Chapter 11 CHAPTER 11: Unforbidden Touch
Adam
Hazel clung to me, her face a mask of grief while the tears streamed down her face as we watched Williams battling for his life. A nurse rushed out and whisked us away to the waiting room.
After a while, William's father was summoned away for an urgent business meeting but promised to check in by the hour. Emily was nowhere to be found, and the waiting room was quiet and cold with a few people still hanging around. Exhausted by the whirlwind of emotions, Hazel slumped against me, her breathing shallow as she drifted off to sleep. Her raw display of affection for her husband surprised me. Could she have developed feelings for him inadvertently? The thought sent a cold spike through my gut. Hazel was mine, and I wouldn't let anything – or anyone – change that. I gently stroked her cheek, pushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. The movement startled her awake, her eyes blurring back into focus.
"Any updates from the ER?" she mumbled; her voice thick with exhaustion.
“Not yet, you’ve been out for just a few minutes” I replied, and she sighed.
She stretched, a yawn escaping her lips.
I smiled faintly. "Someone definitely needs food?" but my playful jab was met with a blank stare.
"I'll get us something to eat," I volunteered, pushing myself to my feet.
"Okay," she mumbled, burying herself in her phone.
“It’s really late, she observed. I checked the time, and it was a few minutes past midnight.
"Hopefully we hear something soon," I said, my voice strained. "We both need rest after this rollercoaster of a day."
"I'm staying here tonight, Adam," she declared, her voice stronger than it had been all day. "You can leave if you want."
A knot formed in my stomach. "Right," I managed, my voice tight. "Of course you should be with him."
I reached for her hand, my fingers intertwining with hers. "Hazel," I said softly, my gaze locked on her. "I'm here for you, as long as you need me. I'm not leaving."
Her eyes searched mine for a beat, then fluttered closed. As she squeezed my hand, a flicker of something crossed her face – gratitude, or maybe something more? But before I could decipher it, she broke eye contact.
I stepped outside the hospital to a nearby McDonald’s fast food restaurant. I expected the place to be almost empty but as I got in, I saw people lined up and I joined the cue. As I was about to leave, a flash of red hair caught my eye. There, tucked away in a corner booth, sat Emily. A discarded vanilla shake sat abandoned beside her. She had a worried expression on her face. Hesitation tugged at me, but empathy won. I strode towards her. When she noticed me, she plastered a smile on her face.
"Adam," she said, voice strained. "This is a first."
“A first what?’ I asked.
“The first time I have seen you without your bestie”, she replied with air quotes,
What does the air quote Emily?” I asked.
“You do not have to lie to me, Adam. We both know she isn’t just your friend.”
“And how did you come up with that?” I asked.
“The way you look at her and take care of her speaks volumes, Adam” she accused.
I decided to ignore the jab. “Well, what are you doing here?” I asked her.
"I can't go home," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm so worried about William. And somehow, I can't help but feel responsible."
"How so?" I pressed.
"He asked me to meet him at the airport," she explained, her words tumbling over each other. "But I went to his place instead. And then...the fight with Mabel."
"Hazel," I corrected sharply. "His wife."
She flinched at the reminder. "Whatever, Adam. I just want him to be okay."
The pain in her eyes, both physical and emotional, was undeniable. A new wave of concern washed over me. "The Doctor had cleared you to leave?"
"I'm fine," she insisted, a tremor in her voice betraying her words. "Just a few bumps and bruises."
"Let the doctor be the judge," I declared, a hint of steel in my voice. Reluctance clouded her expression, but under my steady gaze, she finally conceded.
As we entered the hospital, I saw Hazel sitting on the same spot with her head buried in her phone. She looked up and smiled, then her smile turned to a scowl when she saw who I was with.
“Hey Haze, any news”? I asked
“Yes, the doctor said he is stable now and there is no need to stay over since he has been sedated” she stated, then turned to look at Emily.
“Ah! That’s a relief! Emily replied,
Hazel seized her up then asked “What is she doing here?”
