Ivey's Pov
I woke up to the smell of something familiar. Lucas.
My head was spinning. My skin felt hot, too hot. My throat was dry, my body heavy.
I blinked slowly, trying to figure out where I was.
Soft sheets. A quiet room. The faint hum of music behind the walls.
And then him.
He was sitting beside the bed, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together.
Lucas.
He looked tired. His hair was a mess and his hoodie hung loose, like he hadn't had the energy to fix it. But his eyes were on me the second I moved.
"Hey," he said softly, like he didn't want to startle me. "You're awake."
I opened my mouth to speak but coughed instead. My whole chest rattled with it.
Lucas was up in an instant, holding a glass of water to my lips. I sipped, slowly, until the ache in my throat eased just enough to speak.
"Where…?" I croaked.
"You're at Kayla's," he said. "You fell asleep at the café. I didn't want to take you home like that, so… I called her."
I nodded weakly, trying to sit up. My limbs felt like bricks.
Lucas's hands moved to support my back. "Easy. You've got a fever."
Of course I do. Because why not? Why not completely fall apart?
I dropped back against the pillow, eyes stinging. "I'm sorry."
"Don't," he said immediately, and something in his voice cracked. "Don't apologize for being human."
The tears came fast, burning hot down my cheeks.
"I don't even know what's wrong with me," I whispered. "I feel like I've just been… pretending to be okay for so long that now I don't know how to stop."
Lucas didn't speak at first. He just sat back down, closer now, close enough that I could feel his warmth through the blanket.
"I think your body's just catching up with everything your heart's been carrying," he said quietly. "You've been holding it in too long."
I closed my eyes. "I don't want to feel this anymore."
"I know."
"It hurts."
"I know."
His hand found mine again, gentle but sure.
"I feel like he broke something in me," I whispered. "And now I'm scared I'll never be… me again."
"You will," he said. "Maybe not exactly the same. But stronger, softer, and a person who doesn't bend herself to fit someone else's cracks."
That broke me even more. But in a good way. Like pressure releasing.
I looked at him, really looked at him, through blurry eyes.
"Why are you still here?"
He smiled, not the flirty one he gave to make people laugh. A sad one. A true one.
"Because you let me be," he said. "And because I care."
I reached for him, not because I needed fixing, but because I needed something real. And he came closer without hesitation, his arms wrapping around me carefully, like I was something worth holding.
And for once, I let myself be held.
Not because I was weak.
But because I was tired of pretending I wasn't.
Lucas's Pov
I held her like she was something precious, not because she was fragile, but because she was finally letting someone in.
And I wasn't going to take that for granted.
Ivey didn't say anything else after that. Her breathing was shaky, uneven at first, then slowly steadied. Her fingers were curled against my hoodie, like she didn't want to let go, and honestly… neither did I.
I stayed there with her, not speaking, not moving, just being. That's all she needed right now. Not advice. Not answers. Just presence.
After a while, I felt her body go limp against mine again. Asleep. Or close to it.
But I didn't get up.
I couldn't.
There was something about this, her letting herself be held, letting herself rest, that hit me harder than I thought it would.
I've seen her laugh, argue, roll her eyes at dumb jokes. I've seen her frown in concentration during class, bite her lip when she's thinking. But this?
This quiet unraveling?
It made me want to protect her in a way I didn't even know I was capable of.
Her forehead was burning again. I reached out and gently adjusted the towel Kayla had left behind, pressing it to her skin. She stirred but didn't wake.
I couldn't stop staring at her.
At the girl who always walked like she had it together, who never asked for help, who carried more than anyone ever should.
And yet here she was, letting herself be vulnerable in front of me.
And all I could think was: I hope I'm enough for her to lean on. Even if it's just for today.
The door creaked open a little, and Kayla poked her head in. Her voice was low. "How's she doing?"
"She's sleeping again," I whispered. "Still burning up."
