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“Very good. I called the hospital and asking them to send a doctor right away.”
I tilted my head as I looked at him with surprise. He rarely did things like that without me specifically requesting it. “Why?”
Barclay’s mouth twisted into a grin as he turned away, leaving me to wonder about his sudden amusement. Confused, I watched as he left the room, offering no explanation. As my gaze landed on the tray, I noticed something that had eluded me before. Placed on a napkin to the side was the pregnancy test Belle had taken before she had left the house.
It was positive.
Chapter24
Belle
Idrifted in and out of consciousness for a long time. It could have been hours or even days, I didn’t know. I didn’t care. There was nothing grounding me to reality.
The dream kept overwhelming my senses. I was floating in cold darkness, no idea which way was up, as I fought for air that I couldn’t pull into my lungs. Panic clawed at my mind as I struggled, and I kept thinking that I would never see my sister again, never get the chance to save her. I would never get to tell Sebastian that I cared about him, no matter how much he tried to push me away.
I awoke with a gasp, my hands fisting the sheets around me. I sat up, my body still in panic mode from my dream. My pulse was pounding. Looking around, I noticed I was in Sebastian’s bedroom. My hazy mind remembered looking up at him as I came back into consciousness, his warm embrace letting let me know I survived my plunge into the pond before I fell into my fitful sleep.
There was movement out of the corner of my eye, and I jolted when I turned my head in that direction and locked eyes with the man himself.
He was sitting in a black, leather-bound chair, shirtless, with his legs spread and his upper body leaned back. He had a drink in his hand, some type of dark liquor. His gaze burned into mine, and the air became thick. Tight lines formed around his mouth, paired with furrowed brows and a hint of sadness shining through behind his green irises.
I glanced down and realized that I was wearing one of his shirts. The expensive fabric was soft against my skin, and I was naked underneath it. Maybe that should have bothered me, but I felt a strange sense of comfort from it.
Sebastian didn’t speak at first, just stared at me as he took a sip of his drink.
“How long have I been out?” I asked, wincing at the stinging pain in my dry throat.
“About six hours.”
I lowered my gaze and replayed everything that had happened, including the reason I had been outside in the first place. He didn’t want me there, but he had still come to my rescue. The situation left me uncertain about where we now stood.
I fidgeted with the hem of Sebastian’s shirt as the silence stretched outbetween us. I didn’t know what to say.
“You really are a stubborn little brat, aren’t you?”
My eyes snapped back to his, and I gaped as I watched him take another sip of his drink. Shock and anger coursed through me, and I had a mind to pick an argument with him, but as I opened my mouth to snap at him, nothing but a hoarse cough came out. Pain lanced through my throat, much stronger this time, and I whimpered.
A coughing fit hit me, then another, causing me to whimper in agony. The excruciating pain seemed to spread throughout my body, and my lungs felt as if someone had mercilessly pummeled them multiple times.
I sighed and leaned back against the pillows. That coughing fit took a lot out of me. Remembering the whole ordeal with the pond just made it worse. Lethargy washed over me, and my eyelids grew heavy. I fought it, meeting Sebastian’s eyes again.
“Why are you sitting here in the dim light, watching me sleep?” I asked, having to muster up the power to even speak.
He took another slow sip of his drink and peered at me over the rim of his glass. “How could you possibly think I would leave your side after what happened?”
I was more confused than ever, once again wondering where we stood. He was adamant about kicking me out on my ass. Did things really change so quickly, or was he just feeling responsible for me?
With a grunt of frustration, Sebastian stood and stomped his way to the bed. He placed his drink on the nightstand, then grabbed a glass of water and a bottle of small, round pills. He lowered himself onto the bed, and the spellbinding aroma of his cologne made its way into my lungs. Every part of me was screaming to move closer to him, but I stayed put.
Instead, I got lost staring at the scarring on his body again. These days, I was more intrigued by it than anything. It made him unique.
I vaguely remembered lying on his broad chest, cradled in the warmth of his hold. His large hands and strong arms comforting me.
The rattling of the pill bottle jolted me out of my daze, and two small white pills tumbled into the middle of his outstretched palm. Without a word, he took hold of my chin and placed the pills on my tongue one by one. The act of swallowing felt like a nightmare, but he tried to ease the pain by gently massaging my throat after every sip of water.He was taking care of me.
It was evident that my recent near-drowning incident had affected him deeply, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it. He became more tender, his touch gentler and his gaze softer, which conveyed more than words ever could. After making sure that my coughing had stopped, he caressed my cheek and stood up to tuck me in snugly with the covers.
“Wait,” I protested. I was tired, but that wasn’t the only thing I needed to address. “I’m hungry.”
