Chapter 134 My Angel | 027
AZREN
The shower scalds my skin, the steam thick enough to choke on, but it doesn't touch the cold that's settled in my bones since dinner. I brace both hands on the black marble wall, my head bowed, letting the water hammer the back of my neck. If it could pound the confusion out of me, I'd be so glad.
It doesn't.
All I see is her face. Noelle.
Those huge amber eyes staring up at me in the hallway, wide and wet and so fucking hopeful.
I groan and press my forehead harder against the tile.
I can still feel her soft lips brushing my skin like a fucking dare.
My cock is so hard it actually hurts. I could wrap my hand around it right now and be done with it, but that would be too easy. And it wouldn't touch the real ache.
The one in my head.
I let out a bitter laugh. Holy shit, I'm finally losing it.
I can still see her small hand sliding into Jake's. Jealousy strikes me like a blazing hot whip to the back.
I growl against the tile, my fangs itching.
Mine.
The word echoes in my skull, possessive and feral, and for a second the voices quiet. Then they slither back in, whispering the same old poison.
'She's already choosing someone else. Fragile little human—how long before she runs?'
'Only Sabrina sees you. Only Sabrina understands how broken you are. Only Sabrina stays when everyone else leaves.'
I slam my fist into the wall, and the marble cracks.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I've spent years training myself not to feel anything too deeply. Years of letting Sabrina dose me until everything blurred and nothing hurt too much. Years of telling myself I didn't deserve anything soft, anything real, or anything that could be broken by my hands.
And then Noelle happened.
The headache spikes behind my right eye, blinding. I hiss through my teeth, pressing my palm to my temple.
I'm so fucked.
I want to pin her to the nearest wall. I want to apologize on my knees. I want to beg her to forgive me for every cold word I let slip tonight.
I shut the water off with a rough twist.
I need to see her. I need to tell her I'm sorry before the voices come back and convince me she's better off without me.
I grab a towel, wrap it around my waist, and step out of the bathroom.
My headache seems to growing worse as I head out of the bathroom. I stagger blindly, reaching for the wall as my vision blurs in and out of focus. What is this? Some kind of side effect? But I didn't take my meds today.
Fuck, I need to lie down. No, I need...I need her...
I reach blindly for the bed, my ears ringing. The pain is so bad, it makes me want to throw up.
"Azren?"
I freeze at the sound of Noelle's voice. She's here?
Where? I can't... I can't see...
"Noelle," I breathe, my chest heaving.
"I'm here, honey," I hear her say, and I crawl towards her, desperate.
I'm half blind, but I can smell her. Soft hands cup my face, and I melt into her lap. Oh, thank the gods.
"What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?" I hear her say as she gently strokes my hair.
I grunt, curling around her. "My head," I whisper, my voice cracking.
"It's okay, I've got you. Relax," she utters in the softest voice.
She massages my head gently, applying perfect pressure to my scalp and temples.
"Thank you," I whisper, breathing in her floral scent.
"Shh, it's okay. Go to sleep now."
I don't wanna. I don't... I—I have to apologize to my angel. I need—
My body melts, my thoughts drifting away like scattered ash in the air.
...
"Rise and shine, handsome," a familiar voice whispers.
I groan, opening my eyes.
Sabrina?
I sit up slowly, trying to remember what happened last night and how I fell asleep. But nothing comes up.
Sabrina gives me a smile, placing the breakfast tray on the nightstand. She moves over to feel for my temperature, the back of her hand on my forehead.
"Your fever has broken, thank goodness," she breathes, and I blink, confused.
I slept…without needing Noelle? That’s impossible.
"I...had a fever?" I say, and she smiles, shyly touching the bandage around her throat.
My stomach tightens when I recall how she ended up with that injury. Fucking Noelle.
"How's the wound?" I ask, tilting my head, and she shrugs weakly.
"It hurts," she croaks. "Honestly, I don't know why she hates me so much, Azren. I tried to talk to her this morning, and she ignored me. I didn't do anything bad to her, you know?"
I clench my jaw, annoyed. "I'll go talk—"
"No, you don't have to. Please. I don't want her to think that I've been turning you against her. You're married to her after all."
Dammit.
Sabrina wipes her tear away, sniffling. "I have your meds ready. After you take it, you can have breakfast and get ready for work. It's still pretty early."
"Right," I say, pulling up the towel slightly to expose my thigh.
She moves over with the special syringe and preps the injection site gently.
"Breathe, Azren," she whispers, and I grip the sheets. It hurts like a motherfucker every single time. I can't get used to it either.
Closing my eyes, I let out a shaky breath. "Do it."
The sharp pain hits, and I grip the sheets tighter. "Fuck."
My body trembles, my temperature rising as the drill tunnels into my flesh. I'm shaking, clenching my jaw so hard I nearly shatter my jawbone.
Heat floods my body as she releases the liquid inside my body. My head swims, sweat dripping down my temples.
"It's done," Sabrina whispers softly, holding my bicep as I tremble for a few more seconds, my head fuzzy.
“You’re okay, Azren. It’s okay,” she whispers, patting my back gently.
I let out a sigh then, finally opening my eyes.
The door slams open right then and there she is. Noelle. The sight of her hits me like a punch to the chest again. My ring glints on her finger.
Her hair is in a stylish bun, her side bang framing her face. Again, she isn’t wearing makeup. She’s wearing a short flowery print dark green dress that hugs her maddening curves with a slit along the thigh and ankle boots.
My heart starts to pound faster as she approaches us.
What is she doing? I can’t help but wonder.
She blatantly ignores Sabrina and turns to face me.
Then she holds out a hand.
I stare at her blankly.
“What?”
“I need money. No, scratch that. I want one of your black cards,” she deadpans.
What the—
That’s it? She won’t apologize for what she did last night?
“Noelle—” I start to say, and she pouts.
“Do you really want people talking about you not taking care of your wife? I only have three dresses. Only three. You’re a billionaire, aren’t you? So, don’t be stingy, honey.”
What game is she playing now?
I narrow my gaze at her, trying not to let my gaze dip into the tiny flash of cleavage. But, for the life of me, I can’t stop staring at her legs either. Those thick thighs would look even better with my mark littering them. My fangs ache just staring at them.
No, wait—
“Azren? Come on, don’t keep me waiting,” Noelle says with a smile on her face.
“Can’t you see that he just took his meds? What is wrong with you?” Sabrina says in a small voice.
“I wasn’t talking to you, sweetheart. Doesn’t it hurt to speak? You really should look after yourself,” Noelle replies with an even bigger smile.
I’m losing my mind trying to understand what is going through her head in the moment. But it’s exhausting. So, I push to my feet, limping over to grab my wallet where I left it on the vanity.
Pushing past the pain in my leg, I take one of my black cards and hand it over to her.
She grins, accepting it while carefully making sure not to touch me. The mere action sends a jarring amount of annoyance through my veins.
“Noelle—”
“I’ll see you later,” she tells me and takes off her ring, placing it on the nightstand.
I gape at her as she sashays to the door, my right eye twitching. Did she just—