Chapter 172: ¹⁷²: it was terrifying

Chapter 172: 1?2: it was terrifying

Even though I was livid, even though I was beyond angry with Kael and even angrier with myself for still caring about him - I couldn’t bring myself to stay where I was and leave him to deal with whatever strange situation he was going through alone.

Despite everything that had just happened, some part of me still wanted to get up, go to him, and help him through it.

With a quiet breath, I sat up on the bed. I didn’t say a word as I turned my head towards Kael, who was sitting with his back to me. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he hadn’t moved or spoken since shifting away from me. The silence between us felt unbearably heavy, especially after the harsh words we’d exchanged only moments ago.

I desperately wanted to see his face. I wanted to know what was going through that stubborn head of his. Was he making fun of me again? Was he regretting what he’d said? Or was he... in pain?

I swallowed hard, my gaze fixed on his unmoving figure. After everything I’d said to him, I had no idea what I was supposed to say now. Should I tell him to leave? Should I remind him that I wanted nothing more to do with him after the way he’d treated me?

The thought barely had time to form before I pushed it away. I couldn’t do that. Not when he was clearly in such a strange condition. Not when his body had been burning with an unnatural heat only moments ago and he still hadn’t taken any medicine.

I knew that, no matter how desperately I tried to convince myself otherwise, no matter how fucking rude and demeaning he was towards me, I still cared about him. And that was precisely what made me so angry with myself.

My heart grew more anxious with every passing second that Kael remained sitting there without doing anything to address his fever. I kept watching him, waiting for even the slightest movement that might reassure me he was all right. But the longer he remained silent, the more uneasy I became.

Even after everything he’d done to hurt me; not just today, but for so long now my stupid heart was still searching for the version of Kael I’d first encountered. The man who had unknowingly made me feel something I’d never experienced before.

It was ridiculous. I knew that. I knew I shouldn’t keep clinging to a version of him that might not even exist anymore, especially when the man sitting in front of me had done nothing but make me question my own feelings. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to let go of that first impression.

Even when I’d been crazy about Harry, when I’d believed I could never imagine my life without him, I’d never experienced this strange, soothing feeling around him. Harry had mattered to me, and I’d once thought my feelings for him were everything I could ever want.

But Kael had somehow made me feel something different. He hadn’t needed to do anything special. He hadn’t even needed to try. Somehow, simply being around him had been enough to stir something inside me that I couldn’t quite explain.

And now, despite the way he’d treated me, I was still sitting here worrying about him. *What the hell is wrong with me?*

I blinked rapidly, trying to ease the burning sensation in my eyes before I could give in to the tears threatening to gather there. I refused to cry over him again. Taking a shaky breath, I finally reached out and moved my hand towards Kael’s back.

He was being strangely quiet. Too quiet, even for someone who had just been arguing with me. There was something unsettling about the way he sat there, his head slightly lowered and his body unnaturally still.

My earlier anger began to give way to a growing sense of dread. Something was wrong with him. I didn’t know what it was, and that uncertainty frightened me more than I wanted to admit. The moment my hand touched his back, however, my fear became reality.

Kael, who had been sitting upright until then, even if his posture was slightly hunched, suddenly collapsed forward.

A heavy thud rang through the room, making my heart leap into my throat as I watched him fall to the floor. He let out a low groan before shifting onto his back, his movements strained and unsteady.

"Kael! What the hell?!" I scrambled off the bed and rushed to his side, dropping down beside him without a second thought. I slipped my hands beneath his head and carefully lifted it from the hard floor, settling it into my lap as I stared down at him in alarm.

I had absolutely no idea what was happening. One moment, he’d been sitting on the edge of the bed, and the next, he was lying on the floor as though his body had simply given out on him.

"What’s happening to you?" I cried, my voice trembling despite my desperate attempt to keep myself calm.

Kael didn’t answer. My eyes widened as I watched him struggle even to open his eyes. His face was tense, and his hands were clenched so tightly that I could hardly believe he wasn’t hurting himself in the process. His entire body seemed to be fighting against something I couldn’t see or understand.

"Kael, talk to me!" I screamed, leaning closer to him. "What’s happening to you?!" My voice broke on the last few words. I no longer cared about the argument we’d had or the cruel things he’d said to me.

I didn’t care about maintaining the strong front I’d put up only moments ago, nor did I care if he saw just how frightened I was. All I could think about was the man lying helplessly in my lap.

"Kael, please..." I whimpered, my hands trembling as I tried to get him to respond. "Say something. Anything."