Every movement feels heavy and exhausting, a persistent headache throbbing behind my eyes, worsening my attempt to stand up for any longer. My feet tremble and vision blurs as if I'm about to faint. Ethan pulls me away and stands up. Holding my wrist, he takes me towards the bed and lays me down gently. My body is burning with a feverish heat. As he covers my body with the blanket, he sits beside me, taking my hand in his. “Ethan, can I ask you something?” I say, staring at his face. “Of course,” he retorts, caressing my head. “You hid your feelings for three whole years. Then, why did you ask me…for a date suddenly? And why did you ask Anna to talk to me?” “I heard rumors that you are dating someone secretly. I thought I never even saw you talking to any boy in a romantic manner,” he pauses then and lets out a gasp. “I felt horrible. I thought the whole day and night, what if it could be true! So, that's why I asked Anna to talk to you. I knew if there would be a guy in yo
After wiping my tears, I pull back from him and ask, “Are you not going to school?” “No. I don't want to leave you alone in this condition. I need to stay here,” he says. “But…” I begin to say, but he interrupts me by putting his finger on my lips. Reaching out in the drawer, he holds on to a marker and places it in my palm. I don't get what he wants me to do now. “I am your first and biggest fan, Miss Dubois. I want your autograph,” he demands. My eyes widen and look into his eyes. My mouth drops open to utter words, but I don't know what to say. He wants my autograph. I'm not even a model yet. “Ethan…” I begin to say, but again, he interrupts me, by saying, “You will become a supermodel. I believe that. You're going to kill it one day. And when you get famous, you'll forget me. Don't know if I'll get any autographs from you in future. So, I want your autograph. Right. Now.” My heart swells with profound joy and overwhelming emotions. Tears sting in my eyes. I feel so lucky
“Belle…” Ethan's voice guards me off, pulling me back to reality from my thoughts. I wipe my tears and my bleeding nose in a hurry, and wash my hands. I don't want him to see my bleeding nose. He'll stubbornly take me to the hospital. I can do anything in this world, but can't go to the hospital. I hate medicines and hospitals. They'll kill me. “Belle,” he says again, now his voice sounding more clearer and louder, sending shivers down my spine. I overturn and see him there, standing in front of me. I manage to fake a smile on my face, to hide my tense expressions. “You okay?” he asks, taking steps towards me. I nod and embrace him in my arms, burying my face in the crook of his neck. My heart is sinking down. My instincts are telling me something is wrong with my body, but I don't want him to get to know about it. “Is your body aching?” he asks calmly, caressing my head. “Yes, it is. I want to take a rest,” I murmur, choking with emotions. “Okay, let me help you
In the morning, not seeing any improvement in my condition, Ethan places the thermometer in my mouth. Despite the heavy blankets—I'm shivering. My face has become pale and slick with sweat. He glances at the thermometer in his hand. 103°F. My heart sinks further. “Belle, let's go to the hospital. I can't see you like this,” he insists, sitting beside me and brushing a damp strand of my hair from my forehead. “I don't want to,” I say, lowering my gaze down. “Trust me. Nothing will happen to you. Let's go,” he says, stubbornly standing me up from the bed. Can I truly trust him? I don't think so. I don't know if it's truly his love or his obsession that is making him act like this. I'm feeling a bit scared of Ethan now. Slowly, we both walk further towards the main door. My limbs are aching, making it exhausting to walk for me. As Ethan opens the door, we see Aiden and Emily standing outside. My brows furrow. Aiden has gripped Emily's arm tightly, as if he took her forcefully here.
Aiden takes me to his apartment after buying medicines for me from a drugstore. I didn't want to go to the hospital. I told him to drop me at the dorm, but he didn't let me go. He helps me enter the bedroom and lays me down in his bed. As he turns to go, I hold on his wrist hurriedly. He turns to see me and settles beside me on the bed. My heart is still aching from Ethan's betrayal, and at this moment I don't have courage to be alone. My heart has shattered into a deep million pieces. The betrayal cut deep, leaving me numb and lost. Tears stream down all over my face uncontrollably, my body shaking with disbelief and pain. Every lie he said is replaying in my mind like a cruel echo. I need to feel something other than the hurt. I need someone's closure, for something to dull the ache inside. I embrace Aiden in my arms, trembling from my constant sobs. He hugs me back, and caresses my head. The touch of his hands is trying to comfort me, but it doesn't seem to work. I'm still feeli
“Aiden, you have sleeping pills? Please give me a pill,” I demand, choking with emotions.“Wait,” he says, his hands reaching out for pills in the drawer next to bed. I swallow a sleeping pill with the help of a glass of water, and lay down again in the bed. Soon, I drift into a deep slumber, escaping myself from the pain, anger, and conflicting emotions for a while. As soon as I wake up from the slumber, I hear abrupt noises coming from the outside, and I feel a damp cloth placed on my forehead. I remove it and manage to stand up from the bed. And then, I step outside the room, taking slow uneasy steps. Fever has still not subsided, making my body still shiver and ache. Walking further in, I see Aiden emptying alcohol bottles in the sink, and his dustbin has filled with cigarette packets. Is he throwing all these?“Why are you throwing it?” I ask, furrowing my brows.“I don't need these things anymore,” he announces. What! Aiden Allen is saying he doesn't need alcohol and cigaret
In the morning, when I wake up, my head feels heavy. I feel miserable, my body burning with high fever, and my head throbbing painfully. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Standing up from the bed, I run inside the washroom as my stomach churns, the discomfort is unbearable. I can't hold back, and soon throw up in the washbasin. As I see my reflection in the mirror, my heart sinks down. This is not me. I used to look pretty even after waking up. But today, my eyes are red and swollen, and my face has turned dark, losing its usual glow. Tears well up in my eyes witnessing my miserable condition. Suddenly, my nose begins to bleed, and I collapse on my knees, losing all my strength to stand still.I don't have any strength left in my body. I don't know if I'll live or die soon. I grasp the washbasin, and manage to stand up somehow. After washing my nose and my mouth, I again walk inside the room and lay down in the bed, hugging myself tightly, not wanting to do anything. The discomfort i
It's been three days since I caught this fever. Neither fever is subsiding nor my pain. Instead it's still rising followed by my body ache and headaches. I have severe joint pain, and muscle pain. I'm vomiting often, my nose is bleeding, and now I'm not even eating the four-five bites I used to eat before. I am even unable to stand up and go to the washroom by myself. I'm just crawling like a child. “Belle, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. It's pretty exciting,” Aiden says, all of sudden entering the room.I'm holding back my tears. I'm missing Ethan badly. I don't want to hear about anything else other than Ethan. I'm wondering if he's okay or not. "I just got the confirmation today – I'm going to debut with my first song! Soon I'll record the song,” Aiden says, his lips curling into a wide grin. “This journey is as much yours as it's mine.”“How’s this my journey?” I murmur slowly. “Now that you are my girlfriend,” he begins to say, taking a seat beside me. “My jo