Elysia's POV:
My eyes widened like saucers and my breathing stopped for a moment. His face was just a few inches away from me, his warm hazel brown eyes fixed on my amber ones without blinking.
"What are you doing?" He asked, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.
What?
What was I doing? I felt like a deer caught in headlights, my breathing hitching, my mind blank.
"Huh?" I stammered, my thoughts scattered, unable to break my gaze away from him.
"Elysia, what are you doing?" he repeated, his voice low, his eyes searching mine.
My brain felt like mush, unable to form coherent words as I struggled to regain my composure.
"I, um, ah, p-p-printing," I stammered, trying to sound composed but failing miserably. I gulped and blinked, an attempt to clear my head and not to stare at his face but it went down the drain when he inched more closer. I took a sharp intake of breathe as my breathing halted again, heart racing wildly in my chest.
"Hm, printing," he raised his eyebrows and nodded with mock understanding, his lips twitching as if suppressing a smile. "From the wrong printer," he added, his tone serious despite the amusement in his eyes.
Wait, what? My eyes widened, and I followed his gesture to the other printer where my print job had already been completed. Mortified, I closed my eyes briefly and pressed my lips together, mentally berating myself.
Tell me I didn't just do that.
Moreover, he didn't just see me....
When I turned my face back, Ares turned at the same time, we both froze at the closeness. My heart raced, and my breath caught in my throat as his face came within inches of mine.
His eyes flickered down to my lips for a moment, and then back to my eyes, a playful spark dancing in his gaze.
"Why are you so red again?" he questioned, his head tilting slightly as he observed me closely.
Red?!!!
He... he could see it. I pressed my lips together, trying to control the heat creeping up my cheeks.
"Cheeks, nose, chin, ears, even your eyelids are flushing at this moment," he continued, the corners of his mouth lifting in an amused smile.
I mentally cursed my fair skin, which apparently turned into a neon sign of my embarrassment. I felt like I was burning up, my body betraying my attempts to act normal.
I must be looking like a cooker right now....
Immediately coming to my senses at this horrible thought, I tried to step away from him in a haste but in my nervousness and clumsiness, I accidentally stepped forward hastily without a warning and instantly collided my forehead into his nose.
"Ow!" Ares exclaimed, stepping back and holding his nose, surprise evident on his face.
"S-sorry, sorry, sorry," I rushed out, panic overtaking me when I saw a small trickle of blood at the tip of his nose.
"You have one of a strong head, woman!" He said, gripping his nose and tapped my forehead with his fingers, as if checking it.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, slightly stroking the red mark on my forehead.
"I'm not, but you are. Is it hurting a lot?" I asked, my hands reaching out in concern.
He looked up at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. "I'll survive, don't worry," he said, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
I was about to answer when we heard a laugh, a loud uncontrollable laughter.
We both turned to the source. Maron, Ares' friend, was standing there, doubled over in laughter.
"You guys, you have a way... have a way to ruin the romantic moment," Maron laughed heartily, clutching his stomach. "I was expecting something spicy!"
Ares shot Maron an annoyed look, but that only seemed to encourage Maron further.
"I thought you were going to share your first kiss," Maron smirked, raising an eyebrow at Ares. "Oh right, my mistake, you already had that," he added with a chuckle.
"It was an accident!!!" Ares and I exclaimed simultaneously, knowing well about what he was referring to.
I retreated a step, my embarrassment reaching new heights recalling a specific embarrassing moment from years ago in school. Maron's laughter echoed in the empty office hall. Ares looked both amused and irritated, a combination that made me want to disappear.
Ares addressed Maron in a stern voice and walked towards his office, "Get out if you're done."
Maron wiped a fake tear from the corner of his eye, still smirking, and wiggled his eyebrows at me after Ares was inside. I quickly grabbed my printed papers and mumbled a hasty goodbye before escaping to my own office, my cheeks still burning with embarrassment.
I was about to leave the office when I remembered the blood on Ares' nose. Guilt gnawed at me. I couldn't just leave him bleeding like that. Resolving to make amends, I grabbed the first aid kit and headed to Ares' office.
I knocked softly before entering. Ares was wiping his nose with a tissue when I walked in. He looked up at me with an inquisitive expression.
"Let me," I said, gesturing to the first aid kit and his nose.
"It's alright, I'm fine," he insisted with a small hand wave.
