Chapter Eleven: What the Heart Wants – What the Mind Thinks

Trey woke slowly and reluctantly, so comfortable and warm that he didn't want his eyes to open. When they finally did, he found Alex snuggled into his side, still under his blankets. He, on the other hand, had been on top of them but someone had covered him with a quilt.

Delaney, he figured. She must have crept into his room to check on Alex and found him sleeping beside her. He carefully extracted his arm from beneath Alex's head and slipped out of bed. He didn't want to chance Delaney coming in again and seeing him awake and in such a cozy position. She was going to be cooing about it all day as it was.

He checked Alex's breathing, mostly reassuring himself that she was still alive, and then tucked the blankets under her chin before leaving her to attend to his own breakfast.

"How is our patient this morning?" Trina asked as she prepared an array of hot breakfast foods and arranged them on plates. She slid one to Delaney

"Okay I guess," Trey said with a shrug. "Sleeping."

"That's good," Trina said as she smothered a smile and gave Delaney a wink.

Trey rolled his eyes as he accepted his plate from Trina and dug into his breakfast. He knew what that conspiratorial wink meant – she'd seen him sleeping with Alex, too, and probably shared Delaney's view that it was 'cute.'

"Trey," Trina sighed as she leaned against the stove and folded her arms over her bosom in a matronly manner. "Delaney hasn't told me much about our new guest and I'm getting a little concerned. For one thing, where are her parents?"

Trey swallowed and his eggs caught in his throat. He gulped some orange juice to chase the eggs down and shrugged as he moved his food around on his plate. "She doesn't have any."

Trina's arms fell as her mouth popped wide open. "She has no parents?"

There was no use lying, he figured, as he was certain once Alex was well, she'd return to that hovel in which she lived. "Her mother is a drug addict and her father is…well, she doesn't know. She lives in some old warehouse."

"Oh, Trey," Trina groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "This is not good."

Delaney glanced at him, her mouth in a straight line. He shrugged again and forked some eggs in his mouth. He didn't want to mention the other two people she lived with – for some reason their protection was very important to Alex.

"We need to do something," Trina said.

"We need to help her get better and then let her go where she wants," Trey said with authority in his voice.

"But we could help her," Delaney said weakly.

"We could call Child Protective Services," Trina said.

"No," Trey barked as his fork fell from his fingers and clattered on the table. "She doesn't want that. She has more experience with that sort of thing than we do and if she is dead set against it, then I think we should respect her wishes."

"But, but," Delaney stammered.

Trey shoved away from the table and stood, his eyes blazing. "Don't you think I'd like to help her, too? Don't you think that I hate that she lives out there somewhere while we sit here in our warm house and our bountiful food and all this other shit that we don't need but think we can't live without?"

"Trey," Trina said softly as she crossed the room to take his hand. "I understand your anger and I think it's admirable what you're doing for her. But maybe we should get someone else involved."

He shook his head vehemently. "No. If you try, I'll take her somewhere else."

"Don't do that!" Delaney protested as she jumped from the table and joined the rest of them in the middle of the floor. "Don't, Trey! She needs to stay here and rest."

"He's not going to take her," Trina soothed. "We will leave her be and when she's better and stronger, we'll talk to her and see what we can do to help her."

Trey nodded curtly and Trina released his hand. He stormed out of the kitchen and through the living room, taking the stairs two at a time, and hurried into his bedroom. Alex stirred, her eyes fluttering open, and smiled when she spotted him. All his anger left him in a rush.

"Good morning," she said her voice still hoarse.

"Hey," he said as he sank to the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," she said. "A little stronger. Maybe I can go home?"

He snorted as half a grin took over his mouth. "Not likely."

She smiled and eased her body upright. She reached out to run her hand down his arms, sending a thrill down his spine. "I didn't think so. Have you checked on Owen and Sabrina?"

"Yesterday," he grunted. It peeved him that she was so concerned with the other two when she was sick and needed to concentrate on getting better. Those two friends of hers where capable of taking care of themselves. The other girl – the pretty one with the scar – had to be older than Alex. Why couldn't she watch over that angry Owen?

He sighed as he looked at her face, still so pale. She'd always worry over the other two. They were the only people who'd stuck by her – the only ones who probably loved her. They were her family – the real family. Her so-called biological family had let her down.

"I'll go by there today again," he relented. "Will that make you feel better?"

She scooted to the end of the bed, placed her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek before giving him a long squeeze. His arms instinctively wrapped around her and he closed his eyes as he accepted her embrace.

"Thank you, Trey," she whispered.

"Sure."

She pointed at the door as she got to her wobbly feet. "I'm going to…use the bathroom."

