Chapter 136: Chapter 136
Amara pushed the ward door open. She rushed down with Rodger the moment he appeared before her door, and gently gave her the news.
Her steps were hesitant, and her chest tightened with every sterile scent of antiseptic that hit her. The silence in the room pressed against her ears. It was too quiet, heavy, and almost suffocating. Celeste loved quiet places, but not this type.
For a moment she stood still, her eyes darting between the dull beeping of the monitor and the man standing like a statue by the bedside. There was a seat beside him, and he was obviously tired of sitting.
Rodger’s words still rang in her ears, but she hadn’t believed them. She hadn’t wanted to. She thought she was being given an idea for a script until now.
Her throat closed when her gaze landed on the still figure on the hospital bed. Celeste. Her Celeste was laying there. She was lying pale against the white sheets, eyes closed, and her lashes casting shadows across her skin that looked too fragile, too quiet, and too wrong.
And beside her, Dominic stood.
His tall frame was rigid, and his arms were folded across his chest like steel barriers keeping the world at bay. His gaze, unblinking, was fixed on the woman lying in front of him, his presence so consuming that Amara could feel it even without him speaking.
Her legs almost gave way, but she forced herself forward. The soft shuffle of her shoes broke the suffocating silence.
"Celeste," she whispered, her voice cracking before it steadied.
Dominic’s head turned slightly. He acknowledged her without words. His face betrayed nothing, but his eyes, those betrayed him, showing everything.
She moved closer, and Dominic without a fight, or hesitation, straightened and stepped aside. He gave her the space, almost as though he had been waiting for someone, anyone, to come and take over.
His broad shoulders squared as he moved back, but his gaze never left Celeste. Not even for a breath.
Amara’s heart clenched. She reached out, her trembling fingers brushing against Celeste’s hand before curling around it. She swallowed the lump rising in her throat.
"Hey, it’s me," she murmured, her thumb stroking the back of her friend’s hand. "I don’t know what you think you’re doing, lying here like this, but I’m not having it. You don’t get to sleep through this, Celeste. Not when I have things to tell you. Not when you promised me a thousand more fights, and laughs, and secrets. You hear me? You don’t get to back out."
Her voice broke on the last words, but she tightened her grip as though she could tether her friend back into this world by sheer will. She sniffed, remembering their last conversation and the near fight.
From the corner of her eye, she caught the sight of a nurse walking into the room. A small tray was set down quietly on the counter.
The nurse glanced toward Dominic with pity in her eyes as she removed another untouched full tray and left without a word.
Amara’s brows furrowed, her body stiffening. She read everything just from the eyes, and body language of the nurse.
She turned her head sharply, her eyes zeroing in on Dominic. "You haven’t eaten," she said, her voice laced with accusation.
Dominic didn’t answer. His jaw tightened, but his eyes stayed fixed on Celeste, like he hadn’t even heard her.
Amara’s nostrils flared. "Don’t you dare ignore me." She warned.
Still, he said nothing.
She let go of Celeste’s hand long enough to step forward, planting herself firmly between him and the bed. Her chin tilted up, sharp, and unyielding. "You think starving and punishing yourself is going to bring her back faster? You think depriving yourself will somehow make her open her eyes? You’re wrong. Dead wrong. Don’t be stupid."
His gaze finally shifted to her, slow and deliberate, like he was tolerating her intrusion rather than acknowledging her. Those dark eyes of his now hollow, sleepless, and dangerous locked on hers.
Her pulse stuttered, but she stood her ground.
"Don’t look at me like that," she snapped, her voice rising. "You think this makes you noble? It doesn’t. It makes you reckless, and pathetic. Don’t be a seven years old sulking manchild. She wouldn’t want this, and you know it."
Dominic’s lips pressed into a thin line, the muscle in his jaw twitching.
Amara jabbed a finger toward the untouched tray. "You’re going to eat. Right now."
His silence infuriated her more than any words could. She could see the stubborn wall in him, the one everyone else probably cowered before.
"Don’t you dare test me, Dominic," she bit out, her voice trembling with rage. "I will not stand here and watch you wither away while she’s fighting for her life. You think you’re the only one hurting? You think you’re the only one bleeding inside? She’s my friend. My family. And if you can’t hold yourself together for her, then get out of this room. Now."
Her chest heaved, her hands shoke, but her eyes burned into his, refusing to back down. Her tone was final.
The silence stretched, thick, and suffocating. Dominic’s gaze finally broke away from hers. He looked at Celeste again, his lips parting like he might speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he dragged in a slow, heavy breath, the weight of it echoing in the room.
Amara’s throat tightened. For a moment, she thought he’d ignore her again. But then, with a movement so reluctant that it almost hurt to watch, he reached for the tray.
His long fingers curled around the edge, pulling it toward him. The clatter of cutlery against porcelain broke the silence.
Amara crossed her arms, her eyes sharp as blades. "Good," she said coldly. "Now eat. Because if you don’t, I swear I’ll shove it down your throat myself."
His eyes flicked up at her, a shadow of something unreadable passing through them. Maybe even gratitude, but he said nothing. Slowly, and stiffly, he picked up the spoon.
Amara turned back to Celeste, her hand returning to her friend’s. She squeezed gently, her eyes glistening. "You see this, Cel? You see me babysitting your stubborn man? You better wake up soon, because I can’t do this alone. You hear me?"
Her voice cracked, but she kept speaking, softer now, as Dominic’s movements behind her grew steady, and almost mechanical.
"You don’t get to leave me. You don’t get to leave him. So, wake up. Please."