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Chapter 330 So Be It
‘Fine. Just make sure you call me if you need anything, okay? And if that absolute bastard gives you any more trouble, you call me too.‘ Yvaine shot another venomous look in Ashton’s direction.
‘I know.‘
‘Okay, well… just look after yourself. No more jumping into lakes, you hear me?‘
‘It wasn’t exactly by choice. I’ll explain it all another time. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Now go home and get some sleep. I’ll message you later.‘ I managed a faint, pale smile.
‘Alright.‘ Yvaine sighed in resignation and added one last thing: ‘You have to be okay.‘
I was nodding again.
‘I’ll watch you go,‘ she said with another sigh.
Ashton swept me up into his arms. ‘You’ve lost weight,‘ he said, his voice rough.
Hearing him say that, I felt, for some reason, like I might cry.
I pressed my lips together and stayed silent.
He carried me to the car, settled me into the passenger seat, and fastened my seatbelt for me. He kissed my forehead, closed the door, got into the driver’s seat, then pulled away.
He drove with one hand, the other holding mine tightly. He never let go.
‘You’re still feverish. I’m taking you to the hospital.‘
‘No. I just need to go home and sleep.‘
‘Fine. We’ll go home. I’ll call the doctor to come to us.‘
I closed my eyes and said no more. There must have been sedative in the medicine Dr Gould had given me, because I was asleep before we even got home.
By the time I woke up, it was already the next morning.
‘Morning. Are you hungry?‘ Ashton was looking at me. His face was stubbled and unshaven. He’d probably stayed by my side all night.
I didn’t answer, just stared blankly at the ceiling.
How had it only been a few days? It felt like a lifetime.
Had everything changed, or was it just my world that was different?
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“The doctor came by yesterday, and he’ll be back again soon.‘ Ashton reached out and pressed his hand to my forehead, his brows knitting together. ‘You’re still burning up.‘
I didn’t answer.
‘Are you hungry?‘ he asked me again. His voice was soft. ‘Shall I get Carmen to make you some French toast?‘
I still said nothing.
‘Porridge, then?‘
Silence from me.
‘How about some soup? Would that be alright?‘ He kept his eyes on me, waiting.
‘Okay.‘ I knew that if I didn’t say something, Ashton would just keep asking, on and on.
He left the room.
‘Carmen says it’ll take about half an hour. Here, drink some of this.‘ He returned holding a glass. He helped me sit up, leaning me against his chest, and held up the straw for me.
I watched him, breathing in that familiar scent of his. Yes, this was what felt familiar to me. It was completely different from the way Rhys smelled.
About halfway through, I shook my head. ‘No more.‘
‘Alright.‘ He laid me back down and, in one go, finished the rest of the smoothie himself.
I frowned as I watched him drink what was left. My heart gave a faint, painful twinge.
He looked exhausted, his eyes bloodshot and his hair dishevelled.
Normally, he’d have been at the office hours ago. But he was still here by my side, doing a nurse’s job.
The truth was, I still cared about him. But I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him.
This time, Ashton had really and truly broken my heart.
‘Be good and get some more sleep, alright?‘ he said gently, tucking the duvet around me.
I didn’t answer, just lay there with my eyes open. I couldn’t sleep. I’d been asleep for so long already.
Seeing I was wide awake, he asked, ‘Do you feel like talking?‘
I said calmly, ‘I didn’t jump. Someone pushed me.‘
He nodded. ‘I know. I know you aren’t the type to give up on life.‘
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I didn’t look at him. ‘Have you found out who it was?‘
He shook his head. ‘Harry and Dominic are still looking into it. The police are too. There aren’t any leads yet. No cameras in that area, and no witnesses. I…‘
I cut him off. “There was someone else there that day.‘
‘Who?‘
‘Genevieve.‘
Ashton fell into a long silence. ‘Did she push you in?‘
‘I didn’t see.‘ I told him what happened: Genevieve approaching me by the lake, me walking away, somehow ending up back at the water’s edge, and then someone shoving me from behind.
‘So,‘ he said carefully, ‘when you went back to the lake, Genevieve wasn’t actually there. Is that right?
I realised then that I’d been wrong, wrong to have let myself hope for so much from him.
Fine. So be it.
I closed my eyes. ‘I’m tired. I want to sleep.‘
He nodded and stood. ‘I’ll come check on you later.‘
I shut my eyes and ignored him.
Slowly, I actually did drift off to sleep.
That afternoon, the doctor came by to check on me again.
My temperature was coming down slowly, and though I was still a bit feverish, it was nothing some paracetamol and plenty of rest and fluids wouldn’t fix.
Nothing wrong with me, really, just general weakness.
Hearing that, Ashton finally seemed to relax.
I took the medicine and drifted in and out of a hazy sleep. At some point, I could make out voices floating up from the living room downstairs.
‘She was absolutely insisting on coming to see her. Didn’t have much choice in the matter, I’m afraid, ‘said Ryan Fenty, his tone slightly awkward.
Naomi clearly wasn’t bothered by formalities. ‘I was worried about Mirabelle. I had to see her. Where did you finally find her, anyway?‘
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‘A… friend’s house,‘ Ashton replied after a brief pause. ‘Someone pulled her out and took her back to theirs.”
‘Why take her to a house?‘ Naomi pressed. ‘Why not straight to a hospital?‘