Kayla stepped in, holding a small bottle of fever-reducing medicine and a damp cloth. "Think you can help her take this when she wakes up?"
"Yeah," I said, taking it from her. "Thanks."
Kayla paused by the bed, looking down at Ivey. Her expression softened. "She's never let anyone take care of her like this, you know."
I didn't know what to say to that. So I just nodded.
After Kayla left, I stayed. I sat there, watching Ivey breathe, feeling the weight of the moment settle deep in my chest.
I wanted her to get better. Not just from this fever, but from the kind of hurt that sits behind your ribs and tells you it's your fault. The kind of ache that makes you question your own worth.
And if she'd let me, I'd keep showing up. Again and again.
Because it wasn't about rescuing her. It was about reminding her that she didn't have to fight alone anymore.
Not while I was still around.
I looked at the time, it was already 2pm. I was starting to get hungry.
I didn't want to leave Ivey's side, but then Kayla called me "Hey Lucas, come here let's eat." she said.
I came out of the room and went to the dining area, where Kayla had already started preparing the plates and put food on our plates.
"Thank you very much for doing this. You didn't have to feed me." I said, and I really meant it.
"No, you shouldn't be thanking me. I should be the one thanking you for what you are doing to Ivey." She said, handing me a plate of food. "By the way you never told me why all of this happened in the first place, why was Ivey crying? How did she end up with you?"
"So last night at the party, before I could even enter, Ivey bumped into me crying, so I ran after her and she told me that she found Josh kissing another girl. So I comforted her and then… well she fell asleep, and the rest you already know." I said, while eating.
"Well thank you so so much for taking care of her." She answered back enthusiastically.
I finished eating and Kayla handed me a bowl of soup.
"Give this to her, maybe she will feel better after eating it."
I nodded but hesitated while heading back to the room.
"You know, I have a car. I could take her to the hospital." I said with a unsure tone.
I was worried about Ivey but I wasn't sure if bringing her to a hospital would be the right thing to do.
"I think she will be fine." Kayla said "If she is still burning up tomorrow maybe you should but for now, I think that is it best for her to just rest"
I nodded and headed towards the room the Ivey was staying in.
Ivey was still sleeping.
As I entered I accidentally woke her up.
Even though I was going to do that anyway, I still felt guilty for disturbing her rest.
I sat beside her on the bed.
"You're still here?" She asked.
"Ya, I wouldn't leave you here, in this condition."
"I will stay beside you until you are better."
She smiled at me. For a second it was like all of the pain she had felt earlier today was gone, erased from her memory.
I smiled back at her and helped her sit up right, so that she could eat her soup.
Ivey's Pov
I felt better than this morning but my body still ached and felt heavy. But what I was most focused on was Lucas.
Lucas had stayed beside me since yesterday, taking care of me.
Why is he doing all of this? Why does he care so much?
As I sat up to eat my soup he helped me, adjusting the pillows behind me. Then he gave me the tray with the bowl of soup, so that I didn't have to move out of the bed.
Lucas's Pov
She didn't say much, but I could see that she didn't understand why I cared so much, and why I was treating her like this.
The truth is… I don't even know why I am acting like this.
The promise that I had made at the beginning of the year. I was just ignoring it.
I pushed my thoughts aside and focused on her.
She was trying to eat, but her hands were trembling. Just slightly, but enough that she spilled a bit of soup back into the bowl. She looked down at it like she was frustrated with herself.
"I got it," I said softly, reaching out. "Let me?"
I expected her to brush me off and tell me she could manage. But instead, she just looked at me for a second, searching my face, then nodded.
So I took the spoon and scooped a small bit of the soup, blowing on it to cool it down.
I held it up to her lips.
She hesitated, not out of awkwardness, but like she was still wrapping her head around the idea of letting someone do this for her.
And then she opened her mouth and took the spoonful.
I didn't say anything. I just kept going, one spoon at a time, quietly, gently, until the bowl was empty.