Chapter 140 Distance Between Us

Chapter 140 Distance Between Us
Elena POV

"I only want you!"

The words tore out of my mouth before I could stop them, ringing loud and clear against the cold balcony walls.

My cheeks burned. I didn't wait for him to speak. I snatched my bag off the bench, turned around, and ran as fast as my legs could take me.

I scrambled up the stairs and ran straight to my bedroom, throwing the door wide open before slamming it shut behind me.

I rested my body against the back of the door, clutching my chest to catch my breath while my heart beat fast against my ribs.

"Was this what human beings call love?" I muttered, looking completely confused.

A vibration chimed in my pocket. I reached in with trembling fingers and pulled out my phone.

​I have something important I need to discuss with you. The message was from Daniel.

I stared at the screen in total surprise, wondering what on earth he could possibly want to tell me, when another notification popped up right beneath it.

I am at the old park near the school main gate, if you want to know.

I shoved the phone back inside my pocket, grabbed the handle, and yanked the door open.

BANG!

I collided head-on with Liam, who was reaching out to come inside the room.

"I am sorry!" we both blurted out at the exact same instant.

We both stood there in silence for a moment while Liam shifted his weight, his eyes dropping to the floor while a faint color flushed his cheeks.

"Daniel asked me to come to him," I told Liam. "He said he has something to discuss with me."

Liam raised his head, his eyebrows pulling together. "I will follow you."

We hurried out together, cutting through the side paths toward the park near the main gate. The cold wind whipped past us as we reached the perimeter.

"There he is," Liam pointed.

Far across the clearing, sitting all by himself on a wooden bench under a bare tree, was Daniel.

Before we could close the distance, Daniel's body suddenly went limp. He slid right off the seat, collapsing face-first onto the cold grass.

"Daniel!" I screamed.

Liam and I sprinted across the lawn, dropping hard onto our knees right beside his body on the ground.

"Daniel! Hey, wake up!" Liam shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him violently.

Daniel's eyes remained shut tight, his lips pale. His skin felt like burning fire beneath my fingertips.

"Daniel, can you hear me?!" I cried out, shaking his face with both hands. "He has a high fever!"

"Grab his legs!" Liam said, hauling Daniel's arm over his shoulders. "We need to get him inside right now!"

We dragged his heavy weight all the way back to the house and laid him flat on the guest bed. He was shivering violently, sweat soaking through his shirt as the fever raged through him.

Liam grabbed a wet cloth from a basin of cold water and sat on the edge of the mattress, wiping down Daniel's face. I stood right beside the bed, my eyes glued to Daniel's pale features.

"Have you contacted Mrs. Olivia?" I asked softly.

Liam squeezed the water out of the towel, keeping his eyes on Daniel. "I just told her that he was here," he replied in a low voice. "But did not mention the sickness, so that she won't be worried about it."

I reached out and gently rubbed his dark hair. "You are a good boy."

Liam stopped moving instantly.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" Liam asked, snapping his head up to look at me with wide eyes.

The sharp pitch of his voice made Daniel's body jerk on the mattress, a faint groan escaping his throat.

Quickly, I took the wet towel from Liam's hand and leaned over the bed, wiping the sweat from Daniel's forehead myself.

"I did not know what was going on with him today and why he was acting weird, for him to stay under the cold," Liam said, turning his body to face me directly. He held out his hand. "Bring the towels; let me do it. You can go and sleep."

"You have done enough to carry him with your back," I said, holding onto the cloth. "At least let me assist with this."

"Give it to me," Liam said, pulling the towel from me and starting to clean Daniel's face again.

He bent back over Daniel, dabbing at his skin with steady movements.

"I really value our friendship," Liam said, staring down at Daniel. "But he's just pushing me to do what I don't intend to do."

"He will surely come around," I offered gently.

……….

I stood by the wooden counter, tears streaming down my cheeks as I chopped through a pile of onions. I kept wiping my wet face with my sleeve, sniffing loudly as the sting burned my eyes.

Footsteps sounded down the hall. I looked up to see Daniel coming out, looking pale and unsteady. 

Daniel stood at the entrance, leaning against the doorframe. His face was pale as he came out into the kitchen.

I immediately dropped the knife onto the counter and went straight to his side.

"How are you feeling now?" I asked, raising my hand to check his forehead for a fever.

His skin felt cooler, but the moment I realized what I was doing, I pulled my hand back fast, holding my arm close to my chest.

"I am sorry," I said, stepping back. "What did you want to tell me last night?"

Daniel let out a dry laugh, watching me step away. "Do you even care?" he asked. "Because the way you are doing doesn't look so."

Before I could open my mouth to reply, a sudden pain exploded straight through the mark on my left hand.

"Ah!" I gasped out loud, dropping my head as I clutched my left wrist tightly with my right fingers. The burning sensation pulsed under my skin, making me squeeze my eyes shut.

"What happened to you?" Daniel asked, reaching out his hand to touch my arm.

"What do you think you are doing?!" I shouted, shoving his hands away with force.

The force of the push sent Daniel stumbling backward until he hit the wall with a thud.

The second physical contact broke; the burning in my wrist faded back to a quiet hum.

My eyes widened as I realized what I had just done. Daniel was leaning against the wall, his face completely blank as he stared at me.

"I am sorry," I whispered, my voice shaking.

Daniel looked at me for a long moment without saying anything. "We have reached the stage where you don't want me to touch you again," he said softly.

He turned around without waiting for another word and started walking away down the hallway.

I stood alone in the kitchen, bringing my hand down to my waist to hold my wrist tightly.

"What is going on with me?" I muttered, staring down at my hand in absolute dread.