Chapter 47: Chapter Twelve

Natalee

“What did you do to her?” Alec yelled. He never yelled. Why was he yelling? And why couldn't I open my eyes? I moaned and immediately a cool compress was pressed to my head. I shivered.

“I kissed her! That's it! We went to dinner and she fell asleep in the car!” Demetri cursed. “Geez, what, you think I drugged her or something?”

“Wouldn't be the first time,” Alec grumbled.

“What the hell!” Demetri laughed. “Are you kidding me? Seriously? You're going to bring that up now of all times?”

Alec cursed. I felt his hand on my face. “Can you hear me, Nat?”

I moaned again and tried to pull away from him.

“We'll just take her home. She can sleep it off. She's probably sick,” Demetri said a lot more calmly now.

“No, we can't.” Alec was stern. “Her dad and mom decided to extend their date night to a date weekend. They won't be back until tomorrow night.

“They kept leaving her messages but her cell phone must have died. Nat's mom knew you guys were out, so she left a message with me before they took off. They're gone.”

“So?”

Alec's hand left my forehead. “So, if we leave her at her house and she's this sick, what do you think is going to happen to her? She's burning up.”

“Oh.” Demetri was quiet for a few minutes. “Does that mean she has a fever?”

“Just, go get some ibuprofen, Demetri.”

“Fine.” The door slammed behind him. It echoed in my ears, making my head pound harder. I focused on opening my eyes and was rewarded greatly for my strain.

Alec was hovering over me, concern marked his features. “Nat, are you okay?”

“I think so.” My voice was heavy and groggy. I felt emotional, like I wanted to cry. I wanted my mom. But she wasn't there.

All I had were two rock stars, one who wanted to drop me off at my house and let me sleep off a sickness as if I was hungover. “I don't feel well.” I tried to smile but it hurt my face.

“Aw, sweetheart, I know you don't.” Alec rubbed my forehead. “Do you want your fever to go down naturally or do you want some ibuprofen?”

I shook my head. I hated swallowing pills. I choked one time when I was little and even now I had to crush them up with a spoon and eat them with peanut butter.

A tear escaped my eye and went down my cheek.

“Don't cry, shh, don't cry.” Alec gently walked me up the stairs to his room and lay down next to me. His strong arms lifted me into his embrace. “You just have the flu or something.

“Promise?” I asked in a tiny voice.

He chuckled and brushed my hair from my face. “I promise. And when you get better I may even let you drive my car.”

“Tease.” I closed my eyes, liking the way his deep chuckle sounded with my head against his chest.

“Got some ibuprofen. What the—” Demetri stopped dead in his tracks. My eyes flickered across his face. He looked angry.

“Don't you think her boyfriend should be the one in bed with her, Alec?” Demetri snarled.

“Absolutely.” Alec moved away from me. “I'll check back on you in a few.” He walked by his brother and said in a low voice, “Try not to make it worse.”

“Ass,” Demetri mumbled as he slowly approached the bed. For some reason I felt like I was letting him down, like my being sick made him upset with me.

“I'm sorry,” I said, choked up again.

He shrugged. “It's okay.”

Wait, did he just accept my apology for being sick? What?

“I wish you felt better. I had some plans for you tonight, Nat. Ones that would have put a smile on that gorgeous face of yours.”

“I'm sorry,” I said again, because I didn't really know what else to say.

He shrugged. “We can't control when we get sick. It's no biggie.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I'm gonna let you sleep, okay?”

I nodded, even though I felt a stab of disappointment as I watched him walk out of the room.

Seconds later I heard one of the cars start outside.

What the heck?

“He doesn't like sick people,” Alec announced from the doorway.

“Clearly,” I mumbled, feeling more and more dejected as the minutes ticked by. My head wasn't pounding nearly as much. I tried to sit up against the pillows and failed.

“Here.” Alec chuckled and stuffed some pillows behind my back.

“So why doesn't he like sick people? Is he a germophobe or something?”

“No.” Alec sat on the bed with a book in hand. “Our mom left us when we were little, and our dad died of cancer a few years afterwards. Most of Demetri's memories are of the hospital.”

“What about yours?”

Alec laughed. “Playing checkers with Dad when he didn't feel well enough to walk. Holding his hand when they told him there was nothing else they could do.

“I like your memories.” I sighed.

“Me too.” He gave me a smile. “Demetri just deals with things differently than most people. It doesn't mean he cares for you any less.”

“Why are you always defending him?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“Does it seem that way?” Alec asked, looking at me speculatively.

I nodded.

“Hmm, I guess it would. I don't know, Nat, I'm just protective of him. I'm older by a year, it's my job to be protective.”

Lame answer, but it was all I was going to get.

“If you're older by a year, and he's a senior and you're a senior.”

“Good math, Nat,” Alec teased.

“How are you in the same grade?”

“I live to learn,” he joked, then nudged me.

“High school is like going to hell every day, so why would you willingly choose to go?”

“I never finished. We got busy touring and I kept putting it off. It's as easy as that. Demetri actually likes learning. He likes studying, even though it doesn't come easy to him.

“I'd rather do things. I can't sit and listen to someone drone on for hours without wanting to jump out the window.”

“And here I thought you liked to sit and contemplate.”

He shuddered. “No, it just appears that way.”