Despite his words, I stood in front of him, the first aid kit in hand. "It's better to make sure," I replied, my tone gentle. I could feel his gaze on me, and it only made my nervousness grow but my determination didn't falter.
"It's–"
"I said, sit," I interrupted when he was about to decline again. His eyebrows raised in surprise but he didn't say anything.
Sighing in defeat, he eventually gave in, sitting down on the couch with me beside him. I opened the first aid kit and took out a cotton bud, dipping it in antiseptic.
Nose.
Nose.
Nose.
I kept repeating in my head to keep my eyes focused and not look at his face even when I felt his gaze fixed on me, intent and observing.
Using the cotton bud, I carefully wiped away the dried blood around his nose. My hands trembled slightly, and I prayed that he didn't notice my nervousness.
After a moment, I finished cleaning the area and stepped back, feeling relieved that I hadn't made things worse. "There, it's done," I said, my voice soft.
Ares smiled appreciatively, making my heart skip a beat. "You're pretty good at this," he remarked, his eyes twinkling.
I blushed, not used to receiving compliments from him. "I just followed the instructions," I replied, my voice a bit shy.
His smile lingered, and his gaze held mine for a moment longer before he stood up. "Thank you," he said sincerely, his gaze warm.
I nodded, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite identify. "You're welcome."
"You... you'll need to put ice on it to relieve swelling. I'm really sorry about all this," I pointed to his nose apologetically.
"It's fine, at least we know that you won't need helmet to protect your head," he said seriously, but his eyes were dancing with humour.
My mouth gaped at his comment but when I noticed a small smile on his face, my heart melted at the beautiful sight.
"Come on, I'll drop you home, it's getting late," he offered, changing the subject.
I hesitated, not wanting to impose, but he seemed genuinely concerned. "Oh, there's no need. I will go by myself. I need to go somewhere before going home," I declined politely.
He shook his head, determined. "Then I'll drop you wherever you need to go."
Despite my protests, he insisted. "No, no, there's no need, really. Thank you so much for being kind, but it's alright. I'll leave now. Goodnight, sir!" I said, not waiting for his response before quickly making my way out of his office.
As I walked down the corridor, I couldn't stop the silly smile that kept appearing on my face. I shook my head at my own reaction, scolding my heart to behave.
*************
A somber smile formed on my lips when I reached the hospital entrance. Finally, I would be seeing my mom again. It had only been three days, but it felt like an eternity since I last saw her. I just wished it was in better circumstances.
As I made my way towards her room, my heart pounded in anticipation. However, my smile froze when I entered to find the bed empty. Panic surged through me as wild scenarios played out in my mind.
Where was she?
Dread gripped my heart, and I rushed to a passing nurse to inquire.
"Excuse me, where is the patient who was in this room?" I asked, my voice quivering.
"You mean, Sandra Lawson?" the nurse confirmed. I nodded frantically, my heart pounding.
"She was transferred to the emergency room yesterday, and now she's in the ICU," the nurse informed me.
My heart dropped, hearing her words. I made a run for the ground floor, bumping into many people in my haste, my body shaking violently as absurd thoughts invaded my head.
This was why Beastie didn't pick up the call yesterday night.
I should have known!!
When I walked towards the ICU, I saw her sitting on the seat outside anxiously with her head between her hands.
She looked up when she noticed footsteps approaching, her eyes red and puffy because of crying for too long. Her eyes widened looking at me.
"Ely," she stood up.
"How's Mom?" I asked her, ignoring everything else for the moment. She mirrored my state, on the verge of breaking down.
"She is stable for now," she said, controlling her tears that threatened to fell down. I immediately wrapped my arms around her, unable to see the tears in her eyes. She embraced me tightly, our tears falling down freely at this state.
"How could you not tell me that mom was in this condition?" I questioned, angry at her for hiding it from me.
"I'm sorry, Ely! It was so sudden and I didn't want to worry you when you were already returning a few hours later. I thought, I would tell you once you come back. I know how much you could worry, knowing mom's condition. So, I couldn't bring myself to tell you this," she spoke, her voice still shaking slightly.
Just then, the doctor came out from the ICU along with the nurse, holding a clip board.
"How's she, doctor?" We both asked immediately.