He nodded and she scampered out of the room. He dropped his head to his hands as the hopelessness of the situation caught up to him. How could he ever help her properly? How could he get her out of that drafty building? He could talk to his parents about her – his mother was a bleeding heart and would fall head over heels in love with Alex. His parents would help her if they could. But would they insist on calling the authorities? Maybe not if Alex explained her predicament.

But what about the other two? There was no way in hell Alex would abandon them to save herself.

His dad had several attorneys on retainer – certainly one of them could figure out how to keep Alex from her worthless mother. But what about Owen? He was about Delaney's age. And Sabrina – she was most likely of age but there was something obvious wrong with her. For one thing, Trey had never heard her speak. Was she not able to talk?

"Is something wrong?"

He lifted his head as she walked into the room and shut the door behind her. She stood nervously before him, looking so helpless and pretty at the same time. She wore a pair of Delaney's green silk pajamas that brought out the color in her eyes. Her blonde hair tumbled messily to her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at him in concern.

He couldn't help what he did next nor did he even consider her illness. He just grabbed her arms and yanked her to the bed. Her lips parted in surprise as he pressed his to them. Once the shock wore off, she wound her arms around his neck and held him tightly as she fell to the mattress, taking him with her.

He kissed her softly for a moment and then pulled back to offer a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. I guess I shouldn't have done that," he said.

She buried her fingers in his thick hair as her eyes partially closed. "I don't mind except I'm afraid that you'll get sick, too."

He sat up and pulled her up next to him. "Then maybe now is not a good time."

"Maybe not," she said with a barely concealed smile. "Um, so, what's going on today?"

"You should probably eat some breakfast," he said as he stood up and offered her a hand. "Would you like to eat downstairs or up here again?"

"Downstairs," she said as she slipped her hand in his. "Thanks."

"You bet," he said as he led her out of the room and to the kitchen, all his worries swept aside for later.

XxX

A deep groove appeared in Ashlee's forehead as she frowned. She donned the dreaded, hateful plastic gloves and gazed around the kitchen area but she didn't see the diminutive Alex anywhere.

What the hell was going on? How was she to get started on her revenge if the little runt wasn't even there? And how could she be expected to make it through the evening, serving slop to nasty homeless people without having Alex as an amusing distraction?

She fixed her face with a haughty expression and approached Alice. "Where is Alex?"

Alice was taken aback by the question momentarily. "Alex? She's ill, dear. She won't be here tonight."

"Ill?" Ashlee asked. "How can she be ill?"

"It's that time of year," Alice said as she moved around Ashlee to heave a stainless steel vat off a work station and carry it to the serving area.

Ashlee followed desperately. "Certainly she can still work. I mean, the girl lives and breathes helping people. I doubt if a little PMS will keep her from helping."

"I'm afraid she has a case of the flu," Alice said as she continued to prepare for the evening rush. "Even though I'm sure she wants to be here, she can't serve food. It's not sanitary."

"Like these people give a shit," Ashlee mumbled under her breath. She sighed and resigned herself to a boring, uneventful night.

As she scooped peas onto plates, her mind reformulated her plan. She'd intended on questioning Alex relentlessly in an effort to get answers from her – or an admission that she did indeed know Trey. But that was going to have to wait and it was making her a bit antsy. Her soup kitchen sentence would finish Friday (ugh, another Friday night since Saturday was a holiday) and after that, who knew when she'd see the little poor girl. Well, she could always roam the poor side of town or – and she shuddered to think about it – she could wait outside the soup kitchen when she knew Alex was working.

She sighed as she eyed the long line and wished the night would hurry up and end. She really wanted to exact her revenge before the holiday break ended. She wanted the story to rampage the school on the first day back and totally humiliate Natasha.

She felt a twinge of guilt at what the story would do to Trey but he was a man and he could take it. Besides, he probably wouldn't care. Hell, Ashlee was doing him a favor by getting Natasha off of him. Trey was hot – he could do much better.

XxX

Alex had spent an enjoyable day with Trey and Delaney. Delaney was incredibly sweet and Trey had dropped his gruff, grumpy exterior and had played a board game with them even though he'd kept up a steady stream of complaints, claiming that video games were much better.

The little time they'd spent alone, he'd been considerate and charming. He hadn't kissed her since that morning but she could see the longing in his eyes and knew that it had to match that in hers. It was a dangerous game they were playing for how could it ever work? It was the world's oldest cliché – he was the rich boy and she the poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Certainly his parents would not approve and how could she indulge in a romance when she was too busy just trying to survive?

Her heart desperately tried to override her head and, for the most part, was winning. Anytime he looked at her she melted a little more inside.

The struggles were on his face, though. He had far more to lose than she. He had dignity and family and friends and a future. She lived one day at a time.

