Hillary knew she wasn't at her best today. The volunteers didn't seem to notice—thankfully, she was good at keeping up appearances—but Tyson was Tyson. Annoyingly perceptive when it came to her. And, unfortunately, always willing to do something about it.

At least he'd chalked it up to her cold urticaria acting up again. She was grateful for the his assumption. She didn't think she had it in her to out right lie to him, not that he wouldn't see through her lie immediately.

The cold utricaria reason wasn't wrong, exactly. She'd already taken another epipen shot on her way to school. Hiler lips twitched with a suppressed laugh every time she remembered how close Kai had been from asking the cab driver to turn back home, fundraiser be damned.

The cold did slow her down, but that wasn't all. The exhaustion ran way deeper. Her body still ached from last night—her stiff joints, the near suffocation, the intense pain in her stomach every time she stretched a bit... She took a step forward, forcing her limbs to move faster than they wanted.

The ache in her muscles lingered, dull but persistent. Her vision blurred for half a second before sharpening again, and she swallowed past the dryness in her throat. Gods above, she really wasn't in the best of shape. But no time for that. She had work to do.

And she wasn't about to let Tyson slow her down.

She glanced back as Kai led Cassie away, her brows furrowed. She would have felt offended if she hadn't been this tired. For all his brooding concern and insistence on keeping an eye on her all day, Kai sure ditched her fast. She had half a mind to catch his attention, but with both Cassie and Tyson with them, she didn't think it would be possible.

It was sometime later that she realized why. Tyson wasn't obvious. Not when other volunteers were around.

But the second they were alone?

Oh, he was insufferable.

"You sure you're good?"

Hillary didn't even look up this time. "Yes, mom."

Tyson huffed. "You say that, but—"

"I'm fine."

For a second, she thought he'd dropped it. He'd already asked her the same question four times as it is.

She should've known better.

The second she reached for something—he got there first. A chair? He snatched it up. A stack of flyers? Gone before her fingers even brushed them.

The first time, she bit back a sigh. The second time, she tried to keep her hands steady, willing herself to move faster. But even she couldn't ignore the way her fingers trembled slightly when she reached for the next thing—nor the way Tyson's gaze flickered to them before he smoothly grabbed it himself.

Hillary hated feeling this weak. She took a slow, deep breath, crossing her arms and turning towards him. "Tyson."

"Hillary."

"Go away."

He gasped, clutching his chest. "You wound me."

She bit back a smile. Barely. "I mean it."

"I know." He grinned. "And I'm still not going anywhere."

She threw her hands in the air. "Why are you like this?"

Tyson's grin widened, sticking out his tongue. "Because I care?"

That—

She wasn't prepared for that.

For the way he said it so easily. So genuinely.

It threw her off for half a second.

She was worried she'd tear up then and there. Then she scowled. "That's not an excuse to be overbearing."

He shrugged. "Disagree."

As though it was a minor inconvenience.

"Tyson—"

"Look," he said, a little more seriously this time. "I know you can handle yourself. I also know you're exhausted, and you're gonna push yourself until you pass out because you feel you're responsible for all this."

"I am responsible for all this." She said instantly, and Tyson looked like he was seconds away from smacking his own head against the wall.

When did their roles interchange?

She frowned, not just at his words, but at how her legs felt heavier than they should. How her pulse had been pounding in her head for longer than she cared to admit.
"And since I also know you won't slow down just because I ask," he continued, "I'm just gonna stick around. Make sure you don't overdo it." He smirked. "You know... Whether you like it or not."

Hillary opened her mouth—then closed it.

No wonder Kai left her with him of all people. She doubted even Kai could've kept an eye on her and still let her work as smoothly as Tyson had all morning. And that was saying something, since Kai had kept watch on her all night.

And, as much as she wanted to argue...

He wasn't wrong.

Not that she was going to admit it.

She rolled her eyes instead. "Fine. Just— stay out of my way."

Tyson threw up a lazy salute, still grinning ridiculously. "Yes, ma'am."

She exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her temples, still trying to bite back a smile. "You are so annoying." she managed to say with a somewhat straight face.

Tyson beamed. "And yet, here we are."

She huffed, walking away. "I don't have time for this."

