Tears are the unspoken words of the heart, too heavy for the mouth to utter. In the silence, answers linger. Nothing pained him more than the moment his anger dissolved into tears. The sheer fact that he couldn't protect her from the inevitable danger of being abused by a scumbag haunted him. Carlton felt utterly shattered and furious at himself for not arriving in time. He sat on a sofa near her bed, watching her peaceful sleeping face on the soft pillow. As he kept vigil, his heart heavy with grief for what she had endured, he rubbed his face in frustration, overwhelmed by it all.
Carlton's frustration deepened as he contemplated, "And to imagine that the scoundrel will still marry her, all because James won't jeopardize his presidential candidacy by calling off his daughter's engagement." A heavy sigh escaped him. Just then, a faint sound from the bed drew his focus. His gaze swiftly shifted to Elena, who was starting to awaken. Her face, a mix of confusion and drowsiness, contorted as she stretched in bed, attempting to rise as the covers slipped away.
"El?" he whispered softly as he cautiously moved closer to the bed, trying not to startle her. Elena felt the need for something to quench her dry mouth.
"Water," she uttered with difficulty, prompting Carlton to lean in closer, concerned.
"What... what is it?" He asked with worry, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Elena struggled to make out the figure before her, her vision still blurry. She instinctively reached for her throat, trying to swallow.
"Water! Water, please!" she pleaded, still trying to make sense of her surroundings. Carlton immediately understood and hurried to the bedside table to pour some water into a glass.
"Here... Open your mouth a bit," he murmured softly, bringing the glass to her lips gently. Elena grasped the glass slightly as she took a sip, trying to quench the overwhelming thirst she felt. Carlton ensured she drank slowly to prevent her from choking. Once she had finished, he swiftly stood up and set the glass down. Elena recognized his presence, his cologne, and the comforting touch of the man assisting her.
"Carl?" She mumbled, struggling to open her eyes. Carlton turned his focus to her, watching as she tried to regain her vision.
"Yeah, that's me!"
"How are you feeling?" He asked softly, walking towards the bed and sitting right next to her. Elena's vision finally cleared, and she was completely startled to see Carlton in her house.
"What... what are you doing here?"
"Carl?" She protested, but soon regretted it as her head began to pound with pain. She grimaced at the unpleasant sensation and steadied her head. Carlton smiled at the clear look of recognition on her face as she realized it was indeed him.
"I'm glad you're awake... I can't say I'm glad that you're feeling better, because by your face, I can tell that you aren't," he said with tender eyes as he moved closer. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes widened at his proximity.
"Carl, please, what are you doing? I don't know what's going on here! How did you even get here?" She asked frantically, feeling overwhelmed by the questions racing through her mind. Carlton gave her a small smile as he gazed into her eyes.
"You really don't remember anything?" He asked curiously, noting the fear and uncertainty in her wide eyes. Elena narrowed her eyes at his question, deep in thought. She tried to recall the events leading up to her return home, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember a thing.
"I... I don't know. I can't remember anything!" She said, her voice laced with terror. Carlton turned his head to the side, contemplating the situation before him. He was at a loss on how to approach this matter, especially after she had been abused by her fiancé.
"What's going on, Carl?... What's with that expression? You only wear that look when you're at a loss for words! Or when you're trying to deceive me!" She mumbled, her apprehension growing as she sensed the strange atmosphere around him. Carlton took a deep breath and met her gaze.
"I... I... don't know how to tell you this," he stuttered, rising slowly from the bed. Pacing further into the room, he searched for the right words. Suddenly, something caught his eye - Elena was clutching her throat.
"El?... El... What's wrong?" he asked anxiously as he leaped onto the bed to assist her. Elena was in a complete panic as she felt nauseous. She staggered out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, with him close behind. She collapsed near the toilet and quickly lifted the lid, leaning over to vomit. Carlton watched as she emptied her stomach into the toilet, the sounds unsettling. He knelt down beside her, gathering her hair into a ponytail so it wouldn't get dirty.
"Oh... eugggg... huh... I feel awful, Carl!" She groaned, holding her head over the toilet. Carlton sighed with concern, gently rubbing her back to help ease the urge to vomit further.