I yawned.

“You're tired. Go to sleep, Nat.”

I shook my head. I knew I was being a baby, but I really didn't want to sleep, not if when I woke up he'd be gone too. I hated being alone, which was so silly! I was alone all the time!

“I brought a book.” Alec grinned. “I'll be right here, okay?”

“Promise?”

His eyes darkened. “Promise.” His whisper lulled me to sleep.

****

“Nat?” Demetri's voice was really close to my head. I opened my eyes and jumped. He was lying on the bed, holding me in his arms. What happened to his phobia of sickness?

And where the heck was Alec? He promised.

Defeated, I looked at my boyfriend and managed a small smile.

“These are for you.” Demetri reached behind him and pulled out a bouquet of white roses. White, not red. Interesting, and a really good gift, too. Darn him.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, and shook my head in hopes that it would clear the sleep and grogginess away.

“I'm sorry I bolted.” Demetri sighed. “Being sick just freaks me out. Alec said he told you, but it's not really an excuse to leave my girlfriend.”

“It's okay.”

“No, it's not.” Demetri snapped. “Damn, why are you so easy on me?”

“Fine. It's not okay. I hate you. Take your stupid flowers.” I threw them on the floor and crossed my arms.

Demetri grinned. “Much better. What am I going to do with you? Hmm?” His hand blazed a trail down my neck. “You're beautiful, funny… I can't even look at another girl.”

“Well, I'm glad the man-whore has finally settled on one girl.” Sickness made people braver, I decided.

“Only one.” He vowed, then reached down and gently kissed my lips. “Are you really feeling better?”

I thought about it for a second. My head wasn't pounding anymore, though I still felt kinda dizzy even though I was lying down.

“I think I'm better.”

“Hmm…” Demetri threw off my covers. I looked down. Holy crap. Someone undressed me and put me in sweats. Mortified, I closed my eyes.

“Chill, babe. It's not like you're the first girl I've seen naked.”

Right. Because that makes me feel better. I grit my teeth and pushed off the bed. “Did you undress me then?”

“It was a team effort.”

I wanted to die. “Both you and your brother undressed me? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that sort of thing illegal in all fifty states?”

“Chill, Nat. It's not like we took turns with you or anything.”

Without responding, I tried to get up. I needed to get out of there and go home. I was too confused to stay and felt so sick I just wanted to be in my bed. My head was spinning.

I put my weight on one foot and then the other, trying to make it to the door. “You can't go around stripping people of their clothes, just because they're sick.”

Demetri frowned. “But you were uncomfortable. Plus, I'm the one who did it. Alec was here supervising. For some reason he didn't trust me to do the deed without peeking.”

“I'm going home,” I announced.

“Like hell you are!” Demetri grasped my arm, his fingers digging into my sensitive skin. “You're staying here and that's final. You're sick. You shouldn't be up and walking anyways.

“Come on.” With a grunt he lifted me up and cradled me in his arms. You would think I only weighed ten pounds. He walked briskly down the hall and then down the stairs.

“She try to escape or something?” Alec asked, suddenly appearing at the bottom of the stairs. I glared.

Alec put his hands in the air. “She's scary when she's sick.”

“She's also suicidal. She wanted to walk home.”

Alec scowled. “Nat, you'd make it as far as the kitchen table, pass out, and most likely crack a tooth in the process.”

I clenched my teeth to keep from yelling. It wasn't that I wasn't thankful, but I didn't look my best, I didn't feel well, and they were both acting like I was totally unable to take care of myself.

“Lock the doors.” Alec's intense gaze met mine. Stupid mind reader.

Demetri put me down on the couch and then walked to the doors, locking each of them. “Crap, how long have they been camped out?”

“Since you came back with the flowers.” Alec answered.

“Who's camped out?” I piped up.

“Photographers, news crews, fans. Basically everyone in Oregon.” Alec cursed and took a seat next to me. “Thanks to my brother's heroic kiss downtown Seaside, the media can't wait to dig in to you.”

“Great,” I grumbled and laid my head on the arm of the couch. “If they saw me now they'd wonder what the fuss was all about.”

Alec tilted his head. “You really don't see it, do you?”

“See what?” I swallowed out of nervousness. Alec's eyes bore into mine as if he was trying to figure out a piece to some giant puzzle.

“How breathtaking you are.” His eyes shone with appreciation. “Nat, you're absolutely gorgeous without any help from makeup or fancy clothes.

“She hasn't?” Demetri said, walking back into the living room only picking up on the last part of the conversation, “Rude, Nat. Rude.”

I laughed. I couldn't help it. “So that's how I get rid of you two? Ask for your autograph and throw my panties like the rest of them?”

Demetri plopped onto the couch in between us. Of course. “I could live without the autograph part, but the panty-throwing sounds intriguing. You planning on doing that soon?

“I'll wait.” He grinned like a little boy. I reached over and kissed his cheek on impulse.

Alec cleared his throat. His eyes moving from me to Demetri then back again. “I'll go see what I can do about the media for now. Why don't you guys watch a movie or something?”

I sighed. “My pick. I'm sick.”

Demetri cursed. “My head hurts, does that count?”

“Your head always hurts when you use it, silly, so no, doesn't count,” I joked.

Alec left the room laughing, while Demetri scowled playfully.