Chapter 35

Chapter 35
The clinic doors felt heavier than they should have as Alexandria pushed through them and stepped back into the daylight. Her head was still ringing faintly, a dull, persistent ache was throbbing behind her eyes. She paused for a moment and reached into her bag for her water bottle, and she popped the pills and chunked them down, forcing the nausea down.

Her heart was still pounding heavily, she still couldn't make sense of what had just happened at the clinic. She had felt like disappearing into thin air, she'd felt so small in presence of two men who's auras seemed to take up all the space in the room, and the worst part was knowing they considered her nothing but a pathetic child they could prey on.

The painkillers had given her were already beginning to take effect, making her limbs feel heavy as she began walking. She stopped and stood on the sidewalk for a moment, blinking against the afternoon sun, trying to gather herself, trying to catch her breath and slow the erratic beating of her heart.

Her phone buzzed in her bag and she pulled it out tiredly and stared at the screen. There was a message displayed on the screen, it was from an unsaved contact, but she knew exactly who it was, she recognized the number all too well

'Wait outside the main university gate. I’ll come get you.'

Alexandria’s thumb hovered over the screen. Part of her wanted to ignore it. To call a taxi and go home alone, proving she didn’t need him. But the truth was undeniable, she had come to campus in a taxi today because driving felt unsafe with the concussion. And now the painkillers were making her drowsy, her balance was slightly off.

Letting him drive her was the safer choice, the responsible one. She hated how easily that justification came. And eith a tired sigh, she started walking toward the main gate. The ringing in her ears flared again for a few seconds, forcing her to pause and close her eyes until it passed.

And when she finally reached the gate, she leaned against one of the stone pillars with her arms wrapped around herself as she waited for him. It wasn’t long before the familiar black sedan pulled up smoothly in front of her.

Jonathan was behind the wheel, he didn’t get out. He simply unlocked the passenger door and waited. Alexandria hesitated for one last second, then opened the door and slid into the seat quietly. The familiar scent of his cologne enveloped her immediately. She closed the door quietly and fastened her seatbelt without a word.

Jonathan didn’t speak right away either, he simply put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, merging smoothly into the light afternoon traffic.The silence between them was thick, but not entirely uncomfortable. Alexandria leaned her head back against the headrest tiredly, closing her eyes.

The painkillers were pulling her under faster than she expected. Her body felt heavy, her thoughts were getting slow and hazy. Every now and then the ringing would return, but it was muted now, easier to endure.

Jonathan glanced at her after a few minutes.

“How did you get the concussion?” he wsked.

Alexandria’s eyes opened slightly. She stared out the side window, watching the buildings pass in a blur. The lie came easily, even through the fog in her head.

“I slipped and fell,” she murmured. “In the bathroom. Hit my head on the counter.”

She couldn't possibly tell him she'd gone to a party, gotten drunk, gotten into a fight, and gotten her ass kicked.

Jonathan was quiet for a long moment, she could feel him studying her profile, but she refused to look at him. Whether he believed her or not, he didn’t press.

“Get some rest,” he said finally, voice low.

She let her eyes flutter close again, too tired to fight. A moment later, she heard the soft click of the AC being adjusted. The cool air that had been blowing directly on her face softened, becoming gentler, more comfortable. He turned it down a notch, then reached over and angled one of the vents away from her entirely.

The small gesture of care twisted something painful in her chest. She wanted to stay angry, she wanted to hold onto the hurt from the way he had dismissed her in the car the other night. But right now, with her head throbbing and her body exhausted, his quiet attention felt dangerously good.

The drive continued in near silence. Jonathan drove smoothly, never speeding, never making sudden movements that might jar her. Every few minutes he would glance over, checking on her without saying anything. When they hit a stretch of rough road, he slowed down even more, navigating the bumps carefully.

Alexandria felt herself drifting. The combination of the concussion, the emotional exhaustion of the past few weeks, and the painkillers was pulling her toward sleep. Her head lolled slightly to the side, resting against the cool leather of the headrest. She was only half-aware of the city passing by outside the windows.

Jonathan’s voice broke the quiet again, low and steady.

“You should rest when you get home. You heard what Micheal said, no screen or studying.”

His use of Dr. Lockhart's first name confirmed her suspicion. They were indeed close. She didn’t respond, but a small, tired sound escaped her, it was almost a sigh.

But still, she appreciated the instruction more than she wanted to admit. It was easier when he told her what to do. It meant she didn’t have to think, didn’t have to fight the constant pull between wanting to be strong and wanting to surrender.

The car eventually turned into the quiet, tree-lined street leading to Willow Tower. Jonathan pulled up smoothly in front of her building and put the car in park. But Alexandria was already half-asleep, her body was heavy and warm, the pain in her head had reduced to a dull background hum thanks to the medication.

Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy. She could barely keep them open. Jonathan turned to look at her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes lingered on her face for a long moment, taking in the pallor of her skin, the exhaustion in her posture, the way her eyelids drooped.

He didn’t say anything else. Alexandria remained in the passenger seat, half-asleep, the world became soft and distant around the edges, the familiar scent of him still surrounding her as the car sat idling in front of the penthouse.