Chapter 33
Chapter 33
The room was quiet. Only the steady beeping of the heart monitor could be heard. Chloe laid on another bed, her gaze trained on Lily. The doctor had said Lily’s CT scans were okay and she only had a slight concussion. If she woke up within the next 24 hours, they would be in the clear. But for now, all they could do was wait.
Aspen stood near the window, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone. He was on the phone with his secretary. They had finally found out why the accident happened. Some rich college kids had been having a street racing competition, and some of them were even drunk. One of them turned into another road, wanting to use it as a shortcut so he could win. The road happened to be the same one Lily's taxi was on.
The driver tried to avoid the crash by swerving to the other side of the road, but the drunk driver still crashed into them. The taxi driver had taken most of the damage due to his intentional positioning of the car. He had become the benefactor of the Monroe family since he saved their daughter’s life. Thankfully, he didn’t die, though he was still in a critical condition. Aspen had arranged for him to be placed in a VIP ward with top doctors, and his room was right next to Lily’s. His family had already arrived and were with him.
The driver's wife couldn’t stop crying and thanked him over and over, but Aspen had told her it wasn’t necessary and that her husband was who he should be thanking instead. Aspen had promised her they would take care of him and their family, no matter what happened.
As for the racers, the police were in the process of arresting all of them. Most of them had been taken in, but a few were in hiding. Lily wasn’t the only one who got into an accident that night. 5 other people were rushed to different hospitals that night, and news stations would be reporting on it by daybreak. Some of the racers also crashed into shops, poles, and fire hydrants. There was footage from nearby surveillance cameras and pictures taken by people already circulating the internet— but Aspen had made sure none of them had any mention of Lily.
Finally, day broke. The sky outside was pale and grey, holding the promise of rain. Chloe stirred awake. Her neck ached from the awkward angle she’d slept in.
She looked up and saw Aspen still standing by the window, just as he had been before she fell asleep.
“Do you want something to eat?” Chloe asked, sitting up.
Aspen shook his head, turning to look at her. “I’m good. You can go ahead.”
Chloe sighed. “I’ll go get both of us something to eat. You need to eat too. came straight down from the airport, and you never eat airplane food.” She stood up and walked to the bathroom. “Plus, if Lily wakes up, she’ll have your head if she finds out you’re starving yourself.”
Aspen nodded and didn’t say another word.
Chloe walked out of the bathroom, hair tied up. “Anything you want, or should I just get whatever?”
Aspen seemed to think for a while before answering. “Up to you.”
Chloe grabbed her bag and headed for the door, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.
“Get a pair of slippers too.”
Chloe paused. “Huh?”
“You’ve been wearing heels since last night.”
Chloe smiled and walked out. “Yes, sir.” She called over her shoulder.
Silence followed. Aspen moved to sit next to Lily’s bed. He hadn’t yet told their parents about Lily’s accident. He wanted Lily to wake up first before he did, or they’d be too worried. Aspen's phone vibrated. He glanced down and frowned.
“I’ll be right back.” He said softly to Lily before turning to leave.
“Is there anywhere quiet I can have a meeting?” Aspen asked a nurse outside.
The room was empty.
A few seconds later, the door creaked open.
Ethan walked inside, his steps slow and unsure. His suit from the night before was now wrinkled. His tie was missing, his shirt was partially untucked, and a light stubble lined his jaw. He hadn’t slept at all. Not being by her side through the night filled him with worry.
Lily lay there unmoving, but her face had recovered some color. Her chest rose and fell steadily under the blanket. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to be okay. His Lily was going to be okay. He sat on the chair and reached out for her hand.
“Lily,” he whispered, the word barely audible.
“I’m sorry for not taking good care of you.”
Her fingers twitched in his palm.
His breath caught. He stood up, leaning closer, staring at her closed eyes. Then her lashes fluttered— her lids lifted slightly, revealing hazy, unfocused eyes.
“Lily?” he said again, voice cracking.
She seemed to look at him, then her eyes drifted shut again.
Ethan’s heart slammed against his ribs. He reached over and hit the call button on the wall. Then he ran out and called to a passing nurse.
“She woke up.”
Within seconds, two nurses rushed up the hallway. They hurriedly entered the room, checking the monitors. Ethan moved closer to the bed but stood aside so as not to disturb them. Aspen appeared in the doorway, startled by the commotion.
“What happened?” He asked sharply, eyes locked on Ethan.
“She opened her eyes.”
“Is my sister okay?” He turned to the nurses by the bed.
“She stirred,” one of the nurses answered. “She’s asleep now, but it’s not a coma anymore.”
“She should wake up fully later today,” The other nurse added.
Aspen’s gaze shifted to Ethan. “Why are you in here? I told you to leave.”
“I–”
“Never mind, I’ll let Lily deal with you herself.”
The nurses finished their checks. One of them adjusted Lily’s bed covering. “She’ll wake up properly soon. You don’t have to worry.”
Chloe returned minutes later, wide-eyed, with two bags of food. Her gaze moved from Aspen to Ethan, who were sitting on opposite sides of Lily’s bed.
“I didn’t get anything for you,” she said, going to stand next to Aspen and handing him his food.
“No problem,” Ethan said, his voice low.
“She woke up for a moment,” Aspen told her. “She’s asleep now.”
Chloe smiled. “That’s good. That’s good.”
Her voice was quiet but filled with relief.
Outside, the rain started to fall. It tapped steadily against the windows.