He didn't budge.

She shot him a glare, looking back. "I mean it."

He followed her this time.

Just as she was starting to think he might finally behave—

He bumped his shoulder against hers.

Not hard. Just enough to test her reaction.

She shot him a look. "Seriously?"

"Oops."

She wanted to be mad. She really did.

But damn it, he was being so ridiculous she couldn't even bring herself to be annoyed.

She shook her head, exasperated, finally losing the battle to keep back a smile. "You are such a dork."

Tyson grinned, knowing exactly what he was doing. "Yeah, but I'm your dork."

Something about the way he said it made her pause.

There was something about his smile—about the way his eyes lingered on her for just a second too long... But it passed before she could look back again. She was too tired to figure out why it felt different anyway.

So she groaned instead. "Oh my god."

Tyson just laughed, nudging her again, just because he could.

She turned back to work, pretending not to notice how he matched her pace now.

Or the smile in his voice.

Or the fact that, for all his hovering... she didn't really mind.

*****

The food exhibition was a massive success. By noon, the venue buzzed with chatter and laughter, families and students alike savoring the dishes on display. The volunteers were in high spirits, moving efficiently through the crowd, and for once, Hillary didn't have to micromanage every detail.

Which was good. Because she had a lot more to worry about.

She stood near the main booth, scanning the setup with practiced ease. Everything was smooth. Organized. Under control.

It helped that Cassie and Luke had volunteered to take over the overseeing part, allowing her to focus on the evening concert preparations.

The evening concert was set to be one of the biggest highlights of the fundraiser. They were nearly houseful and it was only noon, and the amount of prep left was overwhelming. Stage arrangements, lighting checks, sound tests—everything needed finalizing.

The auditorium was already filling up with staff making last-minute adjustments. Hillary barely had a moment to breathe, but that was normal. The exhaustion pressing against her limbs? Not normal.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she checked the event schedule. It was subtle—nothing noticeable.

Except to Tyson.

Who was suddenly right beside her, handing her a bottle of water.

Hillary blinked at it. "I'm fine."

Tyson gave her a long, unimpressed look. "Uh-huh. Drink."

Hillary sighed but took the bottle, mostly to avoid the argument. She took a sip, feeling the coolness slide down her throat.

Tyson didn't say anything, just leaned against the stage, watching her.

She rolled her eyes. "You can stop hovering now."

"Nope."

She groaned. "You are the worst."

Tyson smirked. "And yet, here we are."

She huffed and turned away, pretending to focus on her clipboard.

But she didn't tell him to leave.

Because, deep down, she knew he wasn't wrong.

*****

The auditorium was packed. Houseful. The energy was electric, the crowd buzzing with anticipation. Volunteers bustled backstage, finalizing last-minute details, while the performers warmed up.

Hillary was in full event-manager mode, making sure everything ran smoothly. Despite the exhaustion still pressing at her limbs, she kept going, pushing through. There was no time to slow down.

Not with five minutes left until showtime.

She was in the green room. Tyson and Cassie were set to go on stage first, starting the event. Cassie looked stunning in a dark blue gown, her hair pinned up in an elaborate updo. She wore simple white-stone jewellery, making, complimenting her dress. Hillary wasn't surprised—Cassie always knew how to make an entrance.

But Tyson—

Tyson cleaned up too well.

Dressed in a tailored navy blue suit, hair just slightly tousled in a way that looked effortless but was probably intentional, he looked—

Distracting.

Not that Hillary was about to say that out loud.

"Okay," she said, shaking herself out of it. "You two are up first. Keep it smooth, stick to the script, and—"

Her words trailed off as she looked at Tyson properly.

His tie was slightly off.

She frowned.

"Hold still."

Before he could react, she stepped closer, reaching out to straighten it.

Tyson went completely still.

It was only a second.

But in that second, everything else seemed to fade.

Her fingers brushed the fabric of his tie, adjusting the knot. She was too focused to notice the way his breath hitched slightly—or the way his usual teasing expression softened into something else entirely.

She was too busy realising Cassie and Tyson were twinning in midnight blue, just like Tyson's hair, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She was now realising why most presidents had chosen to host the events they were organizing.