She prepared for bed that night, using a new toothbrush that Trey had purchased for her, and wearing pajamas that Delaney had loaned her, and thought about the soup kitchen. She should have been there, working and earning the food that fed her and her friends throughout the winter. She should have been the one checking on Owen and Sabrina, not lounging around in a luxurious bed.

She finished brushing her teeth and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were still puffy and her nose red. Her cheeks were flushed but her fever was gone. Her chest was clearing although her cough insisted on hanging around. She was getting better and could probably manage on her own, but Trey, Delaney, and Trina had ordered her to stay for a few more days.

She hadn't argued, either, even though guilt lurked in the back of her mind. She was enjoying being with Trey and dreaded the day she left. But, on the other hand, she knew that Owen and Sabrina counted on her to take care of them. Owen needed her to keep him out of trouble and Sabrina was just a lost soul.

"I can't decide anything tonight," she told her reflection as she pushed away from the marble countertop and exited the bathroom. She crossed the hall and pushed his door open cautiously, always afraid she'd catch him changing clothes or something.

He was at his desk, typing away at a computer, so she sat on his bed and watched.

"Hey," he said without looking at her. "Trina brought up your cold meds. They're on the nightstand."

"Thanks," she said as she popped the tablets in her mouth and chased them with a swallow of water. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Updating my Facebook page. My friends have been wondering where I've been hiding."

She bit her lip. "I didn't mean to keep you from your friends."

"You didn't," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Her mind raced to Owen and she wondered if she should broach the subject of Owen's father. Could she trust Trey? Would Owen be mad?

He finished what he was doing and twisted his chair to face her. He grinned. "Trina suggested rather strongly that I sleep in one of the guest rooms now that you're feeling better."

She stared at him, wondering what to say. She couldn't imagine spending the night alone in his room. She wasn't afraid in the least – she'd just liked having him with her while she slept.

"I don't mind if you sleep here," she said. "But if Trina thinks it's inappropriate, then maybe you should sleep elsewhere. Or I could. I don't want to kick you out of your room."

"Screw it," he said as he stood and stretched. He'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt – his usual sleepwear. "I'll stay here with you."

She climbed into his bed and scooted over to make room for him. He joined her and, after shutting off the light, he wrapped her in his arms. His lips grazed her cheek and she shuddered pleasantly and turned her face to him. His lips met hers and made her heart pound.

Passion exploded between them and he rolled until he was over her, his kisses turning frantic. His hand had inched its way under her pajama top and his fingers skimmed her skin. It was not unpleasant but her stuffed nose and congested chest made breathing difficult.

"Trey," she mumbled against his lips.

"Hm?" he asked as his continued to kiss her.

"Stop," she choked.

He pulled back in horror as she started to cough.

"Fuck," he muttered as he dropped to the mattress beside her. "Sorry. I guess I let things get out of hand."

"It's okay," she said as her coughing fit passed. "I just couldn't breath."

"Yeah, well you don't need me mauling you," he said bitterly.

She already missed his touch but she didn't think she was ready for things to get physical. She liked him and she enjoyed his kisses but sex was not something she had any experience in. She just hadn't had the time.

She rolled to her side and placed at hand on his chest. She could feel his heart and it was beating as hard as hers was. "Trey, it's okay. I don't mind but I'm just not totally better yet."

She didn't want to be a tease but she didn't want him to think she was…inexperienced.

He rolled to his side to face her and she could almost make out his features in the dark. "Have you had sex before, Alex?"

Her hesitation was his answer.

"That's what I thought," he said as he flopped to his back.

"Sorry," she whispered as anger filled her. "Maybe you're used to girls who spend their days dreaming of sleeping with you, but I've had other things to worry about besides sex."

"Chill out, Alex," he said. "I'm not mad at you."

"Oh."

"You're right. I have been with girls who have had plenty of experience," he explained. "I just have to remember that you're not one of them. And that is not a bad thing, either. It's kind of nice."

"Oh," she said. A thrill shot through her body but a wave of caution quickly followed. She needed to keep her head and not act like a silly little girl with a crush. "Well, I am not one of those girls and I don't know that I want to be. I also don't know that I want to just have sex with you."

He chuckled and rolled to his side again. He tugged her against his chest and kissed her soundly. "I know that I want to have sex with you. But I'll wait."

He kissed her speechless.

"Get some sleep, Alex," he said as he yawned. "We have some stuff to talk about in the morning."

That puzzled her but exhaustion smacked her face and her still ill body surrendered. She slipped into sleep and dreamt of Alex building snowmen in the park.

A/N: Thanks for your patience. Sorry for the sporadic posting. I have already started on the next chapter so hopefully it won't take as long. Thanks for the reviews, too.