Chapter 88
FAYE
I shifted on the bed, fluffing the pillow behind me even though Irene had already done it three times since she walked in. She had this way of fussing over me like a mother hen, and honestly, I couldn’t decide if it was comforting or tiring. Probably a bit of both.
“I’m not leaving,” she declared with her usual dramatic flair, flopping down beside me as if she had just taken a solemn oath. “You’re not stepping one foot out of this bed unless you’re going to the bathroom. And even then…” she narrowed her eyes in mock warning, “…I’ll be standing right outside the door in case you need anything.”
That earned her a laugh from me, the kind that shook my shoulders until I pressed my palm against my chest. “Oh, Irene,” I managed between chuckles, “I really did miss you. Only you
would be this dramatic over a none issue.”
Her face softened, though she was still pretending to pout. “Well, excuse me for caring. Someone has to. And if I overreact, then tough luck, because you’re stuck with me.”
I leaned my head back against the headboard, still smiling. The truth was, I had missed her. Irene had this energy, this fire, that could lighten even the heaviest mood. I hadn’t realized
how much I needed that until she walked into the room.
But then her playful expression melted away. Her gaze settled on me with a seriousness that made my stomach tighten. “Tell me the truth, Faye,” she said quietly. “Are you stressing over anything? And I don’t mean the little stuff. I mean pack duties, or…” she hesitated, “Alexander
or even Bella. Is there something eating at you? Because if the doctor said you’re fine and yet you collapsed, maybe this is stress.”
…
I stared at her for a moment, considering her words. Stress. Was I stressed? I shook my head. “Pack duties don’t stress me,” I began, trying to sound casual. “If anything, I enjoy them. I hate being idle, you know that. Keeping busy makes me feel useful.” I toyed with the edge of the blanket, my voice steady. “And as for Alexander…” I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped past my lips. “Honestly, Irene, that’s hilarious. Someone who barely even notices I exist around here stressing me? No. If anything, I’m the one stressing him–always barging into his office, putting my nose where it doesn’t belong. He only responds to me because he
has no other choice.”
Irene raised a brow, but I pressed on before she could interrupt. “And Bella? She’s hardly a problem these days. We rarely cross paths…i think she found something that’s keeping her busy.”
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Chapter 88
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Irene shrugged, as though satisfied enough with my answer. “Well, in that case, I’m just glad I came and found you in one piece. You should’ve seen the way my heart stopped when Alexander called. I imagined every worst–case scenario in the world before I got here.”
I blinked at her. “Wait… Alexander called you?”
Her lips twitched with amusement. “Of course. Who else?”
“I thought… I assumed it was Cole,” I admitted, my voice dropping.
“Not Cole.” Irene smirked knowingly. “Why would you even think it was him?”
I swallowed, not sure how to explain the thought. It just seemed like something Cole would’ve done–straightforward, efficient, the logical choice. Alexander… he wasn’t the type to reach for help when confused. At least, not that I’d ever seen. The idea that he had been worried enough to call his sister… about me… well, that was something else entirely.
Irene must have noticed the shift in my expression because she tilted her head and said, ” Maybe he just didn’t know what else to do. You scared him, Faye. Confusion makes people act out of character sometimes.”
I couldn’t dwell on it for too long. My eyelids grew heavy, and despite Irene’s chatter beside me, I drifted into sleep.
ALEXANDER
I was still in my office, my phone pressed to my ear as I listened to the voice on the other
end.
I was halfway through giving a response when the door to my office opened without so much
as a knock.
My eyes flicked up immediately, irritation on the tip of my tongue, but it died before it could leave my lips. Irene stood there, her face pale, her breathing a little uneven, and the look in her eyes told me something was wrong.
I cut the call short without even excusing myself. “What is it? What’s wrong? Is Faye alright?”
She shook her head, almost frantically. “You need to come with me. Now.”
The urgency in her tone pulled me up from my chair before I even had time to think. I didn’t ask another question, I simply followed.
When we reached Faye’s room, Irene pushed the door open, and the moment I stepped inside,
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I froze for half a second. Then I rushed forward.
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She was on the bed, lying on top of damp sheets. Her skin glistened with sweat, her body trembling in a way that was far too violent to ignore. But it wasn’t the kind of shiver that came from cold. No–it was something else entirely. I could feel the heat even from where I stood, radiating off her.
“Faye…” I muttered, moving quickly to her side.
Her eyes fluttered halfway open, then squeezed shut again as though the effort alone was too much. My hand brushed against her forehead and instantly recoiled. She was burning. Not just fever–hot–burning as though fire coursed beneath her skin.
“Irene,” I barked, my tone sharper than I intended, “turn on the water in the bathroom. Now. ” I wasn’t sure it was the best move, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
She didn’t hesitate. She dashed toward the bathroom, and I bent down, slipping my arms beneath Faye’s trembling body. She stirred, resisting weakly, her hands pushing faintly against my chest. Even then–half–conscious, fever–ridden–she was stubborn.
“Easy,” I said, though my voice sounded rough in my own ears. “Stop fighting.”
The heat from her body seared through my clothes the moment I lifted her off the bed. It was almost unbearable, like carrying a burning coal, and yet I held her tighter, adjusting her weight against me as I hurried into the bathroom. The sound of rushing water filled the air. Irene had already turned the faucet, and the tub was filling fast.
I didn’t waste a second. Stepping into the bath, I sank down into the cool water with Faye still in my arms. The shock of it hit me first–the sudden chill against my skin, the soaking of my clothes, the heaviness of fabric clinging instantly to my body. But there was no time to care about that. The only thing that mattered was the fragile girl shivering against me, her head jerking faintly as if she couldn’t keep still.
I shifted so that her head rested against my shoulder, securing her in such a way that she wouldn’t slip. If she thrashed too hard, she could hit her head against the side of the tub, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.
“Hold still,” I muttered again, tightening my grip. “You’re safe. Just stay.”
Her body trembled against mine, violent shakes that made it difficult to keep her steady. The water lapped over both of us, climbing higher. My arm stayed firm around her shoulders, the other pressed lightly against the back of her head to keep her steady.
The heat radiating off her began to clash with the cool water, and I could feel the difference slowly taking effect. It wasn’t instant, but it was happening. Her shivers grew less harsh, her
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