Chapter 84
Lila's POV
I stirred awake and the first thing I saw wasn't the morning sun filtering through the blinds, or the plain look of the ceiling above me. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, was Garrett.
He was right beside me on the bed, staring and watching me wake up. His head propped slightly on his hand, his eyes glued to my face like I was something he didn't want to stop looking at.
For a moment I thought I was still dreaming, because he wasn’t blinking much, just watching me like he was lost in thought. I blinked multiple times to make sure this was real, and I confirmed when he sighed.
“What?” My voice came out rough, still edged with sleep.
Rather than just answering, Garrett leaned in and kissed me to my surprise. The kiss was soft, heated but surely long enough to make me fully awake.
I frowned, not because I didn't like it, but because it felt deliberate, like there was something heavy behind it.
“Garrett,” I whispered against his lips, wanting more but he kept pulling away slightly to avoid my lips. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he answered, and kissed me again.
I was starting to get pissed, but something about the way he was kissing me made my head spin. “Garrett. Tell me.”
“Alright,” he said, mid kiss and then pulled back while licking his lips. He blinked but his face was still unreadable. Then he shook his head and answered finally. “Nothing. I was just… worried.”
“Worried?” I sat up slowly, brushing the hair from my face, still studying him. “You are worried but you kissed me like I’ve been gone for months.”
He pushed himself up beside me, his hand resting on the sheets but not touching me. “You went to the check-up yesterday and you never told me what happened.”
“Garrett....” I sighed, trying to look away but he pulled my face towards his.
“No, listen. I asked about it and you brushed it off like it was nothing. Lila, please… tell me.” His voice cracked slightly at the end, and I hated it so much. It was one of those sounds that always made me feel like I was holding something back from him.
I hesitated but then sighed, because lying wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “It was alright, as usual. They ran the tests again and said I’ll be okay, as if they were encouraging me through it.”
“That’s all?” he asked, his eyes still on me.
“The doctor just wants me to start a medication. Nothing life threatening, nothing to panic over.”
“Medication?” His brows furrowed, like even that tiny word was enough to worry him more.
“Yeah. Just some prescription to help balance things. I’ll be fine.” I added.
He stared at me longer, searching my face like I was lying, but I wasn't. When he didn’t find anything, he finally dropped his gaze. “Why didn’t you just tell me yesterday?”
I chewed on my lip, feeling that tightness in my chest again. “Because… the whole poisoning thing, Garrett. It all came back in my head. I didn’t know how to handle it yesterday. The only thing I knew how to do was be alone and sleep it off or something.”
For a moment he didn’t respond, and I thought maybe he wouldn’t believe me. But then he reached for my hand, squeezed it gently, and nodded. “Alright. I believe you. I just… I don’t want you shutting me out like that.”
“I know.” My throat tightened, but I managed a small smile. “I’ll try to rope you in on things.”
He leaned forward and pressed another kiss to my forehead, lingering there before pulling away. Then he tried to lighten the mood, I could tell by the shift in his tone. “I’ll make breakfast. Whatever you want.”
I laughed softly, the sound breaking the tension just a little. “Egg toast, please, I'm suddenly craving it. Or something fancy but simple, if you’re feeling creative.”
“I can do that,” he said, finally smiling too, and then he got up, tugging a shirt on before heading toward the door.
As soon as the sound of his footsteps faded down the hall, I let out the breath I’d been holding. I dropped back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a moment, wondering if things would ever stop feeling like they were on the edge.
“Good thing he didn't pressure me further.” I breathed out and turned to my side. That’s when my phone buzzed.
I blinked at it, reaching for it on the nightstand. I wasn't expecting anyone but..... When I saw the name flashing on the screen, I froze.
“Carmen?”
Why was she suddenly calling me? And this early in the morning too?
Frowning, I swiped and lifted it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Lila?” Her voice was rushed, like she hadn’t even decided if she should be calling.
“Yeah, it’s me. Carmen… hey. Wow, I wasn’t expecting this. Are you okay?”
“I should be asking you that,” she said quickly. “How are you? How’s everything? You… you sound tired.”
I sat up straighter, brushing my hair back again. “I am tired, but I'm fine. Well, you know the least, dealing with a lot. But I’m managing. How about you? It’s been a while.”
She hesitated, and I caught the faint sigh on the other end. “Yeah, it has. Don't mind me. I didn’t know if I should call or not, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you lately. Especially after I heard…”
“Heard what?” My stomach tightened.
“About Dr. Richard.”
The name alone was enough to freeze me in place, to make my skin crawl and to form bead of sweat on my head. My mind flashed back to when I found the files on Garrett's desk, to when I confronted him about it, and everything else, including how he reacted.
I immediately got up and went to the door of my room, peaking around the hallway before locking it shut.
“What is this about, Carmen?”