My Arranged Marriage to Alex Gaskarth

Eden groaned as she tilted her head, she felt a cool cloth on her forehead and gentle hands tucking her into the doonas.
“Nice of you to join us” She heard the playful feminine voice say and Eden opened one eye to feel herself quite disorientated.

“Mina...?” She choked as her throat felt dry.
“Here have this love” Mina held a cup to Eden lips and Eden swallowed feeling the blessed liquid relieve her dry throat.
“What happened...?”
“Well you Missy felt like sleeping in the rain and had a really bad fever, you scared all of us to death, we feared you would catch pneumonia!” Mina said and looked away, as if she needed a moment to compose herself.

“You scared me, your mother and Alex half to death” Mina murmured and Eden felt bad, she had no idea they all cared so much about her and would’ve been so worried.
“I’m sorry...” Eden whispered and Mina pulled Eden into a tight embrace.
“Don’t do this to me ever again, okay?” Mina asked her pretty blue eyes wide.
“Promise” Eden nodded.
“W-where’s Alex...?” Eden said shyly and Mina smiled.
“I sent him off to bed; he didn’t leave your bedside in 3 days! The boy was exhausted by the time I got here!”

Eden’s eyes widen, Alex had stayed and taken care if her for three days!? But why...?? Why would he care?
“He...did?” She asked, Mina nodded and smiled knowingly.
“He does care a great deal about you, you know?” Mina said and Eden shook her head.
“Mimi, here’s that soup you wanted!” A feminine voice said and in entered a girl of about 8 years old with bright blue eyes that held a shocking resemblance of Mina which shocked Eden.

“Thanks Leah” Mina smiled adoringly towards the little girl, who came close to Eden and place the bowl of soup on the bed side table. The little girl flashed a dimpled smile at Eden and kissed Eden’s cheek, shocking Eden yet again.

“The fever’s gone” Leah said brightly, her eyes lit up the exact same way Mina’s did, though this little angel had wavy blonde hair, her and Mina looked almost identical.
“That’s good, good girl Leah but I think we should let Eden rest, don’t you?” Mina asked in a sweet voice and Leah nodded, flashing another adorable dimpled smile she walked out of the room.

“What...who was that?” Eden asked, Mina didn’t say she had a daughter!
“Oh that’s my baby sister Leah, she wanted to come with me today” Mina smiled and Eden sighed, not a daughter but a sister.
“I thought...you were adopted” Eden said slightly confused and Mina looked down and nodded.

“Yes, but I went and looked for my real birth mother Leila...you know, I think I needed closure as to why she didn’t want me and well...when I found her, it just it wasn’t the best place and Leah was 5 when I saw her and I just fell I love with her and mom couldn’t keep me away from my flesh and blood” Mina shrugged and Eden smiled weakly, feeling a bit dizzy.
“How about I help you eat some soup, then I’ll let you sleep hmm?” Mina asked and Eden nodded.

Eden woke up and felt tears running down her cheeks, she had had a dream of her father and she felt the jolt reminding her that her father was gone.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong sweetheart” Eden felt the warm calloused hand on her cheek; she opened her eyes and came face to face with Alex.

“Alex-” She choked and she felt the bed dip and she looked into his tired yet beautiful brown eyes.
“I-I want my dad” She sobbed and Alex pulled her against his chest.
“I know sweetie, I know” Alex murmured and Eden felt a sudden anger fill her body so quickly, she pushed out of Alex’s embrace.

“How could you possibly know!? You have no idea!” She said through clenched teeth.
“Eden...”
“No, I hate it when people fake sympathy, when they haven’t lost anyone they love and -”
“Eden, I know what you’re going through” Alex said starting to get a little annoyed.
“How!?”
“I lost my brother and I loved him just as much as you loved your dad!” Eden’s anger evaporated in a flash and her eyes grew as big as saucers, what Alex didn’t have a brother...did he?

“W-what?” Eden stuttered and Alex sighed,
“Forget it” He shook his head but Eden grabbed his hand seeing the broken and vulnerability on his face made her heart break.
“Please” she whispered, Alex looked at her and saw that she needed someone, anyone who knew what she was going through.

“My brother...Tom, he-” Alex choked and Eden stayed silent,
“He died when I was 12 and I never...never really got over it” He said and looked down, suddenly Eden remembered Mina saying that Alex has experienced loss in his life.
“He was my best friend you know and…then one day he’s gone and…” Alex squeezed his eyes shut.
“He left me…” Alex choked and Eden felt a wave of confusion.
“Your dad didn’t want to leave you Eden, Tom left me!”
“Alex-”

“No you need to know!” Alex said with determination and Eden knew he had to get it out.
“He committed suicide” Alex had tears streaming down his face and Eden’s heart broke into a hundred pieces.
“I’m so mad, I just- he broke my family apart he- he broke us! And I’d like to say I hate him but all I want is him to be here, tell him I’m sorry I wasn’t a better brother, tell him I needed, need him, tell him I- I love him and that I miss him-” Alex broke off and Eden felt her throat close off because of tears.

“I’m sorry Alex” She grabbed his face in her hands staring into his beautiful eyes, “It was not your fault Alex, It’s not your fault” Alex leaned on her shoulder and sobbed, never in her life had she thought that one day her and Alex would share things like this.

Eden hugged Alex tightly in her arms and she buried her face in his neck, comforting him and her. That moment felt so intimate for the two of them, somehow both knew things would never be the same, things had changed between them it was like now they were link together by loss and the beginning of something new. Eden and Alex fell asleep in each other’s embrace.