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“Hey yourself,” he said softly, and brought the water to her lips.
While she drank, she marked the changes in him. His stubble had grown to a beard. His hair was messy. He looked more disheveled than when she’d found him by Elena’s bed side.
“How are you feeling?” he croaked, and then cleared his throat.
“To be honest, a little weird inside.”
He frowned. “Like how weird? Your blood pressure dropped a few times. You’ve been out for a day. Should I call Grace?”
“A whole day?” She blinked. Then squirmed. She couldn’t explain the weirdness. Her body just felt off. Must be the loss of blood still. “Don’t call Grace.”
She couldn’t take it if she got another lecture about how reckless she’d behaved.
Axel took Daisy’s hand. “Each of your family donated blood to you to make up for what you gave Elena.”
“They did?” She stilled.
He nodded. “They weren’t sure it would work but donated a little at a time over a day. You look good.”
The corner of her lips lifted in a hesitant smile, then dropped when she caught the anguish on Axel’s face.
“What you did,” he said, voice low.
Daisy braced for the lecture, but it never came.
“I can’t thank you enough, Daisy.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Angry?” He shook his head. “I’m fucking beside myself. I’m…”
He couldn’t seem to get the words out.
“You are angry,” Daisy said, slumping.
His expression hardened in a way she’d never seen before. “After the best sex of my life, with the most incredible woman who I trusted implicitly, I woke up, Daisy, and you were gone.” He swallowed. “I’ve seen some shit in my job, but I’ll never forget the image of you on the floor, bleeding out of your nose and ears… cold. Lifeless.” His bronze skin turned green, and he couldn’t look at Daisy. “It should have been a happy moment. Elena was better. But all I could see was your face all slack and… it scared the shit out of me. I’ve never felt this way.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at me.” He shook his head, and scrubbed his hand through his hair, getting more worked up with each passing second. “Daisy, I love you, but you can’t risk yourself like that. I don’t know what I said or did to make you feel like that was the only answer.”
“You didn’t make me do it.”
“I know that. I just… I never thought I’d feel this way again. My parents’ illness came on a lot faster than Elena’s, and in some ways, it was a shock to my system. With Elena, I’ve been praying and hoping and refusing to admit defeat… but there you were suddenly at death’s door and I wasn’t prepared.” He cleared his throat and stood. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
That sounded cold. Clipped. Final. Daisy didn’t like it. She tried to get up, to reach for him, but he stepped back. He put his hands in his pockets. Still couldn’t look her in the eye.
“The city is falling apart.” He glanced out the window. “Now that you’re okay, and Elena is okay, I need to clean up my karma and get back to work.”
“Wait.” She tried to get out of bed.
“Don’t,” he said, eyes softening. “Please don’t. You need to properly heal this time. I need time to think. I have to… feel like I have a bit of control in my life or something. I have to go. Let the transfusions do their job. Stay and rest. Promise me that?”
Dumbfounded, Daisy could only nod. The lost look in his eyes was too much. What was happening? Was he leaving? She opened her mouth to speak, but he walked out.
