’’Wake up...’’ She stroked his face, ’’Enough of this now...’’ she whispered against his lips. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

’’We had a deal, Ryle...’’ Daisy gasped, ’’We were supposed to work together. I trusted you blindly... Why did you betray me...? Get up!" She clutched his arm.

’’Don’t leave me behind....’’ A soft sob escaped her lips, ’’I beg you... Get up!"

But as she released his arm, his hand swung off the bed lifelessly.

Daisy’s eyes snapped open.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

’A nightmare... It was just a nightmare...’ She convinced herself.

Suddenly, her eyes landed on a vast expanse of white.

She was in a hospital room, just like the dream.

She raised her hand and glanced at the drip attached to her hand.

Daisy pulled out the needle ruthlessly. As blood trickled down, she sat up on the bed.

Suddenly....

’’You are awake...’’

A familiar voice greeted her ears.

’’What... What did you do? You were supposed to not move around...’’

Daisy slowly turned her head to the side.

The curtain by the side of her hospital bed was parted slightly and she could see Ryle’s face.

The pair of whiskey eyes that were close in her dreams sparkled with suppressed anger as he looked at her,

Daisy pushed herself out of the hospital bed.

’’Stay still, will you?" Ryle frowned, ’’When I woke, the first thing I heard was you lost consciousness.... You...’’ He trailed off when the woman slowly leaned into his chest.

The weight of her head was feathery light as if she was afraid of hurting him.

Daisy wanted to say a lot of things but seeing him awake and fine, she lost all the words that she could have uttered.

She placed the side of her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt a warm touch on the back of her head, followed by Ryle’s comforting words.

’’It’s alright now. Everything is over,’’ Ryle mumbled as he stroked her head with his uninjured palm.

In no time, his clothes were soaked in her tears.

Ryle mumbled those words again and again until the sound of her sobs gradually died down.

He tilted his head to the side and found that her eyes had closed. The woman who was bawling her eyes out had dozed off in that awkward position, with her face positioned on his chest.

A soft smile touched his lips. He instinctively moved both his hands to pull her into his arms but a sharp pain shot through his injured arm and he slumped back on the hospital bed, biting his lips to refrain himself from making a noise.

As he gazed at his legs that seemed to be goners in the doctor’s opinion, Ryle felt helpless in an unfamiliar way.

He gently played with Daisy’s hair, looking at her contemplatively.

At this moment, the door to the VIP room opened.

’’Oh, you are finally awake...’’ Caleb trailed off when he spotted Daisy sleeping on Ryle’s chest, ’’Poor girl. She has exhausted herself while waiting for you to wake up. Let me get someone to help her move to the bed...’’

’’No need,’’ Ryle whispered in a soft voice as he looked at Daisy. She was a light sleeper. Before a stranger could move her arm, she would relocate the stranger’s organs which was not necessarily the problem for Ryle.

But he did not want her to be stirred awake.

Caleb was concerned. ’’But you would be uncomfortable this way. You have just recovered. It is not good for you...’’

’’I am fine,’’ Ryle nodded at the man in appreciation.

Caleb sighed, ’’Alright, I am outside. You can call me over if you need something...’’

As the man left, the room once again sunk in silence. Ryle observed Daisy’s sleeping profile and somehow, his thoughts were no longer as distressing as before.

Even without his damaged legs, he was not necessarily the greatest match for Daisy.

He had always known she deserved better. But he also knew that he could not bear to watch her with someone else so he would become better for her.

By the time Daisy opened her eyes, she was lying next to a huge source of warmth. She tilted her head and looked at the bicep where she had pressed her face.

’’There is no injury on this side,’’ The man explained when her face turned cold.

Daisy blinked slowly, ’’Why am I sleeping on your bed? You should have asked them to move to mine.’’

It was probably because of her threat that the doctor had moved her to the same room as Ryle.

’’You wouldn’t let go of my hand,’’ Ryle pointed his chin at their intertwined fingers, ’’They had barely lifted you from my chest when you glared at them...’’

Daisy looked at him suspiciously as she touched her forehead, ’’Why don’t I remember any of it?"

’’Exhaustion, probably,’’ Ryle shrugged his uninjured shoulder, ’’Not that you woke up for a long time. You were only momentarily stirred awake when they began to move you over but then you ended up sleeping again when I touched your hair. You never told me you liked it that much.’’

Daisy glared at him.

Ryle pretended to be hurt, ’’Ouch. Now that I have recovered, someone no longer cares about me. I feel like I should go ahead and get myself injured some more...’’

’Pak’

The sound of a crisp slap reverberated in the hospital room.

Ryle’s face flipped to the side, his messy hair whipping across his forehead.

When he turned to look at her, her eyes were bloodshot.

’’Daisy...’’

Daisy covered her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to leave the room.

She had barely reached the door when Ryle’s voice rang out from behind.

’’Princess, I can’t chase you right now if you leave just like that.’’

She only paused there for a split second before she pulled open the door and walked out.

Ryle instinctively tried to push himself up but a bone piercing pain shot through his body and he slumped on the bed, looking at the ceiling as he panted.

After a moment, he cursed under his breath.