𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼

❁ Chapter Thirty Three - Conflict

"How are you feeling, Mr O'Brian?" The nurse asked, checking his IV briefly, a kind smile complimenting her figure.

"Like I'm about to start World War III," he said quietly, his eyes bouncing between me and Lory.

Reeve was just about to... break up... with Lory or something, but the nurse walked in. I got out of the bed, made myself comfortable in the chair while glaring at Lory, and she did the same. Except the fact that she preferred to stand up.

"Oh, I see," the woman muttered understandingly. "Well, I think I should get going. Just call if you need anything," she dryly cleared her throat, walking past me in a hurry to get out of the insufferable tension set in the room.

The door slammed behind her, nearly disturbing the silence stretched between the three of us. Well... more between Lory and I. We glared at each other like dogs set on the same bone, growling and twitching to jump in for the fight.

Huh, that must've been insulting from many points of view. Sorry, Reeve...

Her eyes suddenly shifted away from me and on Reeve. "You picked her, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Reeve concluded.

Tears sparked in her hazel eyes that traveled across the floor. "Why? Why, Reeve?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you," he retorted in a harsh tone.

"But you have!" She exclaimed, taking a step closer to him. "Because from what I remember, she hurt you! Wasn't she the one to kiss another guy, Reeve?"

I frowned having one question dangle in my mind. How in the fuck did she know that? Of course, I didn't care that she knew, it was the truth after all, but... how? That bugged me. And quietened me too. Not that I wasn't already quiet.

"It doesn't concern you, Lory," Reeve snorted a laughter, shaking his head at her. "I don't even understand where you got that we were a couple, let alone engaged! We were just friends with benefits, that's it!"

Woah, that was harsh even for me! Then again, this was Reeve. And Reeve had the custom of being an asshole with people. Not so shocking.

"I thought you wanted a rebound! I thought you wanted to get over her!" She shouted with annoyance.

At this point, Reeve's face was red with anger as he sat up on his own, ignoring the pain that clearly took its toll on him. "I never said I did. You assumed. You offered. I just accepted."

My nose scrunched as I looked away, having that pit in my stomach that told me I wasn't supposed to listen to the conversation cause I'd get sick. Very sick.

"I... I thought there was something between us," she croaked, tears soaking her red cheeks.

"It wasn't anything more than sex."

There went that sting in my heart. Even if his heart was with me, it didn't mean the ache of the thought wasn't going to kick in. It was dear old pain, after all...

I could see the emotions drying on Lory's features. The pain, the anger, they all faded into numbness. That until Jerome entered the room. He looked straight at me with a dead serious expression. Besides the conversation I had found myself stuck in, now I had Jerome worrying me, which was just perfect.