Chapter 1237
Chapter 1237:
“This isn’t the time, Dominic,” I said tightly. “We’ll sort things out later. I need to see him.”
I yanked my wrist free, the movement sharp and final.
His expression twisted—fury, hurt, something else. But in the end, he let go of my hand and allowed me to head toward Alden’s hospital room.
Guilt tugged at me, but it was no match for the urgency pulling me forward. I reached Alden’s hospital room and slipped inside, breath catching again—not from panic this time, but fragile, blooming hope.
Alden lay pale and still, the weakness clear in his face—but his eyes—his eyes were brighter. Awake. Livelier than before.
Maia sat beside him, tending to him with quiet care.
She looked up as I entered, her lips curving into a soft, relieved smile.
“Makenna. You’re here.”
I moved quickly to Alden’s bedside, my voice rising before I could stop it.
“Alden! How do you feel? Are you okay?”
His gaze found mine, and something lit up behind it. His lips lifted into the faintest smile.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Sorry for scaring you.”
Then he glanced at Maia, his expression softening.
“Maia… would you mind giving us a moment?”
Maia’s gaze lingered on his face, then flicked to mine—searching, understanding. She nodded. “Alright. I’ll go prepare some medicine.”
As she stood, she gently patted my shoulder—supportive, knowing—and then slipped out, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Silence settled between us, but it wasn’t empty. It hummed.
R3ad th3 l4t3st 0n g4ln0v3ls.c0m
I sank into the chair by his bed, staring at him, my voice thick with emotion. “Alden… you scared me half to death!”
He made a small sound, like he was about to laugh, and struggled to sit up.
I rushed to help, carefully guiding him upright without touching anywhere that might hurt.
Just as I leaned in, his hand closed around mine.
The warmth of his palm startled me—not just the heat of it, but the intentionality, the way it grounded me and sent a pulse of awareness racing from my fingertips to somewhere deeper.
I tried to pull away reflexively. He didn’t let go. Instead, he held on tighter.
The room seemed to shrink, the quiet turning charged—intimate.
I swallowed. “Alden… you need to rest. We can talk about everything else later.”
His gaze locked onto mine, full of something raw and open. “Makenna,” he said slowly, “do you remember what you promised me? You said if I came back alive… you’d give me an answer.”
His words landed like a stone in still water—spreading ripples I couldn’t control. My breath caught again, this time from the memory—Alden’s confession of love before he fainted. Color surged to my cheeks. My heart beat unevenly, and I couldn’t find the words.
But Alden wasn’t giving me an escape.
.
.
.