“Easy Tigress, I will never bite your boyfriend without your permission” she laughs sarcastically.
“That is enough, Emily,” I scolded.
I dragged her to the doctor’s office and left her there with him, then headed back to Hazel, but the look she gave me spoke volumes.
“Let me take you home Haze”, ignoring the look
She made a call to her father-in-law and updated him on Williams’ progress.
“Ready to go home?” I asked.
“Give me a minute” she replied.
Then she went back in the direction of the ER while I waited. Minutes later, she came back and told me she was ready to leave.
There was an uncomfortable silence when we got into the car, so I decided to address it.
“Are you okay, Haze?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m fine” she replied.
“Are we OK?” I asked again but was met with silence, so I squeezed her hands and started the car.
As we were driving, I noticed she was very quiet, so I turned to check on her and realized she had dozed off. She looked so beautiful, innocent and peaceful that I had to tear my eyes away from her form to watch the road.
As we got to her husband’s mansion, I honked for the gatekeeper to open the gate, but the sound made her stir and hugged herself. I felt the urge to pluck her from her seat and hold her close to me, but I tamped down the longing. After parking the car, I tried to wake her up, but she stirred again and went back to sleep.
I stepped out of the car and went over to her side and slowly scooped her into my arms and my arms unconsciously reached out, wrapping around my neck as I carried her inside.
The sound of descending footsteps startled us. A woman, Maria, the housekeeper, stopped short at the sight of me carrying Hazel. Her eyes held a mix of concern and suspicion.
"Good morning, Mr. Adam," she said, her voice tight. "How is Mr. Williams?"
"He's stable," I replied, meeting her gaze steadily. Maria's distrust hung heavy in the air.
"Let me help you," she offered, reaching for Hazel.
"It's okay, Maria," I declined gently. "I'll get her settled."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Climbing the stairs, I found myself drawn to Hazel's room. As I laid her on the bed, she reached out, clinging to my neck with a sleepy murmur.
"Don't go, Adam," she pleaded, her voice husky.
A pang of guilt stabbed through me. "Hazel, this isn't right"
She seemed to understand, slowly releasing her hold. With a sigh, she turned away, burrowing deeper into the bedsheets.
Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone shattered the silence. I picked it up, my voice hoarse.
“Hello” I croaked.
“Mr. Adam, you must be very hungry. I could make something for you to eat. I know you have been in the hospital for a long time”, she offered
‘Oh, that’s so kind of you Maria, but I’m OK” I replied.
“It’s alright, I’ll just put some food in the microwave in case you are hungry later” she said.
“That’s kind of you, but I’ll be leaving soon, but you could do that in the case when Hazel wakes up later in the night” I replied. We said goodnight.
As I hung up, I heard a muffled sob coming from Hazel. I turned her over, and she had tears in her eyes and that broke my heart. I climbed the bed and turned her to me. As she held me, my body responded to her touch, and it felt like I was on fire.
"Hazel, what's wrong?" I asked, worry lacing my voice.
"Adam," she choked out, sniffling, "everything's just...too much."
"William will be alright," I reassured her, forcing myself to keep some distance. Her vulnerability was captivating, but the bulge betraying my desire growing in my pants wouldn't stay hidden any longer.
"I need to go now, Haze," I said, my voice raspy.
"Could you please stay...until I fall asleep?" she pleaded with her puppy eyes and I found myself nodding even though a voice in my head said I should put some distance between us.
Slipping into the bathroom to get myself under control, I adjusted my growing erection but decided to take a quick cold shower instead.
As I emerged from the bathroom, I bumped into an almost naked Hazel with her back to me and an involuntary gasp escaped my lips. She was breathtaking: a vision in matching red lingerie which accentuated her curves. Her head whipped around at the sound.
“Oh! You are back. She sat on the bed and used the duvet to cover herself. I moved closer until I was a few inches away from her. I needed her to see how turned on I was. She looked up at me and I could see desire dancing in her eyes. Then, her arm brushed against my stomach, then a hesitant hand reached out, brushed against the evidence of my arousal beneath my boxers.