Kane

What if she were seriously hurt? What if she broke a bone or several? Another kick, then another, against the locked door. It rattled, and the handle finally hung loose, falling apart.

At least those hours at the gym had paid off somehow.

Despairing, I burst into the bathroom like a hurricane and found her on the floor, clutching her leg. Her beautiful face contorted in pain as she looked into my eyes. She must have hurt her leg.

"Where did you hurt yourself?" I asked, rushing to her.

She exhaled, her hair scattering around her like crimson snakes. "I think I sprained my ankle. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t."

I didn’t need to hear any more. Bending down, I picked her up from the floor and gently hugged her.

"I’m with you." I rose slowly, my hands under her knees, and I could feel her body trembling.

She came in without complaint. I wanted to assess the extent of her ankle injury, but first I needed to get her out of the bathroom.

I carried her out of the bathroom like a bride.

Zara was fully dressed in her pajamas, meaning she must have woken up to go to the bathroom and slipped.

I carried her to the bed. She tried not to touch me and breathed despite the pain. Her hand was on her stomach, the other hanging down.

I carefully lowered her onto the bed and straightened her legs. I placed two pillows behind her back to make her comfortable. My gaze slid down to her feet, and her right ankle was rapidly swelling. I carefully lifted her leg and examined her sprained ankle.

"Shhh!" She hissed in pain as my fingers touched her swollen skin.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to contain my emotions.

"I went to the bathroom, and suddenly, I don’t know how, I blacked out for a second." She paused, pushing her hair out of her face and trying not to flinch from the pain. "When the darkness cleared, I was falling to the ground, trying to keep from hitting my head. I was moving desperately and twisted my foot."

Lost consciousness???

She almost fainted because she hadn’t eaten anything.

Rage consumed me like wildfire. I told her to eat right, but she was so intent on punishing me that she didn’t even care about her own health.

Every fiber of my being wanted to pounce on her, but now wasn’t the time, and it would definitely backfire on me.

"You barely ate dinner; watch your diet," I said quietly. She lowered her leg and stood up. I needed to call the doctor.

"I don’t feel hungry," she said, her voice heavy with pain, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the headboard.

"Try it, or you’ll faint and seriously injure yourself." I picked up the phone and called the family doctor.

After the call, I went back to the bathroom to get the first aid kit so I could apply some pain balm to her ankle. Seeing her pain again and again shattered the last of my peace.

Only chaos reigned.

When I came out of the bathroom with the first aid kit, her eyes widened. Seeing me approach with the kit, she quickly said,

"I’m fine, I’m sure I’ll be better by the morning."

She was trying to sound brave, or maybe she didn’t want me to bandage her. Right now... Well, she needs me, and she can get angry later.

"No. By the morning, it’ll be swollen like a balloon, and you won’t be able to travel." Sitting at her feet, I placed the box on my lap and reached for her right leg.

Carefully lifting it, like a fragile piece of glass, I placed it on my lap and laid it on my knees.

He leaned forward.

This will hurt.

For both her and me.

***

Zara

Pain shot through me, but I was grateful I hadn’t passed out; who knows what bones I might have broken.

Ice Hercules broke down the door to get to me. I felt trapped in a movie with a protagonist who was all gray and red.

His nostrils flared, and rage drained all the light from his eyes when I told him I almost passed out. He tried to hide it, but he was angry. He kept telling me I needed to eat properly.

But he wasn’t me. He didn’t understand that no matter what I did, I couldn’t eat anymore. Food tasted like dust, and I’d simply lost my passion for food.

And then he brought the first aid kit, ready to play the role of my personal doctor. I tried to convince him I didn’t need it, but the pain intensified, and it felt like my ankle was on fire.

He was so gentle when he took my foot, placing it on his lap. If only he were as kind to my heart!

Sighing! I simply leaned back and hugged the soft pillow. His hands didn’t feel strange; they explored every inch of my skin, and my body didn’t feel repulsed, even though I didn’t want him to touch me.

"He’s just helping you." Nova flooded in, and I involuntarily relaxed and let him take care of my ankle.

Taking out a small amount of pain-relieving balm, he applied it to the swollen area and gently rubbed it in a clockwise motion.

"Shhh!" I breathed out, unable to contain myself. I clutched the pillow tighter.

"Just a little longer, stay with me, Luna." The calm of his voice and my name in his language brought back memories. He’d prevented so many panic attacks for me and been there when I needed him.

Could it all have been an act? Because his betrayal had pierced my heart so cruelly that I wasn’t sure it would ever heal.

Closing my eyes, I tried not to dwell on the bitter memories. It was easier to focus on the pain. After applying the balm, his fingers lingered on my leg, gently touching it.