Chapter 121
1520words
"Ember, you don't have to be upset," I said, trying my best to reason with her and she glared at me,
"I don’t have to be upset? You don't get to tell me how to feel or how to react to the act that you were manipulating my emotions. How dare you, Paris? Who do you think you are?" she said, and I could tell she was trying to keep her temper in check,
"believe me, I'm not trying to tell you how to react. That's the last thing I should ever try to do. I'm just asking that you calm down just a little bit and not lose your head. It wasn't my intention to manipulate your emotions."
"then what led you to do it?" she asked jutting out her chin in stubbornness and anger, and I had to sigh,
"I woke up without you being here, Ember. And for a moment, I thought you had abandoned me to deal with this on my own. I was going to be discharged as soon as possible, and then you were knocking on the door and suddenly I didn't feel like leaving anymore. I wanted to know what it was to be cared for by you in a situation like this. "
"Oh, brother," I said in aggravation and he shook his head,
"I know I sound loony. But I mean every word I've just said."
"I don’t care If you mean them or not, Paris. I care that you took advantage of my emotions. I care that I feel foolish. But of course! It's what you're good at. Making me feel foolish." I said and began to turn away, but he grabbed me by my hand,
"come on, Em. Please don't be like this. I just needed a way to have you close to me. I saw a means and I took it. But I swear I did not have any ulterior motives. I only longed to be close to you." I closed my eyes against the truth of his words, and the feelings they evoked in me, and tugged my hand free of his grip,
"leave me alone," I said and walked to the door, only to come face to face with Jackson, his beta.
"you knew, didn't you?" I asked, my anger suddenly resurfacing at the sight of Jackson, who probably supported Kylian's to toy with, but he looked confused,
"no, I…you know I only came to the hospital at your call," Jackson said, trying to seem innocent, but I could only glare at him.
"the both of you are impossible. Simply impossible!" I said and stormed out of Paris's hospital room. Too angry for anything else.
I wrestled with going back to be with Paris. Regardless of my anger, I knew his sole motive for doing what he did was so he could be with me, but I simply could not help just how angry his behavior made me feel.
I was still dealing with that anger when I nearly bumped into Kate in one of the corridors,
"can't you watch where you're going?" she said to me, and I glared at her,
"I don't know if you've missed it, but it sometimes takes two for a collision to occur," I said, feeling somewhat murderous, and then as if some high and mighty thought just hit her, she narrowed her eyes and began opening and closing her mouth like a fish,
"what are you doing here?" she finally asked, and I raised a brow,
"What?"
"why are you here? Who did you come to see?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes at her. Paris could be in entirely worse conditions and all this woman would actually care about was who was taking the time to come to see him. She was impossible.
But this behavior of hers was the main reason why I was hell-bent on believing that she was the one who was responsible for those three men who had attacked me. Everyone still looked for the culprit. But I knew the culprit was right before me.
Then there was today's incident and the fact that that metal had no business being where it had been, except for the fact that someone had made sure for it to be where it had been. I had no actual way to prove what it was that I believed. But I most certainly believed what I believed.
"it's none of your business what I came here to do. I'd like to ask you to tend to what actually concerns you, otherwise, you just might have more than a broken ankle to deal with when I decide to finally trace why that metal was dangling over me in the first place." I said way more evenly than my shaking temper would have allowed and she looked at the time with surprise.
"Why do you look surprised, Kate? What? Did you think something so odd would happen and I would simply choose to believe that it simply just happened? Come on now. I know better, and I'm guessing so do you. And I wonder what would happen when Paris finally realized it as well." I said and watched as the fear clouded her eyes,
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but you should think twice before blaming me for things I have no hands in."
"Just the same way you need to think twice before you begin to say stupid things to me when you know that you aren't perfectly free from all misdeeds," I said, and unwilling to continue any kind of unnecessary conversation with her, I turned away.
I felt my pocket for my vibrating phone and saw Jean's name on the caller ID. We hadn't said much to each other since he confirmed that he was indeed hiding things from me, but right then, I was ready to forget all of that, because I suddenly needed him,
"Jean?" I said into the receiver when I picked up and I heard him sigh,
"I've been calling you ever since, for the love of God, Ember, where are you?" he asked, worry evident in every word, and every anger I had felt toward him slowly ebbed away,
"I'm at the hospital."
"at the hospital?! Why are you in the hospital? Are you hurt?"
"no, not all. " I said smiling, " I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Because I heard about what happened at the company. Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
Of course, he had heard what happened at the hospital. Jean always found a way to know everything.
"Yes, jean. I'm sure I'm not hurt." I said and blew out a breath. It was much easier to come clean, "but Paris was, and since he had taken the fall in my place, I felt a bit responsible which Is why I came here to be with him. But he'll be discharged soon, so I no longer need to be here." I purposefully omitted the part where Paris pretended to be unwell. I felt that was news that he would not want to know anyway.
"If you're sure then. I'll see you tomorrow?"
I smiled. "you bet."
PARIS's POV
I groaned in frustration at my stroke of luck. I had her close, so close. How was it that she had slipped away again?
I looked at the stupid wire she had nearly tripped over and fought the urge to simply tear it apart.
"Umm, Alpha.. Do you feel okay?" Jackson asked, and I glared at him,
"You are enjoying this, aren't you? The sight of me looking like I'm on the brink of losing my mind seems like a joke to you?"
"not at all, sire. How could it? I can imagine that you feel different degrees of anger and regret right now. But tell me, if you may, what happened?"
"it was that stupid rope." I said, pointing to the wire on the ground, "She nearly tripped over it, and It was all reflex, the way I caught her and brought her close to me. And that was an absolute dead giveaway because I held on to her with nearly all of my strength. I now feel incredibly stupid for such a move."
"you're not stupid. Your first instinct is always going to be to protect Ember. You aren't stupid for making that choice."
"Well, she's gone now," I said and sighed
"And you? " Jackson asked after some time,
"What about me?"
"Where was it she was trying to help you get to?"
"Oh. The bathroom." I said, suddenly remembering that I had wanted to indeed use the bathroom,
"would you still like to?" Jackson asked, taking me off guard and I looked up at him to find him looking at me with some amusement. Taking a pillow, I flung it at him, which he aptly dodged,
"Get the hell out of here and go prepare my discharge you nitwit," I ordered,
"fine, fine," he said, pleased with himself, and I could only shake my head at him as I watched him leave
