𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (Completed)

31. F E W M O R E M I N U T E S

IVY'S   P.O.V

I wasn't ready to have a conversation with Adrien. I wasn't ready to see him. The sight of his body being attached to several wires while breathing through an oxygen mask was something I couldn't handle. I had a problem with hospitals in general. Seeing people battling against whatever they had on going inside of them, I am able to understand what they would willingly give to be able to walk and breathe freely again.

I'm sitting next to his bedside, shaking back and forth. A lot has happened and I feel I did the right thing. I believed it was fate which did the talking for me on my behalf when Chace and I decided to never see each other again. He wasn't a part of my decision. He didn't even know it. I saw the look Chace gave me while we spoke. But I did most of the talking. The horror of re-living Ethan's manipulation. He isn't Ethan. Chace really wanted to explain himself to me, I should've allowed him to do so.

I was curious.

But at the same time, I was afraid. Had I given him another chance, he would do it again. Similar to what Dad did to mom. I want to take a chair and drive it through the wall.

"Wow, you're here."

Snapping out of my thoughts, Adrien grunts as he struggles to sit erect. I get up to keep him steady. "It's fine. Fuck," he grumbles, resting a hand on the right hand side of his chest.

"I wish if you hadn't seen me like this." I attempt a small smile, merely breaking into a sob. Now it is my turn to curse.

"Hey, hey , I'm going to be fine," Reaching out for my hand, he interlinks his fingers with mine, squeezing my fingers one by one. "Not like I can do anything to change it."

"Why are you looking at it as if it is easy?"

"Easy? When did I say anything about it being easy? Ivy, if this my expectancy to be living on this planet then this too shall pass." I break into a tiny laugh and rub my eyes.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"I always used to pay so much attention on how much human nature sucked. I fucking hated it. I regret it for saying those things because when shit like this hits you, you'd do anything to prove there is nothing that can destroy you," he sighs. "When I think about it, I should've been more focused on the breaths I used to take and been thankful about it. Death is inevitable. No one can escape that. Especially the ungrateful pieces of shits like me."

I look at the ceiling shutting my eyes, tears rolling down my cheeks. I don't know why I'm crying. A part of it is related to what he said to me. Passionate, it hit me where it's supposed to hit you.

"Remember I wanted to tell you something? In the middle of our date?" Adrien's brown eyes are shiny, nose turning pink which I find kind of cute. I nod, taking a tissue and wiping my eyes. I stop to stare at him. "It wasn't a date, was it?"

"Think of it however you want, Torres. I just need few more minutes of your time before they send me away to India."

"Why are they sending you away?" I ask, confused.

"It hasn't been finalized yet. They want to send me because the treatment over there is supposed to be really good. Can we focus on what I want to say to you , before I regret for not telling you?"

"Ivy, I know for a fact you may not reciprocate the way I feel towards you, I'm not expecting you to give me an answer that anybody would want to hear. But I want you to know, every moment counts."

"W"-

"I'm not finished. When you first walked into my office, I knew from that moment on I wanted to hire you. I never hated you," he shakes his head, smiling sadly. "It is impossible to hold a grudge against you. I saw something spark in you, I felt the same happening to me. I wanted to know if my judgment was right. Guess I was wrong. You can't force people to make them fall in love with you. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. If it's meant to break, it breaks."

"I wanted to stop. I stopped expecting you to come and be part of my life, I accepted that. What I'm saying is... I'm letting you go. I wasn't able to let go of you from the beginning but I am now. I'm doing it in your presence."

Adrien takes my hand and kisses it. "I love you, Ivy. If we did end up being together, you feeling the same, It still wouldn't have been worth the shot. Imagine you carrying on with your life so tirelessly because I'm not in it."

"Don't apologize. It is for the best." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Adrien scrubs a hand through his face, running it down to his neck. I get up from my chair and carefully pull him into a hug.

"I would've felt the same, Adrien. It would've been real."

He takes his time to hug me back, arms tightly wrapping around my waist. The best feeling one can have is when you are made to feel special, only to leave you being led on. I didn't want the same happening to Adrien after what I had gone through.

We pull away, I sit back on the chair, our hands still connected. "What about your company?"

"It doesn't matter, not now." Biting my lower lip, I stare at my feet. "Think nothing about it, your cheeks are turning red." A teasing smile is frisking on Adrien's lips, I roll my eyes. "It's your fault."

A minute of silence pass, we gaze into each other and laugh. "Visiting time is over... I think." Sliding out of my chair, Adrien frees my hand from his grip, it feels weird on how empty it feels. Brushing the back of my jeans, I turn and walk towards the door, only to have Adrien catch my wrist, heaving me towards him.

"Not under my watch." He whispers, cupping my face and roping my lips with his.