Say You Love Me [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: TABLES ARE TURNED

“Mom, I’m fine. Stop treating me like a kid,” Adam wailed as his mother fussed over how much worse it could have been.

Adam was bored lying on the hospital bed and was in no mood for all that ado. It had indeed been a narrow escape but thankfully he had only hurt his head when bumping against the right door of the car. It was a miracle that he had managed to protect Zoey at the last second. Although he had not said anything, he was having doubts about the way that truck had collided against them.

It looked like the vehicle had deliberately moved out of its lane to collide with his car. They had been on their way to the airport when the crash had occurred. Unfortunately, the collision had been fatal for the driver while he and Zoey seated at the back had been spared.

Adam had seen the truck veer in their direction and Zoey who had been seated on the left would have been crushed had Adam pulled her to him and protect her with his body. That was when he had lost his momentum and bumped against the right car window. It was a minor impact but everybody was in hospital surrounding him like he was seriously injured.

And by everybody he meant everybody except Rhea. He could not believe he was still expecting her to visit him. After all that happened, he should expect nothing from her now. Rhea Cooper would never love him back; it was the understatement of the century.

When he could no longer listen to the ranting of his mother, he politely asked the latter if she could bring him some water in an attempt to get some peace. Except that it was too much to ask when everybody was surrounding him and talking among themselves.

He sighed. He could hardly wait to get back home in his sanctuary. Zoey was also present and they shared a knowing look. Even if it wasn’t for the police restriction, the family would never let him get to New York now. Not after the shock he had just endured. And he was too attached to his family to cause them any harm.

And suddenly he felt an unexplained anger towards Rhea who had never even thought about anyone before running away. How insensitive of her. And now she was not even aware of what was happening with them. Someone could die and she would not even care.

Just as that fleeting thought crossed his mind, he caught sight of her shadow outside the clinic door and his anger evaporated. She had that kind of effect on him. Everything else was forgotten except for the fact that she was finally here.

But he had to harden his heart; had to learn to love her without expecting her to love him back in return. It was how it was destined to be. He had accepted that fact now and he’d better move on before he made a bigger fool of himself.

Trying to stamp down the rapid beat of his heart, he swallowed and looked away pretending to never have seen her coming. Even when the door opened and he breathed in a bout of her unique scent, he pretended like he never guessed that she was here. It was what his life had resorted to now. A mere sham.

It would be too obvious to still look away when the others greeted her and so he looked in her direction trying to look casual about her sudden appearance. It was tough considering he was anything but. In his present state, he preferred not meet her gaze afraid that he might give in to the temptation of taking her in his arms and never let her go.

Like his instincts have always been around her. She was his, they screamed at him and it was difficult to tamper down his feelings. Especially after he had finally accepted that she would never fall for him. He knew he sounded pathetic; it was not as if it was the end of the world. He would move on eventually. It was inevitable.

When Rhea approached his bed, he had no other option than to meet her eyes. And what he saw there made him catch his breath. There was something different in her, he could bet his life on that. Her grey eyes which usually looked dull and cautious were different. He could not place anything yet but he was damn sure that they were filled with a certain…fire.