Chapter 38

"Is it finally my milkshake?" My eyes still shut as I heard Keelan opened the door to come in. He was silent and seem to not plan on answering me. I opened my eyes to see him. It’s just that it wasn’t really my little brother. My eyes widened and I got up immediately forgetting the wound in my abdomen would possibly be opened up again from the strain. I groaned from the pain as my hand reached to the inflicted area. Fucking hell. That’s gonna cost more days of staying here. He immediately came to my aid. His fingers brush my arm. It was cold like it’s winter when in fact we’re nearing summer. He pushed me back to the bed. "You alright?" Concern etched in his voice. The frown in his face echoed his concern more. I groaned. "Y-yeah." I looked at him when he placed me back down. We realized our faces were too close. Six more inches and were probably going to bump our heads. His discomfort was evident as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. His face somehow reddens which was strange and unusual for him. I just stared at him trying to figure him out. I usually blush in front of him and the swirling in my stomach adds the heat on my skin. This time though it didn’t happen. I was probably stuck at the fact that I kept staring and ogling at him. I was dumbstruck by how he looked right now. His usual business suit was gone. His slick back hair which was perfectly gelled that not a single strand stood out, now also was gone. It was replaced with a messy hair like he’s been brushing it off with his fingers for a while. He was wearing a grey long sleeved shirt, pulled over just below his elbow. I can see a tattoo slipping out. Just a small part of it. He’s wearing faded jeans and a white adidas sneakers. Throughout the months that I worked for him, this is the first time I saw him with his casual attire. Not only that, there were piercings in his ears. This is the first time I’ve seen it. He really looked like he doesn’t plan on working today. Did I mention this god of a man works every fucking day? I can’t believe he’s skipping it. Damn, he looks so handsome. His clothes emphasised his perfect body. The muscles and the veins in his arms looked so sexy. **** the gods who created him. They made sure to carve him so well. Stefano immediately pulled away from me. Just now the heat finally spreads throughout my body. I honestly held it in remembering how I blush so much. Even if he was blushing too, I was way worse. He coughs away the awkwardness. "How are you?" He sat on the bed just beside my hand. "I’m... Well, because I suddenly made that stupid move, the pain was back." I answered truthfully with little humour. "Should I call a nurse?" His face morphed with worry. "No, no. It’s fine. It’s not like the wound reopened." I waved my hand animatedly. "Then we should check it." He said as he reached for my gown. I grabbed his wrist to stop him. "I’m fine, Stefano... really." I looked at him squarely just so he could see how serious I was. He just nodded. He noticed my hand on his wrist. I let it go. He was still staring at it. "What happened to Brunton?" I wanted to know what happened to him the moment I awoke and remembered what had happened to me. Stefano had just visited me now. I assumed he took care of things with Brunton. I never forget how he looked when he saw me at the elevator, bleeding almost out of life. It was etched in my mind permanently. The rage and the menace made me shiver in fear. I saw a glimpse of Brunton’s face before I drifted into abyss. If I’m not wrong, he looked terrified. "Let’s just say he got what he deserved." His voice sounded so calm yet so cold and filled with fury. It made my hair in my skin stood. I honestly do not wanna know what he did to him judging by his tone. "You shouldn’t have involved yourself with this. Look what happened to you." He was glaring but it felt like it wasn’t intended to me. He was angry. It didn’t take a genius to notice it. "You should have left me that night. He was my problem." His fingers swept through his hair. I finally found out how his hair became so messy. I frowned. "I didn’t regret helping you. I didn’t regret barging in to that ballroom just to find you. I didn’t regret saving your life. Not now, not ever. If there’s something that I would regret... it’s the thought that I could have saved your life while looking at you buried six feet under." "That won’t happen." His voice was soft intending to ease my worries. "And how can you be so sure?" I looked at him, eyes glint with concern. "You were unaware of it. You didn’t know it until I informed you. I hated you, Ranallo... but that’s not enough reason to leave you." He looked down. His brows knitted together. He looked sad and regretful. It’s as if he was imagining the bad things that will happen and that had happen. "How do you think I feel when I saw you in that elevator?" He combed his fingers through his hair again. His hair became messier even more. But it didn’t take away his godly looks. "If you think leaving me would be your regret, what about me?" He looked straight at me. His orbs were full of emotions but his face highlighted anger more. My breath hitched. I remember it so well. "You have no idea, Avery. You have no idea how imagined you to be in that-" He stopped as if it pained him to say it. "How imagined you dying while holding you in my arms." He looked away again. "Well, it did happen anyway. Just that you’re alive and breathing now. I swear if you die, I’m gonna blame myself for life. You already gave me a heart attack with you blooded in my arms." His fingers suddenly reached to my arm. He traced it slowly to my hand. He took it and intertwined our fingers. "You’re such a pain, Avery. Even the first time we met, you caused me a lot of trouble." I looked at him almost lovingly. God, I’m so surprised when I realized that. My heart constricted just the thought of him. "I’m glad your safe. I’m glad you’re here alive and still a pain in the ***." He said as he looked at me. The last part of his speech made us smile. I snorted. "Yeah, right." I chuckled. "Thank you." I paused as I take a moment to stare at his beautiful face. "Thank you for being there." He nodded. "Just so I could defend myself." I tightened my grasp on his fingers. "I didn’t come after him. Somehow he just knew me. It was also too late for me to realise who he was. I was already inside the elevator." He nodded. "I guess he thought he could have his way just because you were in his building. I’m happy that a coincidence like that happened otherwise you’ll be dead. He’ll make sure of it. I didn’t think he would be the guy who desired my death. Henderson might be. I worked for Brunton for years now. We didn’t seem to have a problem. He was strict and ambitious. I respected him. That’s why there was no reason to aggravate him. Not until I found out that Henderson’s deal wasn’t really his but Brunton’s." His thumb was rubbing my hand. It felt good and nice. The sparks didn’t go away and instead grew more. "I guess you just have to always background check on your associates." "I always do. Why do you think I rejected Henderson’s project?" "Then just always be careful, Stefano. Your parents will be devastated if they lose you." He nodded. "You too." His eyes mirrored mine. I could see my emotions in his eyes. "Just don’t do that again. Please. I don’t want to relive that pain again." I nodded. "Okay." We ended up staring at our intertwined fingers. The silence was interrupted when he cleared his throat. I looked at him. He was brushing his hair again with his fingers. He was suddenly being nervous. He reminded me of Keelan when he’s uncomfortable and nervous. "This wasn’t the only reason why I’m here, Avery." I noticed that ever since he’s here, he called me my name and not just Miss White. I realised he’d call my name whenever he’s being intimate. Heat spreads my body. The flutter in my stomach was buzzing crazily, slowly getting wilder and wilder. "I wanted to talk to you about that night." My eyebrows knitted in confusion. I was truly perplexed on what he meant about that night. With so many things that happened, I don’t know which he was referring to. "I figured... that when you wake up, we’ll have this conversation. But I honestly couldn’t be here when you finally woke up. I didn’t deserve to see you not until I fixed everything with Brunton. Finally... finally I was able to come see you." He took a long pause and breath everything in. His brows creased as he thought of what to say. "When you’re in my arms all blooded and lifeless, I regretted not talking to you. Avoiding you like a coward was my escape from what was growing in me. It came to me like a reel of regrets you know. And I certainly don’t want to regret it for the rest of my life." He looked at me with his burning grey eyes. "We need to talk about what happened to us the night of Ashton’s wedding. "