Chapter Six

After eating breakfast, Amelia returned to her room and waited for the doctor's visit.

She couldn't even look at Alexander in bed without those messages coming back to her.

She felt betrayed by him. He had no right to send someone to investigate her life. Not when she had just saved his.

Alexander moved around the bed, looking for Amelia who was sitting near the window. He smiled at the sight of her, but she didn't reciprocate when she realized he was awake.

"Good morning, Jones. " He spoke and Amelia approached, handing him a glass of water with a straw.

It didn't take him long to realize that something was wrong, that she was angry. He could see the look in her eyes, even if her expressions tried to hide it.

"What's wrong? Why are you like this?" he asked innocently.

Amelia turned away and walked over to the table, reaching for Alexander's cell phone and dropping it in his lap.

"You sent someone to investigate me. " She replied and when he tried to retort, she cut him off. "There's no point in lying, I saw the messages on your cell phone.

" Did you spy on my cell phone? " He asked, feeling invaded. 

" No, the messages were popping up on his screen. " Amelia explained. " But don't act like I'm the wrong one here. You had a private detective investigate me! Do you have any idea what this could cause me? 

She was so furious that Alexander couldn't understand why, his distrust taking shape more and more.

"Amelia, you showed up at my house out of the blue, you never talk about your life, you always avoid the subject..." he said, trying to justify himself. " He said, trying to justify himself.

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT! " She shouted, her hands trembling.

Amelia leaned on the armchair, feeling her vision blur.

"My personal life is my business! I am your nurse, your employee. What happened in my past does not concern you! " She spoke, pointing her finger at him.

"You've gone too far, Alexander! " Tears started to flow from Amelia's green eyes, it was noticeable that she was terrified.

"Amelia, what are you hiding? What are you so afraid of?" Alexander asked. He had noticed some time ago that she was hiding something, that maybe there was something in her past in her hometown that Amelia wanted to run away from.

"I... " Amelia was about to start speaking when she heard the knock on the bedroom door and then the doctor entered.

"Good morning. I have come to discharge the patient. " The doctor spoke, but then realized that he had disturbed something when he noticed that Amelia was crying.

"May I come back?

" No, make yourself comfortable. " Amelia said, then went into the bathroom.

As soon as she locked the door, Amelia rushed to turn on the sink faucet and then knelt on the toilet, vomiting her breakfast. 

She leaned her hand on the wall, taking a deep breath and then flushing.

 Restless, she felt her stomach extremely upset, believing all that and the mention of her past to be the reason for her nausea.

Making her way to the sink, Amelia washed her face and used some mouthwash. When she felt remotely calm, she left the bathroom in time to see the doctor examining Alexander.

She couldn't look Alexander in the eye, she was visibly hurt and he knew it, as he tried to meet her gaze all the time.

"Well, Mr. Alderidge, I have recommended a psychiatrist to see you for the next few weeks. His address and phone number are on this prescription. " The doctor informed and before Alex could take it, Amelia stepped forward.

"Thank you, doctor. " She replied, smiling dryly.

"Well, you're discharged. " The doctor informed, turning to Amelia. " Can you sign here, please? As his guardian.

Amelia signed the papers and as soon as the doctor left the room, she went to the wardrobe and took some clothes for the man.

" Amelia... " He tried to call her.

" I'll ask a nurse to come and help you with the bath. " She spoke as she cut him off.

" Amelia, listen to me. " He asked.

"Nothing you say to me will change what you have done. So please talk to me only what is indispensable. " She informed, a stern expression Alexander had never seen on her before. " I'll have Ron come get us. " She said, leaving the room afterwards.

When they left the hospital, Amelia helped Alexander into the back seat of the car, but she didn't stay by his side. She took the back seat next to Ron, who soon realized that something was strange.

In the days that passed, Amelia spoke only the essentials with Alexander. All the stress of him investigating her life had made her stomach sensitive. And everyone in the house noticed it. Especially Alexander.

He tried in many ways to get closer to Amelia, a contact beyond the professional one that she imposed by treating him even with a certain coldness, when she refused to keep him company.

The week had passed. Amelia was in her room when Helen told Amelia that Alexander wanted to see her in the office.

Amelia knocked twice before entering the office. Her dark hair was tied back in a long braid and her gaze was softer than the other times they had spoken.

"Helen said you wanted to talk to me." She spoke, crossing her arms as she stared at him seriously as he sat at the main desk.

"Here it is." Alexander placed a brown paper folder on the table, it looked sealed.

" And I'm supposed to know what this is? " Amelia asked in a sour tone.

"The information about you..." He answered, trying to remain calm and then threw the folder into the burning fireplace. "They are yours alone.

" Have you read it? " She asked, walking over to the table.

"No." Alexander spoke and noticed Amelia's shoulders relax. "Whatever you have done, which I hope is nothing criminal.... 

" It's not. I'm not a criminal. " Amelia replied immediately.

"Whatever you're hiding, I won't want to know unless you want to tell me." He replied. " He replied.

Amelia was silent for a few seconds, watching the paste burn in the fire and everything disappear.

"Thank you. " She replied at last, and smiled.

Alexander held her hand and his fingers made a gentle, circular caress there, which Amelia strangely liked. 

"I'm sorry, Amelia. " He asked, and she could see that there was sincerity in his gaze.

"You are excused, Mr. Alderidge. " Amelia replied, smiling at him.

"Call me Alexander, since the idea is for us to be friends. " He asked, and Amelia nodded in agreement.

"Right, Alexander. " Amelia replied, leaning against the table and then looking at the papers that were there.

"What is this? " She asked.

" Therapists that the doctor indicated. But I don't know." He was about to start talking when Amelia took the papers and sat down on the edge of the table. 

" You've made yourself quite at home, haven't you? " He commented in a tone of irony, but she ignored him.

"I like this one. I had already researched her work. She treats people with post war trauma. And her office is here in town. " Amelia commented, showing the psychologist's file.

"And why do you think I need a war veterans' psychologist?" He asked.

" Because you have a post traumatic disorder and you need help. " Amelia replied. " I will make an appointment for you with her.

" But I didn't even look at the others properly! " Alex commented a little surprised.

" And you don't have to. I'm your nurse and I'm recommending her. Doctor's orders. " Amelia said, reaching for the phone on the table and stepping away to make his first appointment.