Happy Thanksgiving! This one is a bit short, but I'll be posting another tomorrow!
I'm Fine...
Evie was exhausted when she got home. Training with Gladio didn't help her feel better like she thought it would. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier in the day at the mall, and how disappointed Cor seemed in her. He knew she was lying; that she wasn't telling him something. Why did he even want to know so bad? It was old personal business. She appreciated that he cared about her safety, but she didn't want him to know that much history about her. She didn't want to remember a lot of it herself.
She didn't feel like eating, so she just showered, put on some pajamas, and laid on her bed. Her hair was still wet but she didn't care. She held her pillow and started crying. She hadn't cried like this since her brother disappeared. She hadn't even cried like this when she found out Jason was cheating on her. She knew her tears weren't for him or Hank. They were for Cor. She felt terrible about lying to him and she couldn't take knowing that he was ashamed of her; that she had pushed him away. She felt alone again and she hated it. It was an hour before she finally fell asleep, her face still wet.
Evie woke up late the next morning and felt miserable. She was exhausted, her throat was sore, and she ached all over. She got up and washed her face quickly before looking in the mirror. She was pale and her eyes were puffy. She put on some makeup, hoping to make herself look normal, threw on some clean clothes, grabbed her new jacket and ran out the door to work. She had considered taking a sick day, but she didn't want to disappoint Cor anymore than she had the day before.
She found a note for her on Cor's desk. He was out with Monica, taking care of some business, and had left her some work to finish for him. She had met Monica a few times, as well as other Crownsguard members, and thought they were great. Something bothered her about Cor spending his time with the woman today, though. She knew the feeling, but refused to admit what it was to herself.
She finished the paperwork Cor had left her, and he still wasn't back. So Evie decided to walk around the Citadel and grounds for a while. She was deep in thought, when she almost collided with someone.
"Whoa, Evie," she heard Nyx's voice, "are you alright?"
She looked up at him, her head was pounding and she was having trouble thinking straight. I must need more sleep, she thought to herself.
"I...I'm fine," she answered him with a fake smile, "just tired."
Nyx looked her over with concern. She looked the opposite of fine.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should visit the infirmary to make sure. I could take you, now," he offered softly.
"No, thank you, I'm fine. I'll just go rest for awhile," she answered.
He studied her, uncertain if he should leave her alone.
"Alright, then. If you change your mind, call me," he said, holding his hand to his ear like a phone.
Evie nodded and waved goodbye before continuing her walk. It wasn't long, however, before she encountered another friend.
"Miss Evie?" She heard an accented voice call nearby. She turned toward it and saw Ignis making his way over to her.
"Hello, Ignis," she greeted weakly.
"Good morning. I hope you are well," he started, but his face changed as he noticed her pallor and tired eyes, "but it seems as though you are not."
"No, no, I'm fine. Just tired is all," she tried to explain. Even her voice sounded different.
"I see," the advisor said, not convinced, "Would you care to grab some coffee with me, I could use a pick-me-up, myself."
"Oh, sure!" Evie said, her spirits lifted a little now that she had something to do that would take her mind off of Cor and work.
"Very well," he smiled, "let us take the Regalia. I'll need it later for Noct anyway."
The coffee felt good against Evie's sore throat and made her feel a little more awake, but her chill remained for some reason.
"How are you enjoying working for the Marshal?" he asked her as they sipped.
"Well, it has been great...but I think he may currently be avoiding me," she replied honestly.
"Avoiding you?" He asked, surprised at her answer, "That doesn't sound like the Marshall. Why would he be avoiding you?"
Evie sighed, then explained the events from the day before as well as her belief that she had upset Cor. She wasn't sure why she was telling him all this. She needed someone to talk to and Ignis felt safe right now. Or maybe she was just really not feeling well, and it was taking its toll on her.
"So you did lie to him," he asked.
"I didn't tell him the whole truth," Evie clarified, "I never told Cor, or anyone else, but Jason, Hank, and a few other people were part of the reason that I left Lestallum. Not the only reason, but definitely a part of it."
"I understand that all of this is personal, Evie," he sighed and straightened his glasses, before continuing, "but maybe the Marshal is concerned that this past history could come back to hurt you and to affect others connected to you."
"What do you mean?" She asked, setting her cup down.
"Well, if either of these men want to hurt you, they could also be a threat to those involved with you, including anyone at the Citadel."
"I...I had not thought of that," she admitted, looking away to think. "I don't believe that either Jason or Hank would be foolish or brave enough to try to get to me at the Citadel. I don't even think they would try to do anything outside of the Citadel. Hank just startled me yesterday, that's all."
"Has either of them ever tried to hurt you before?" He asked, looking up from his mug.
"Neither has tried to kill me," she answered.
"That wasn't my question, Evie," Ignis stared at her, but she said nothing. He sighed before looking away. "I think you should speak to Cor and tell him the truth. If you want to fix how you feel about all of this, that is the best option."
"I know," she finally admitted, "I'm just scared of his reaction, I guess."
"You shouldn't be Evie. The Marshal is a good man, even if he seems intimidating at times, and he cares about you. As do I," he said softly.
"Thank you, Ignis," she replied. Her head was spinning and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She couldn't tell if it was because of their conversation and what she knew she had to do, or because of something else.
They made their way back to the Citadel and on the way up the stairs, Evie felt dizzy and stumbled.
"Evie?" she felt Ignis catch her before she fell. She was feeling worse. Her head was still pounding, she felt even weaker, her throat and muscles were still sore, and she couldn't stop shaking.
"Evie, my dear, you're burning up," he commented, though she barely heard him. She felt him pick her up before she fell unconscious.
