As I walk out of the hospital entrance and out onto the sidewalk, I take my phone out of my bag to see what the time is, it’s gone midnight. It’s late, but I know my mom will still be frantic about Lucas. I can’t imagine my brother will have even thought to tell mom how he’s doing, so I know that I’d better call her.

“Hey mom, it’s me,”

“Oh hello darling, where are you? Are you still at the hospital?”

“Yep. Still at the hospital, well, I’m just leaving it actually. Lucas is doing ok, his leg has looked in better shape, but I think it’ll be ok. I don’t think he’s going to die or anything,” I say, meaning to be funny.

“Mandy, don’t even joke about such things, that’s not at all funny, but I’m so glad you called, and I’m pleased that he’s going to be ok. What a relief! Will he be out soon?”

“I think they are going to keep him in overnight. The nurses told me that they have to do some more tests and x-rays on his knee injury and they want to keep an eye on his concussion,”

“Oh, that sounds positive. Well, he can’t possibly go and stay on his own when they let him out, he needs to come and stay with us. I’m going to tell your brother to bring him here when they discharge him. Your father and I wouldn’t hear of anything else.”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to call Noah about that, I don’t know whether he’ll even go for that, you know what Lucas is like…”

“Yes I do, he’s stubborn, much like you Mandy. Anyway, tomorrow I need you to help me tidy up the house and get the spare bedroom ready for him,”

“Ok, sure. Night mom, Love you,”

I swipe to end the call but feel slightly annoyed that my mother is roping me into getting a room ready for Lucas. It’s been a long day, I have another shift tomorrow, and I’m tired, but it’s not worth the argument. Mom has a blind spot where Lucas is concerned, he’s just like my brother. For some reason, he can do absolutely no wrong.

My mind wanders to Lucas in his hospital bed though. There was something different about him. Maybe it was just his concussion, but I swear I caught him looking at me, looking over my body. I don’t know if I imagine it, or if I’m secretly hoping that was what was happening. Or more likely, maybe I’m just tired.

I tried hard to not get too close to him when I hugged him goodbye. It felt strange, and we lingered a little longer than we needed to. Seeing him so helpless in that hospital bed seemed to have a strange effect on me. My irritation turned into something else, I wanted to kiss him, and I swear he was thinking the same thing.

I really can’t be having these thoughts though. Lucas would never even touch me even if he wanted to since I’m his best friends little sister. He’d never dare upset Noah. I’m still not even convinced that I’m not just imagining all of this. I need to remember one thing though, the fact that he’s hot as hell with a body that makes you want to grab it shouldn’t detract from what a giant jerk he is most of the time.

Next Day

As I walk through the front door, my mom is buzzing around the place, dusting all of the surfaces she can find and plumping cushions on the couch.

“Hey mom, I’ve come to help like you asked, I’ve got another shift soon though so I can’t stay too long,”

“That’s ok, I just need a bit of help around the house and making up Lucas’s bed. Will you come upstairs with me now and help? I called Noah and told him that he had to bring Lucas here no matter how much he protests,”

I follow my mom up the stairs into the spare bedroom. A pile of freshly laundered bed linens awaits us, and I put myself to work straight away with the pillowcases while my mom tackles the sheets.

“Mandy, I need to ask you a favor, I need to you to come and stay here for the week to look after Lucas. I just got a call for work, and one of the networks up north want to interview me live about my book. I was going to say no, but my agent worked so hard to get me this spot that I don’t want to let her down. Plus it’s just a really important interview, and will be such great publicity,”

I look aghast at my mom. I’m super proud of her and her writing career, but the idea of having to move back home even temporarily to be Lucas’s carer is not grabbing me as a good idea.

“Are you kidding mom? What about dad, he’s around isn’t he?” I reply, without being able to hide the annoyed tone in my voice.

“Yes Mandy, but you know how police work is, he’s not around all the time, and his shifts are anti-social hours. And that’s not to mention the times he gets called out with no warning at all…and don’t pout Mandy, you are far too old for that. I’m really not asking much,”

“I know mom, it’s just that I do have a job you know…it’s not like I have nothing to do all day,”

“Yes. I know Mandy, but it's not like you have a regular type of job is it?”

I silently carry on putting the covers on the rest of the pillows. I love my family, but they never fail to remind me that I don’t have a ‘proper’ job. Not to mention the fact that I only work in a bar, so in my mom’s eyes, I can legitimately just drop everything straight away. But at the same time, the last thing I want is my mom to think I’m not supportive of her writing career and so I don’t bother to fight it much.

“Mom, you are aware that Lucas and I are always at each other's throats right? He always teases me, and it’s not like we have anything at all in common is it?”

My mom stops what she’s doing instantly before giving me the cold hard stare of the ‘mom look’ that makes me squirm even though I’m in my mid 20’s.

“Honestly, you two are both grown-ups, and he’ll be fine. He’s not going anywhere, and you’ll just have to suck it up and get along. I don’t feel like I should have to tell you both how to behave. You are both old enough to know better, that’s for sure,”

I nod meekly in agreement. The truth is, after my hospital visit, my feelings about Lucas have been thrown further into confusion. I hate him, yet I had strange feelings of caring about him and of seeing him in a different light. Not to mention those other feelings that I really shouldn’t be having.

I don’t know what my brother would do if he found out that I was eyeing up his best friend, he’s so protective over me that he’d probably beat the living crap out of Lucas anyway, even if he hadn’t done anything. But what if Lucas was looking at me in the hospital the way I think he was and what if that hug really was as lingering as I imagined it to be?

I throw another of the pillows down on the bed and pick up the next one to be done and my mind zones in on the fact that I am making up a bed for Lucas, and naturally, I find myself imagining how it would be to be tangled up naked together in the crisp cotton sheets. My heart starts pounding hard, and the very thought of it makes my panties wet.

“Mandy…Mandy? Are you even listening to me?” I glance upwards and see my mother looking at me.

“Sorry mom, I was just lost in my own thoughts,”

“Apparently so. Anyway, All I was saying was, can I rely on you to look after Lucas then?

“I didn’t know I had a choice…”

“You don’t,” she replies matter of factly.

“Fine then, I’ll get my stuff after my shift and come back here,”

And so it seems to be set. I have to look after my brothers best friend who both annoys me and drives me crazy with his hot muscular body in equal measures. I think this is going to be a really long week.