Cassie was about to spend the next few hours of the evening on stage, welcoming guests, hyping up the audience, while she was stuck with the technicians, adjusting logistics.

Cassie was going to be at the center of attention basically, with none other than Tyson by her side, while she made sure nothing messed up their performance.

She was half mad at herself that she'd thought that ahead and delegated the task. Seeing Tyson now, she wanted to be the one beside Tyson.

Hillary did notice, when Tyson suddenly smirked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"You know," he said, voice annoyingly smug, "If you wanted to get this close to me for so long, you could've just said so."

Hillary immediately let go, scowling.

"Tyson."

"Yes, dear?"

She exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to strangle him. She didn't want to raise questions on why one of their hosts had a swollen throat. "Try not to embarrass yourself out there."

Tyson grinned. "No promises."

Cassie rolled her eyes at this, already looking exasperated. Her lips twitched upwards as she thought of how she'd be by the end of the night.

She rolled her eyes, stepping back. "Get out there."

Tyson shot her one last grin before turning to follow Cassie onto the stage upstairs.

Hillary crossed her arms, exhaling slowly as she watched them go. She immediately sat down on the bean bags, bending down between her legs to breathe deeply for a few counts before glancing up. She must have gotten in contact with snow again, she thought thinking back to her way to the green room, hurriedly dusting away the snow on her cap.

Resigned of her fate, she took another shot of epipen, feeling the adrenaline rush immediately. She was going to regret it tomorrow, she thought as she glanced at the mirror now.

Her makeup had dulled up a bit, still covering up her flushed face, but anyone who paid attention to her could now see something was wrong with her.

She glanced at the small make-up kit Cassie had left open beside the mirror. Maybe to touch up whenever she came down between performances.

Hillary mentally mouthed a small apology to Cassie as she took her concealer, blending it in with quick, practiced movements. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. She set the compact down, exhaling through her nose as she straightened up.

The adrenaline was already working its way through her system, keeping her upright, but the exhaustion was still there— lurking just beneath the surface.

No time for that now.

She grabbed her clipboard and earpiece, pressing it into place as she tuned in to the backstage chatter. The tech crew was checking the final sound levels, the lighting team was adjusting the angles, and the stagehands were standing by for the first transition.

Showtime.

Hillary pushed herself up, stepping out of the green room just as the auditorium erupted into applause. She caught a glimpse of the stage through the side curtains—Cassie and Tyson were already in the spotlight, greeting the audience with practiced ease.

Cassie had a natural charisma, poised, elegant and lovely. Tyson, on the other hand—he worked the crowd effortlessly, his energy infectious as he hyped them up for the night ahead.

Hillary sighed, glad to know her bet on Tyson wasn't baseless. She was also glad that Cassie's on-stage chemistry with Tyson was much more better than what she'd hoped! She could see the number of hours Cassie had put into preparing for this, they were nearly perfect!

Hillary then glanced at her watch. The next twenty minutes would be crucial—ensuring the transitions ran smoothly, keeping the performers on schedule, and making sure the guests had everything they needed.

"Hillary," one of the volunteers called, jogging up to her. "We've got a small issue. Nothing urgent, but we thought you might want to see this."

Of course they did .

Hillary closed her eyes briefly. Wonderful.

She glanced back at the mirror one last time before making her way out of the green room.

She had a long night ahead of her. She couldn't afford to look anything less than ready to take on the world.

Thankfully , the girl staring back at her in the mirror didn't disappoint.

*****

Words: 2265

*****

A/N: Hello guys, so here's the most awaited tyhil moments! How was the chapter? Which part was your favorite? Whom do you want to see next?

And here's a new offer for you guys. This book has no shortage of readers, that's for sure. I see quite a number of people put this book on their reading list every other day. I have no idea how many more add it to their private library alone.

So, here's the thing. I'll post a new chapter every week anyway, but if a chapter votes cross 19 (my lucky no), I'll post the next chapter too! How does that sound? Tell me what you think of this new preposition... It just popped up in my head, thought I'll ask you guys...

The weekly updates on Tuesday won't be affected by this, but we could progress through the story faster this way.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Votes and comments are most appreciated!

Happy Belated Ugadi and Ramadan to those who celebrate it!