The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Chapter 60

ASTRA

Monday Morning

Lucas had woken up with a high fever.

It was rare for the twins to get sick, they were both incredibly healthy, thanks to the best doctors, nutritionists, and constahy monitoring money could buy. So when Lucas started feeling hot and sluggish, Elira had immediately called the family

doctor.

The doctor had come and gone an hour ago, confirming it was just a mild viral fever. He prescribed medicine, plenty of rest and fluids.

But Elira was still a wreck.

I sat by Lucas’ bedside in his room, gently wiping his forehead with a cool damp cloth. He looked so small curled up unde the soft blankets, cheeks flushed from the fever.

“You’re going to be okay, sweetheart,” I whispered, brushing his dark hair back. “The medicine will kick in soon.”

Elira paced near the door, elegant even in her worry. She kept twisting her hands together, eyes never leaving her son.

“I don’t understand,” she said softly, voice strained. “He was fine yesterday. The twins never get sick like this…”

I looked up at her with a gentle smile.

“Kids get fevers sometimes, even healthy ones,” I said calmly. “His temperature is already starting to come down a little. He just needs rest and love. You’ve done everything right.”

Landon stood by the doorway, arms crossed, watching everything with his usual cold, calculating expression. He hadn’t said much, but his presence made the room feel heavier.

Elira stopped pacing and looked at me, her eyes softening slightly.

“Thank you, Astra,” she said quietly. “You’re so good with them. I don’t know what I’d do without you here.”

I gave her a small smile and continued gently wiping Lucas’ face. He stirred a little and mumbled sleepily, “Astra… stay.”

“I’m right here,” I reassured him softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Landon finally spoke, his voice low and commanding.

“Mason already left for school with the bus. Keep Lucas hydrated. I have meetings, but I’ll check in later.”

He gave one last look at his sick son before turning and walking away.

Elira sighed, clearly torn.

“I should stay home today,” she murmured.

“You can if you want,” I said gently. “But I’ve got him. Go handle what you need to. I’ll text you updates every hour.”

She hesitated, then nodded gratefully and leaned down to kiss Lucas’ forehead before leaving the room.

The bedroom fell quiet again, except for the soft hum of the air conditioner.

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Chapter 60

You

I stayed beside Lucas, humming a quiet lullaby my mom used to sing to me when I was sick, gently stroking his hair.

Even while taking care of him… my mind kept drifting.

To Zane.

To Jason’s soft kiss on my cheek last night.

To the chaos my life had become.

Lucas shifted in his sleep and reached out, grabbing my hand weakly.

I squeezed it back, pushing everything else aside.

Right now, this sweet boy needed me.

And for once, I was grateful for the distraction.

Lucas stirred again, his small body trembling under the blankets.

“I’m cold, Astra…” he whimpered, voice weak and sleepy.

I frowned. His skin was still burning hot to the touch, but fevers could make kids feel freezing even when they were boiling. Without hesitation, I slipped off my slippers and carefully climbed into the large bed beside him.

“Come here, baby,” I whispered softly.

I wrapped my arms around his small frame, pulling him against my chest. He immediately curled into me, burying his hot face in my neck and holding on tight. Even though he was burning up, I didn’t mind. I just held him closer, rubbing slow circles on his back.

I started singing quietly.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star… how I wonder what you are…”

Lucas sighed and snuggled even closer, his little hand fisting my shirt.

I kept singing softly, stroking his dark hair, humming between verses. His breathing slowly evened out as the medicine started working.

I didn’t plan to fall asleep.

But the exhaustion from the past few days finally caught up to me. My eyes grew heavy as I held Lucas tight, his warmth seeping into me.

Sleep dragged me under gently.

We stayed like that for nearly two hours.

When I woke up, the room was dimmer, afternoon light filtering through the curtains.

I blinked slowly… and froze.

Zane was standing in the doorway.

Still in his Harrington uniform, white shirt, loosened tie, blazer hanging over one shoulder. He was leaning against the doorframe, staring at us with an unreadable expression.

My heart jumped.

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Chapter 60

I thought he had gone to school.

55 euch

I carefully untangled myself from Lucas, tucking the blankets around him properly before sliding out of the bed. My hair was messy, and my clothes were wrinkled from sleeping.

Zane stepped into the room silently, his eyes flicking from me to his little brother.

“How is he?” he asked, voice cold.

I swallowed, still a little disoriented from sleep.

“His fever went down a bit,” I replied softly. “He’s been resting. The doctor said it’s just a mild virus.”

Zane walked closer to the bed without saying anything. He reached down and gently stroked Lucas’ head, his large hand surprisingly careful as he brushed the dark hair from his brother’s forehead.

Something in my chest tightened at the sight.

For a moment, the cold, arrogant bully disappeared, and I saw something else, a protective older brother who actually cared.

Zane didn’t look at me.

But I couldn’t stop staring at him.

Zane didn’t say anything else.

He just kept gently stroking Lucas’ hair for a few more seconds, his expression unreadable. Then he turned and walked out of the room without even glancing at me.

The silence he left behind stung more than I wanted to admit.

I stayed a little longer, making sure Lucas was comfortable and sleeping peacefully, before quietly slipping out of the room.

Downstairs, the kitchen was buzzing with soft chatter. Nadine, one of the younger housekeepers, was folding napkins while Jamie and Sally (two of the kitchen assistants) were prepping vegetables.

Nadine looked up first and smiled warmly.

“Hey Astra, how is the young master Lucas?”

I sighed and sat on one of the high counter stools, resting my elbows on the marble island.

“He’s doing better,” I said softly. “Fever’s starting to come down. He’s just really tired.”

Jamie and Sally both made sympathetic noises.

“Poor baby.” Sally said. “The twins hardly ever get sick. Must’ve caught something at the yacht club yesterday.”

I nodded, then turned toward Chef Marco, who was already watching me with a kind smile.

“Chef Marco… do we have chicken breast, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and some noodles?” I asked hopefully.

He raised an eyebrow, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Sure, Miss Astra. What do you want to make?”

“I want to make a light chicken vegetable noodle soup for Lucas this afternoon.” I said. “Something gentle on his stomach but still nutritious.”

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Chapter 60

Chef Marco’s face softened.

“Ah, comfort food. Good choice. I’ll get everything for you.”

65 voinde

I slipped behind the counter, tying on an apron. The staff watched me with warm, slightly surprised expressions/as I started chopping vegetables and boiling the chicken.

“You’re really good with them,” Nadine said quietly. “Not many people would make soup from scratch for a kid who’s not even theirs.”

I smiled faintly, focused on the cutting board.

“I just want him to feel better.”

As I worked, stirring the pot, seasoning carefully, tasting to make sure it wasn’t too strong, the kitchen felt peaceful.

For a little while, I could push away the chaos of Zane, Jason, and everything else.

Right now, Lucas needed this.

And making it for him made me feel useful… like I still had some control over at least one thing in my life,

I finished the soup carefully, seasoning it lightly so it wouldn’t be too strong for Lucas’s stomach. The kitchen staff had been kind, offering to help, but I wanted to do this myself.

Once it was ready and poured into a thermos to stay warm, I headed back upstairs.

I quietly opened the door to Lucas’s room, expecting him to still be sleeping alone.