Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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“Come on, pull her shirt a little wider. Don’t touch the wound. Hold her steady so she doesn’t move, the doctor instructed.
Snapped out of his thoughts, Payton quickly followed instructions, helping the doctor clean the inflamed
wound.
Though Kayla was unconscious, her brows were furrowed in pain. Her lips were tightly clenched, pale from the fever and pain. A thin line of blood appeared where she bit down too hard.
Seeing this, Payton moved on instinct. He pressed his wrist to her lips and said, “Don’t bite your lip. Just bite me instead.”
Still half–conscious and burning with fever, Kayla had no idea what she was doing. She opened her mouth and sank her teeth into his wrist.
The pain hit hard. Payton clenched his jaw, and veins bulged on his forehead. He let out a low groan but didn’t pull away. He didn’t move at all.
By the time the doctor finished treating her wound, Kayla was soaked in sweat and completely out of energy. The fever had knocked her out cold.
The doctor glanced at Payton’s wrist, where Kayla’s bite had left deep marks and a few droplets of blood.
She let out a chuckle and joked, “Tsk, what a devoted boy. You were right not to let her bite her lips, but did she have to chew through your arm? That must hurt like hell.”
Payton rotated his wrist slowly. Of course it hurt a lot. But when his eyes drifted back to the girl lying unconscious on the bed and when he saw her face pale and her faintly drawn brows, he didn’t feel hurt at all.
He clenched his jaw, thinking, ‘If this hurts me so much, how the hell did she endure a wound that deep for so long? If I hadn’t run into her today, I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened.
Payton shook his head. “I’m fine. Thanks, ma’am.”
The doctor just shook her head and replied, “Well. By the way, her fever’s still coming down. Once she’s done with the IV and her temperature drops, she can leave. But if it spikes again, get her to the hospital. No more delays, okay?”
With that, the doctor left the room and closed the door, leaving Payton and the unconscious Kayla in silence.
After a long while, Kayla’s fever began to case, Color returned to her face little by little, and the tension in her body softened.
When she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Payton’s face–still sharp and impossibly handsome, though tinged with fatigue.
He’d fallen asleep beside her bed, his head resting near her arm. In the warm light of the room, even the little mole behind his ear looked soft.
9:13 Tue, Oct 14
Chapter 25
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Kayla had wanted nothing more than to stay far away from Payton and to never drag him into her mess again. But today, if it weren’t for him, no one would’ve even found her on that rooftop.
The thought made her heart twist. A pang of guilt hit her for how cold she had been to him earlier.
As she stared at him in a daze, Payton stirred. He opened his eyes slowly and lifted his head. Then, their eyes
met.
For one brief moment, something silent passed between them. Then, the softness and guilt on Kayla’s face disappeared in a blink, replaced by cool indifference.
“Thanks for everything,” she said, her voice calm but distant. It was like a breeze slicing through the winter night with no warmth or emotion.
Now, Kayla had already made her choice not to involve Payton in her life, and there was no turning back.
After all, the path she was on was one of isolation, thorns, and danger. She wouldn’t risk dragging anyone else
down with her.
But just as she was about to look away, something struck her. Kayla suddenly sat up, her face sharp with urgency. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she threw the blanket aside and swung her legs off the bed.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Payton stood up immediately. “You’re still doing the IV. You can’t just leave.”
Kayla didn’t even hesitate. She yanked the needle out of her arm, and blood immediately welled up from the tiny puncture.
“I’ve got something important to do,” she replied without looking back.
