Chapter 237 237

Chapter 237 237
Maya

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my lips, harsh and fast. "I love you," he murmured, voice thick with emotion. "You and our girls. That's all that matters."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and nodded. "I love you too."
He exhaled deeply and finally stepped back, though his hands lingered on my waist. "Go talk to Nat. But Maya," he added, his eyes darkening, "if she gives you any reason to doubt her or you feel too overwhelmed, you tell me immediately."
I gave a small nod and met his gaze. "I will."
Elias sighed again and loosened his grip then laced our fingers together as he led me out of the stairwell and back into the ward. We took the lift back to the VIP ward in silence, though I could see he had a lot of thoughts running through his mind. As we approached my hospital room, I saw Nat waiting just outside, arms crossed, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
She caught sight of us and straightened, her gaze darting from me to Elias, worry oozing from her in waves, especially at the thunderous expression on Elias's face. Beside me, I felt Elias tense up again and I squeezed his hand, gently urging him to stay calm.
We came to a stop in front of Nat and up close, I noticed how pale and shaken she looked, her eyes red and swollen from crying. It was weird to see her look so nervous, as she thrust her hands into the pockets of her jacket but not before I caught sight of how they shook.
She drew in a shaky breath and gave me a pleading look. "Can we talk?" she whispered and from the way her eyes flicked to Elias, I guessed she didn't want Elias to be present.
Which suited me just fine. I could feel the animosity flowing out from Elias and for the first time since these two had met, Nat was uncharacteristically cowed by Elias's presence.
I let out another sigh and nodded. "Sure, let's talk."
Elias huffed in displeasure and when I tried to pry my hand from his, he tightened his grip and refused to let go. I gave him a puzzled look, silently questioning him and from the way the muscles of his jaw worked, I could tell he wasn't liking this plan one bit.
Nat noticed our silent conversation and gestured behind her at my open door. "I'll wait for you inside." she said and beat a hasty retreat.
Neither of us watched her leave, our gazes locked on each other. I gave up trying to pull away from Elias and stepped closer instead. "What's the matter?" I asked softly, conscious of the eyes still watching us.
I let out a small 'eek' as Elias suddenly pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in a firm, reassuring embrace, my arms pinned against my sides. His body was warm against mine and I could feel the steady beat of his heart.
"Just want to remind you that you're an amazing, incredible woman, Maya." He murmured, his voice a deep rumble. "It's okay to feel overwhelmed, hurt and betrayed, but remember you're not alone. Not anymore. Not ever again."
My heart clenched at his words. He saw through me so easily, knew exactly what I needed even when I wasn't sure myself. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away, instead burying my face against his chest for a moment, breathing him in.
"I'm the luckiest woman alive," I murmured against his shirt. "To have your love."
Elias exhaled a shaky breath, then shook his head. "No, Maya. I'm the lucky one. I don't deserve your love—not after everything you've been through because of me. But I swear to you, I'll make sure you never have to suffer another day in your life."
Something in his tone sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't just a promise—it was a vow, one that carried a depth I couldn't quite place. I pulled back slightly, searching his face, my fingers tracing the edge of his jaw.
"Elias," I whispered, trying to read the emotions flickering in his dark eyes. "What are you thinking?"
He held my gaze for a beat longer, then simply shrugged. "Nothing." Then, before I could press further, he dipped his head and kissed me, quick and firm, before stepping back and releasing his grip. "Go talk to Nat."
I hesitated, torn between demanding an answer and letting it go. But before I could decide, Elias turned and walked into the adjoining room, giving me a brief, intense look before he shut the door.

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders, pushed aside my lingering worries about Elias, and went to join Nat. One thing at a time, I told myself, as I walked into the room. I would find out what Elias was up to later.
Now was the time to get some answers from Nat.
She was sitting on the window seat, staring outside, a lost look on her face. At the sound of my footsteps, she turned to look at me and I could see the anguish in her expression and I felt my heart drop in dismay.
This was more than her just keeping her involvement with Noah from me…she had the look of someone who was going through hell.
For a moment, I felt guilty for the harsh words I'd hurled at her earlier and I had to steel myself to not apologize. Instead, I crossed to the bed and sat down, tucked the pillow against my stomach and leveled her with a piercing look.
"Okay," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Explain. How exactly did you and Noah become buddies?"
Nat flinched at my tone and turned away, making my feelings of guilt deepen. She let out a tired sigh and drew her knees up to her chest, back hunched over as she began talking in a low, sober voice.
"After we crashed your funeral, I guess it really hit me that you were dead and I just went…numb. I couldn't feel anything, process anything and for a long while, I was just going through the motions, unable to process my grief."