"She is stable. As I already said, this could happen until the transplant is done. Only 15% of her heart is working its functions, it's a huge load on other organs, causing her state to worsen. We have already requested for the heart donor and we will get notified soon. Until then, we could only wait." He explained patiently. My heart sank as I heard about the severity of her situation.
"Can we see her?" I asked hopefully.
"You can, but one at a time," he informed and instructed a nurse to prepare.
I wore a hospital gown and the nurse allowed me in. Entering the ICU, my heart ached at the sight of mom's frail form. I held her hand gently, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead, praying that she would recover. Stroking her face gently with my trembling fingers, I began talking to her.
"Mom, please wake up!" I whispered near her ear.
"Please don't leave me, I don't have anyone else..." I spoke through tears.
"How am I supposed to live without my lifeline, mom?"
"Please...." I sobbed silently, staring at my her pale yet beautiful face.
She was the only mother figure I ever got to know in this life. She saved me from myself and my past that haunted me for years.
She had come into my life when I was at my lowest, bringing light and hope. I still remember as day when I first met her. I thought I would never be able to trust any woman in my life but she proved me wrong, she taught me a lot things and one thing was to trust again...
Twenty Years Ago...
"Elysia, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Smith, a man in a white coat, sat across from me, maintaining a comfortable distance. His gaze was gentle, his voice kind.
"Do you think the weather is pretty today? Look," he pointed towards the window and began talking about how beautiful it was.
"I noticed the sun is shining today. Do you like sunny days? Sometimes I enjoy being outside when the weather is nice. I was thinking about a time when I went to the park and saw some colorful butterflies. Have you ever seen butterflies? They can be so beautiful and gentle. Do you have any favorite things you like to do when the weather is nice?"
I remained still, gaze fixed on the table in front of me, blinking slowly.
"You know what happened when I was on my way here..." he began recounting his day as he always did. He visited and spoke to me daily, even if I didn't respond.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, you can't go inside; she is wary of strangers, especially women," a distant voice came from outside. The doctor in front of me continued speaking, but my attention shifted to the voices beyond the door.
"Can I at least see her?" someone requested.
"I apologize, ma'am. Only officials and doctors are allowed," came the response.
"I'm Dean Lawson, and this is my wife, Sandra Lawson. Here's the copy of the will. We're Elysia's legal guardians. We were informed by Riverside Hope Residence that she was adopted by Brandon and Mira West. However, they said that Elysia was taken from them years ago," another man explained.
"I'm sorry, but I'm aware only that she was adopted from the Safe Harbor Foster Center by a couple named Dara and Eric Parker, referred by Freda Thompson, about five years ago. If you're her guardians, you will have to meet the officials for this case," he replied.
"Then why is she here? What happened?" A woman's anxious voice was heard again.
"She is a witness to a murder and a victim of abuse, ma'am. The woman who adopted her, Dara Parker, abused her for over four years and killed her husband. The caretaker of the foster home, Freda Thompson, is also arrested along with the woman and her brother, for being suspected as an accomplice. But the girl hasn't spoken since. Her mental condition isn't good enough to meet anyone at the moment. She was found brutally injured around the..." I tightly covered my ears to block out the voices as a sense of dread seeped through me, causing shivers to race down my spine.
My heart raced as the image of a bloodthirsty mother flashed before me, sending goosebumps cascading over my skin.
A terrified shriek escaped my lips, and cold sweat broke out on my back. The room's door swung open, revealing figures. Two men and a woman.
As they attempted to approach, I retreated, pressing myself into the wall, my screams filling the air. I caught a woman's sob, and Dr. Smith's voice issued a command.
"Elysia, it's alright! You're safe. Please leave the room immediately," Dr. Smith instructed everyone.
He slowly advanced, hands raised in a calming gesture as he reached out for me. I instinctively recoiled, tears streaming down my face.
I shrieked louder when I saw blood everywhere around me. I tried to wipe it off, but it wouldn't come off. A pair of lifeless eyes staring back at me flashed in front of me.
"Prepare the medication," Dr. Smith instructed someone.
A hand captured mine, and I jolted in fright as someone held me. I tried to escape, but a stinging sensation engulfed me and my senses dulled.
"It's alright, you're safe," I tried to struggle, but my body ceased to respond, my cries fading as sleep overtook me.
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My lovelies, thoughts about today's chapter? 🥰
What is the most peaceful feeling for you other than being with the family? For me, it's the feeling of riding a horse by the seaside. 😍