in the hospital and my Aunt was here though we were never told she was coming in the first place. My father never mentioned anything to me or my sister. Though I didn't mind her being around, she was like an older sister, and I adored being around her, especially since the passing of my mother. She was there for us girls until she had some work and needed to get back to her life.

My sister slept in my room on my bed as she didn't want to be alone after everything that was happening, and I was fine with that, even though I couldn't sleep and just sat there staring at the ceiling above me. I could hear my Aunt awake as well, and in the living room as she was on the phone with someone, which was odd as it was almost two in the morning. I sat there listening to some of her conversation, even though it was only one-sided, which I could hear. She spoke quietly, though probably being respectful, thinking we were asleep or something more.

I lay there and listened to her speak about my father’s conditioning and the place we lived and something about being infested. Basically, everything she spoke about made no damn sense, so I turned her out, shutting my eyes finally to try and get some sleep.

Eventually, I did fall asleep, even if it wasn't long and only lasted a couple of hours. It was still sleeping in my book. As I woke I could smell pancakes being made. I turned on the bed and noticed my sister had gone as she had probably woken up earlier and left me to sleep, as I could hear her and my Aunt giggling in the kitchen. I rose from my bed, sighing as I rubbed my eyes and stood, sliding on my slippers and moving out of the room and down the hall to join them in the kitchen.

“Morning sleepy head. I made blueberry pancakes,” Katherine chirps with a smile as she set a plate of four pancakes down on the table for me as I sat down and looked at her.

“Since when did we have pancake mix?” I asked while putting syrup on my pancake stack.

“You didn't. I went out while you two were asleep and got some groceries, since there weren't any.” She mumbled some before setting the orange juice in front of me.

I kind of knew we didn't have any food in the house, and Dad just usually grabbed things here and there to put on the table for my sister and me to eat, or it was take-out, that's how it usually was, so having a fresh breakfast was amazingly good. I took a bite of the pancake and sighed happily at the fresh, hot feeling.

“I also made a call, don’t worry about school today. I got you two out, let you have a day, hmm?” She said, sitting down with my sister and me, drinking her coffee as she smiled.

“Any updates on dad?” My sister asked, chewing and staring at our aunt, hopeful.

She shook her head. “Just that he is stable and still asleep, they said it's normal if he is in shock. All we do is pray that he wakes up now. Don’t worry, I’m staying here to take care of everything. You aren't alone, we’re family after all.” She smiled, reaching over to take both of our hands as she held onto them. I gave her a smile of gratitude that we weren’t alone in this and had her to depend on.

“Can we go see him when we're finished? I heard it’s good if he hears our voices,” She said, gently putting her phone down as she was texting someone and paying attention to us.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering who she was texting this early, but I brushed it off, not really caring at the moment about it.

“Yes, of course, I need to go shopping anyway and pick things up for myself,” she says, sipping her coffee casually as she looks at her phone. I turned my attention to my sister on her phone again as I huffed.

“Who are you texting this early?” I asked finally as she looked up from her phone, embarrassed as she smiled at me.

“Nate.. He is checking in on me,” she said, shyly stuffing her mouth as I smirked, some hearing that.

“Shouldn't he be in school?” I ask, chuckling some.

“He is- He texts me when he can. He is nice,” she said, shrugging.

My Aunt finally looked up from her phone, smirking. “A boy! Tell me all about it.” She smirked, putting her phone down as her full attention was on her. She sighed, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s a boy that goes to our school. He is Dad’s boss's son, one of them, and is super sweet and kind.” She smiled gently to us as I smirked, nodding knowing she had a little thing for him, and it was cute and Nate was a good guy compared to his annoying brother.

“I see.” She said gently and very oddly as she drank her coffee in silence, as it was almost too quiet, and I cleared my throat, chewing.

“Well, I'm glad he is checking in on you,” I said, smiling at her as she smiled back, nodding her head.

“Mhm, he asked about you as well and if you're still pissed at Noah and what happened to his girlfriend.” She said, staring at me.

I rolled my eyes at that. “Yes, but that doesn't mean I’m going to interact with the i***t. I was getting paid to tutor him, which I refuse to do.”

“What happened?” My aunt asked, chiming in finally as she looked between us.

“Noah, who is the oldest brother of dad’s boss, and well, he asked Evelyn to tutor him, and she was, but something happened with his girlfriend showing up and-”

I cut her off as I spoke up. “And I am fine, really,” I said, shrugging, looking between them too. “I have better things to worry about than his issues with his annoying girlfriend. Which do tell Nate to let his dad know I am not doing it anymore. With everything happening, I forgot to even mention it to him,” I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

My Aunt raised an eyebrow at my defiance against things, but didn't push the issue as she got a phone call, excusing herself and moving outside to take the call. I watched her leave and looked at my sister with a smile as she nodded at my request and cleaned up her plate as she moved to her bedroom to get dressed. I sat there staring out the window at my Aunt on the phone, talking angrily to whoever was at the other end of that call. I couldn't hear anything sadly, but it looked heated, and it made me wonder what she was hiding?