"Do you want to stand up?" He asked, noticing her slight nod. Understanding her silent request, he slid his hands up to her waist and lifted her from the ground. Guiding her to the sink, he turned on the tap to rinse her mouth. The water cascaded down her face as he used his firm yet gentle hand to clean her mouth. Through the reflection in the mirror, she could see how focused he was on helping her.
She slipped, but his strong arms enveloped her, keeping her steady against the vanity sink. Her eyes widened in awe at the moment she almost lost her balance.
"You okay there?" He murmured in her ear, noticing her stunned expression through the mirror. She gasped slightly as she tried to respond to his question.
"Ah... yes... yes... I'm fine! Just lost it for a moment," she stuttered anxiously, trying to regain her composure as she made her way back to the bed, feeling inexplicably exhausted. Slowly sinking onto the plush bedding, she watched his movements with tired eyes.
"What... were you going to say before I interrupted you?" She asked, curiosity piqued by his perturbed facial expressions.
"El, this is hard to say! I'm so sorry! I... I..." he tried to explain, but was interrupted by the sudden ringtone of his phone. Quickly grabbing the device, he answered the call upon seeing Axel's number. Elena watched in silence as he spoke in a low tone for a brief moment before his gaze returned to her.
"I have to go," he said, his tone lacking care, leaving Elena feeling confused.
"Wait... what?... Carl... but... but... you can't just leave me?!" She blurted out, not realizing the words that had escaped her lips. Carlton narrowed his eyes at her sudden and unexpected outburst.
"What?" He mumbled in disbelief, taken aback by her plea for him to stay, something she had never done before. Elena dropped her gaze, realizing the weight of her words.
"I... I mean... I don't feel good! And I'm scared because I don't remember anything about what happened," she admitted, her voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
"I don't even remember calling you here to take care of me! It's just so odd!" She exclaimed, her eyes wide and innocent. Carlton's eyes widened in surprise at her revelation, realizing that she now believed she had called him to take care of her.
"You called me to come to your house?" Carlton repeated after her words. Elena frowned, nodding in confusion at his question.
"Didn't I? If not, then why are you here?" She asked naively, trying to make sense of the situation. Carlton felt his gut screaming the truth, but his mouth refused to cooperate.
"El, I'm really sorry! I really have to go... Just call me whenever you need me, I'll be right here to help you out with anything," he said, his gaze steady as he moved closer, leaning in to kiss her hair before turning to leave.
"Just go back to sleep and rest," he murmured, eliciting a slight smile from Elena. She nodded slightly and settled back down to rest. Carlton returned her smile before quietly exiting the room. As he left, he noticed his phone lighting up with messages from Axel.
"Shit!" He cursed, stumbling as he made a quick exit from Elena's house. Hurrying through the front gate, Axel suddenly grabbed his shirt and forcefully pinned him against the gate.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Axel shouted, seething with anger as he glared into Carlton's nonchalant eyes.
"You think I give a damn about Jack after what he did to Elena? She's your damn sister and you only show up now that you know about him?" Carlton scolded, his disbelief evident at Axel's lack of empathy for his own sister.
"Even though I can't stand her, she's still my sister and that's why I asked you a small favor and told you what I said at the ceremony!"
"I only wanted you to help my sister, not send her fiancé to the ER!" he muttered in frustration at Carlton's recklessness. Carlton chuckled with a wicked smile, showing no hint of sympathy for the man.
"You should consider yourself lucky to still have a brother-in-law!" Carlton muttered smugly, his smirk widening. Axel sighed in defeat as he reluctantly released Carlton.
"You better keep your distance from my sister and her fiancé. What happens from now on is none of your concern, Callaway!"
"I might be somewhat grateful for what you did for my sister, but I'm damn furious about how you went about it!" Axel retorted, his eyes dark as he cautioned him to stay away from Elena.
"Nothing has changed, do you hear me?" He reiterated, to which Carlton just scoffed in response.
"You're mistaken! Everything has changed now, and it's all thanks to you!" He retorted, leaving Axel stunned by his cryptic reply.
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