CHAPTER 35—XAVIER POV

"What the hell did you do to yourself, King?"

La.

It had to be her; I could recognize that voice anywhere.

And she called me King.

I open my eyes and see her standing there, at the edge of my bed.

Her hair is in a dishevelled, tangled bun with strands of hair falling around her face which is holding a worried expression. Her lips are slightly parted from shock at the state she finds me in.

She awkwardly wraps her hand around the Burberry scarf on her neck, just watching me. I didn't expect her to come here and from the looks of it, neither did she.

She breathes out, her breath is raggedly and nervous. Seeing her shy around me made me nervous as well.

"You came, La?" my voice, croaky from being asleep for so long, asked her.

"Of course I did."

She's still standing at the foot of my bed, both of us unsure of what to do now—we didn't exactly meet on the best terms last time.

She's looking down at the ground and I took this moment to take in all of her beautiful features.

Her plump rosy lips were now tightly shut, not saying a word. Her nostrils were flaring as she breathed heavily. Her long, curled lashes hid her ocean eyes, and her strong eyebrows were furrowed as she didn't know what to think.

It wasn't like her to not know what to say.

Then she looks up and her eyes.

Every emotion is swimming in them, fear, worry, hate and maybe even love.

"Come here," I said. I wanted to hold my hand out to her, but I couldn't find the strength to do so.

As soon as I say that she hurries over to me, sitting herself down on next to be, but wary that she doesn't touch any of the machinery around me.

She places her small, soft hand onto my cheek, her fingers caressing my face slowly. My eyes close involuntarily at her touch as I inhale her sweet scent. 

"What did you do to yourself, huh?" She smiles, but tears are lining her eyes.

"I was looking for you," I replied sheepishly.

"I'm here." Her hand that wasn't on my face grips my hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'll always be here, King."

Even though I was drugged up in a hospital bed, I felt like the strongest man in the world when she said that.

"Mr King, I'm here with your medicine." The nurse barges into the room, pushing the door open with her hips as she holds a tray of pills.

I turn back to look at Amelia, only to find her slowly fading away, first her untamed hair, then her glossy eyes and eventually every part of her. The last thing to disappear was her fragile touch on my face.

I could still feel the warmth of her hand across my cheek.

"Where did she go?" I frantically asked the nurse. "Where did she go?"

I grit my teeth in agony as I abuse my aching hands to lift the blanket off of me in the insane hope that she's there.

"What are you talking about, Mr King?" The nurse almost drops the tray of medicine at my sudden outburst.

"La," I said. "My La…" My voice went softer as I realized—

She was never here.

"I'm sorry, Mr King, but no one has been in your room all night."

No. 

My head sinks back into my pillow.

The nurse has a sorry look on her face. "The medication we put you on can cause hallucinations—"

"No!" I shouted. "It wasn't a hallucination. She was here!"

A single tear threatens to drop as I realized she's not here.

"I think you should get some sleep," the nurse said.

"No, I think I need to get the fuck out of here," I snapped back as I pulled the blanket off of me completely. The pain burns but I don't even care anymore.

The pain on my skin was nothing compared to what was in my heart, and if I can tolerate that then I can get through this.

"No, Mr King, you can't leave. You're not fit enough."

"Watch me," I dared her.

I locate my pile of clothes on the small sofa in the corner of the room—my shirt, jeans and shoes piled up neatly. I dash towards it, picking it up before running out of the hospital room.

Luckily, there's no guards at the exit that I find myself leaving from. I push the door open, hissing as my hands press against the cold glass.

There's a 24/7 taxi shack a few feet away from the hospital. I jog to it and request a taxi as soon as possible, worried that the nurse or security might come after me. I get into the cab as soon as it arrives.

"Where would you like to go?" the driver asked in a heavy New York accent.

"The Eva Enterprises building, please. The one on 6th Avenue," I said. The urgency in my voice was evident. I glance at the digital clock at the front of his car.

9:23 a.m. That means she's already going to be there.

The drivers says no more as he quickly and efficiently gets me to Amelia's office.

I soon realized I couldn't get changed as I'm walking into the building in my hospital gown—it's probably for the best, those clothes reeked of alcohol.

I receive weird glances and stares from everyone there, but walk up the stairs, making my way to her office.

"Mr King?" Jodie steps out of her office, stopping me in my path. "Did you just leave from a hospital?" Her eyebrows are risen up in humour.

"Something like that…" I muttered.

"Wait, they would've made you change if you left," Jodie said. "Did you ESCAPE the hospital?" Her eyes widen. My lack of reply makes her eyes widen even more. "Couldn't have been an Eva Enterprises hospital then," she muttered. "Anyways, how can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Amelia. She's here, right?"

Her face softens when she understands why I was here. "I'm sorry, Mr King, but Miss Davis left for California yesterday. That's why I came to Kings Corp. instead of her," she explained.

"Wait, so she hasn't been in the state?"

"Not since yesterday," she said.

So it was definitely a hallucination.

defeater, I ask Jodie to book me a cab which she gladly does and go back home.

When the cab pulled up in front of my house, I saw a woman already standing there. She was tall, in an all-black suit and leather boots. She was holding a pile of papers and a box in her hands.

"Mr King," she greeted me. "I thought I'd find you here."

"How may I help you?" I asked, now feeling slightly embarrassed at what I was wearing.

"I'm here from the New York Mental Rehabilitation Centre, since you have been avoiding our calls," she said slyly.

"I've already said I don't want to hear anything about Eric. Nor do I care., I explained.

"Well, as you're his mentioned next of kin, it's my legal responsibility to let you know. What you choose to do with the information I'm about to tell you is completely up to you."

I groaned out of irritation. "What is it?"

"I have a feeling that you're going to want to be seated for this." She gestures for me to open the door. I roll my eyes but open it anyway.

"Hurry up and tell me," I said as we both sat on the dining table.

"First of all, I'm going to need you to sign this form saying that you successfully gained this information."

I snatch the pen out of her hands and scribble my signature where it's needed, tapping my foot against the ground impatiently waiting for her to talk.

"Your brother, Eric King, is dead."