Chapter 18
Chapter 18
DAMIEN
I stood by her bedside, gripping the tray of food so tightly my fingers ached. Rosalie sat there, on the bed, under the blanket, her back barely moving with each shallow breath. She wasn’t asleep–I could tell by the way her eyes remained open, staring blankly at the ceiling like I didn’t even exist.
I clenched my jaw, trying to swallow the guilt gnawing at me. She looked so small and fragile sitting there, pale and quiet. I wasn’t used to seeing her this way. The fire that usually burned in her eyes was gone, and it was my fault.
If I hadn’t left her out there in the cold….
din
I shook the thought from my head. No. She was the one who walked out on on me. She embarrassed me. What was I supposed to do? Let her disrespect me like that?
But even as I tried to justify it, the guilt wouldn’t go away. I’d made my point, sure. But at what cost?
tray
on the bedside table. The soup was still warm, steam rising
I pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down, setting the lazily from the bowl. I’d made sure I reheated it before bringing it upstairs.
“Rosalie,” I said, my voice low but firm. “Come eat ok. I brought you the food like I promised.”
No response. Her eyes didn’t even flicker toward me.
I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. “Rosalie, come and eat,” I continued, keeping my tone calm. “You’re sick. You can’t just sit there and starve yourself.”
Still nothing.
A muscle in my jaw twitched. I wasn’t a man used to being ignored. “Fine,” I said, picking up the spoon and scooping up some soup. “If you’re too stubborn to feed yourself, I’ll do it for you.”
I held the spoon near her lips, close enough for her to smell the food, but she didn’t react. Not even a twitch.
“Rosalie,” I said sharply, my patience thinning. “This isn’t the time for your pride. You’re burning up, and you need to eat to get your strength back.”
She finally moved then, her head turning ever so slightly toward me. Her lips parted, but the words were so soft I almost didn’t catch them.
“Not hungry,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
I frowned, lowering the spoon. “Not hungry?” I repeated, incredulous. “You haven’t eaten the dinner you prepared, you are running a fever, and you’re telling me you’re not hungry?”
She didn’t respond, her eyes drifting back to the ceiling.
I exhaled sharply, setting the spoon back in the bowl with more force than necessary. “Rosalie, stop this nonsense,” 1 snapped. “You’re acting like a child. Do you think starving yourself is going to solve anything?”
She didn’t even flinch.
My frustration boiled over. I picked up the spoon again and leaned closer, holding it right in front of her lips. “Eat,” I ordered. “You don’t have to like me right now, but you’re going to eat. Open your mouth.”
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Chapter 18
Her lips pressed together in a weak show of defiance.
“Rosalie,” I said, my voice dropping to a warning growl. “Don’t make me force it down your throat.”
She turned her head away, her eyes closing. “Go away,” she murmured, her voice so faint it was almost a sigh.
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My grip tightened on the spoon. “Go away?” I repeated, my voice rising. “I’m trying to help you, Rosalie. Do you think I enjoy this? Sitting here, begging you to take care of yourself?”
Her silence was like a slap to the face.
I slammed the spoon down onto the tray, the clang echoing through the room. “You know what? Fine,” I said, standing abruptly. “If you want to be stubborn and starve yourself, go ahead. See if I care.”
I grabbed the tray and turned toward the door, my anger and guilt swirling into a volatile mix.
But as I reached for the handle, I hesitated.
I glanced back over my shoulder. She was still sitting there, still silent, but her face… it wasn’t just defiance anymore. There was something else. Pain. Exhaustion. Maybe even sadness.
My grip on the tray faltered, and I turned back around, setting it down on the bedside table.
“Rosalie,” I said, my voice softer now. “Please.”
She didn’t move.
I sat back down, running a hand through my hair. “I know I messed up, alright?” I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “I shouldn’t have left you outside. You walked out on me and I just got so livid. I was blinded by my anger, I wanted to teach you a lesson so badly and I’m sorry. I regret it now. Please eat.”
Still, nothing.
I sighed, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees. “I can’t fix this if you won’t let me,” I said quietly. “I’m trying
this harder than it already is.” here, Rosalie. Don’t mak
Her eyes finally met mine, but they were empty, distant. She wasn’t listening to me–not really.
I stood up, rubbing a hand over my face. “You’re impossible,” I muttered.
I looked at her, my frustration replaced by a sudden wave of worry. Her face was flushed, her skin damp with sweat. She looked worse than she had an hour ago.
“Rosalie,” I said, stepping closer. “Are you alright?”
She didn’t answer. Her eyes were half–closed now, her breathing shallow.
I reached out, placing a hand on her forehead. It was burning hot. It felt like her temperature was rising every nano second.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.
I crouched down beside the bed, my anger forgotten. “Rosalie,” I said, my tone urgent. “You need to rest. Forget the food for now. Just lie down and let me help you.”
She didn’t protest as I adjusted the blanket around her, tucking her in like I should have done last night instead of locking
her out.
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“I’ll be back with a warm towel,” I said, standing up. “Just stay here and rest. The doctor will come by tomorrow morning to check on you,” I added as I turned towards the door.
But as I reached for the handle, I hesitated. I glanced back over my shoulder. She hadn’t moved, her expression still blank, but there was something in her silence–something that twisted the guilt in my chest even tighter.
I wanted to say something, anything, to make her look at me. To make her acknowledge I was trying, even if I had failed miserably so far. But the words wouldn’t come.
I turned back to the door, gripping the handle tightly as I stepped out, the door closing with a soft click behind me.
