Chapter 183

Emilia nodded.

She stood. Before she reached the door, Kylie spoke. "Emilia?"

She turned. "Yes?"

Kylie hesitated. "Don’t let him..." She stopped.

Emilia waited.

"Don’t let him think this means..." Kylie struggled for the words. "I don’t know what it means."

Emilia nodded slowly. "I won’t tell him what it means."

Emilia smiled, and then she stepped outside.

The door closed softly behind her.

"Welcome back." Adrian finally parted his lips.

Kylie exhaled. She nodded again. "Thank you."

Adrian opened the door, then walked out behind Emilia.

Kylie was alone. For perhaps thirty seconds. It felt like thirty minutes. She stared at the ceiling.

Her heart wouldn’t slow down.

She didn’t know why seeing Christian suddenly felt so important. Maybe because she had been unconscious.

Maybe because waking up had made everything she had pushed away feel closer. Maybe because some part of her had expected him to be there.

She closed her eyes.

Then the door opened.

Kylie opened them immediately.

Christian stepped inside. He stopped just beyond the doorway. Emilia and Adrian did not return with him.

He looked different. Not physically. He was still Christian. Still the same man she’d spent months trying not to fall for.

But there was something exhausted in his face. His eyes looked tired, and his hair was slightly disheveled.

His shirt was wrinkled. He looked like he hadn’t slept.

Kylie’s chest tightened.

Christian looked at her. His shoulders dropped slightly. "Hey." His voice was quiet. "You called."

Kylie didn’t answer immediately.

Christian didn’t move closer. He stayed where he was. "I heard you woke up."

Kylie swallowed. "Yeah."

There was a pause.

"How do you feel?"

"Thirsty."

Christian nodded.

Kylie looked at him.

He gave the smallest shrug. "It means you’re awake enough to complain."

She almost smiled.

Christian’s gaze remained on her. He wanted to move closer.

She could see it, but he didn’t. Kylie looked at his hands. They were clenched loosely at his sides.

She looked back at his face. "You came."

"You were hurt."

Kylie said nothing.

Silence settled between them.

Christian took one slow breath. "I’m glad you’re awake."

Kylie swallowed. "Thank you."

He nodded, and then he simply stood there.

She looked at him again. "I’m sorry."

Christian’s brows pulled together. "For what?"

"For..." She stopped.

She didn’t know how to finish. For blocking you? For making you leave? For making you think you had no place here? For still wanting you here?

None of those words came out.

Christian shook his head. "You don’t have to apologize."

Kylie’s eyes burned. She looked away.

Christian noticed. He stepped forward once, then stopped. "I won’t stay if you don’t want me to."

Kylie turned to him again. He was giving her exactly what she’d asked for. And somehow, it hurt.

He didn’t move closer. He didn’t try to convince her. He simply waited.

Kylie swallowed. "You really would leave?"

Christian’s expression softened. "If you asked me to."

She looked down again.

That answer hurt more than she expected. Because there had been a time when Christian would have argued with her.

He would have teased her. He would have pushed. He would have found some ridiculous excuse to stay.

"I don’t want you to leave." Kylie admitted quietly.

Christian’s eyes lifted fully to hers.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

"You don’t?"

She shook her head. "No."

His shoulders relaxed slightly. He took one careful step closer.

Kylie’s heart began pounding.

He took another step, and stopped beside the bed. Close enough now that she could see the exhaustion beneath his eyes.

Kylie stared at him. "You look terrible." She rolled her eyes.

A tiny smile touched his mouth. "Nice to see you too."

Her expression softened.

Christian didn’t touch her.

Kylie slowly turned her face back toward him. "Christian."

"Yeah?"

She hesitated. Then, quietly, she nodded at him. "Come closer."

His expression changed. He moved toward her. Slowly, and carefully. Until he stood directly beside the bed.

Kylie looked up at him.

Christian lifted his hand, then stopped before touching her. "Can I?"

Kylie’s eyes dropped briefly to his hand. Then back to his face. She nodded.

He gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. The touch was so soft that her eyes closed.

Kylie leaned into his palm.

Christian’s thumb moved lightly beneath her eye.

Kylie opened her eyes.

Christian was already watching her. His face was only inches away.

She could feel his breath against her skin. Her heart raced. "Christian..."

He didn’t answer. He simply waited for her order. Kylie looked at his mouth, then back into his eyes.

She knew what she was doing. She knew she could stop it. Instead, she whispered, "Kiss me."

Christian froze.

For one second, he simply stared at her. As though he needed to make sure he’d heard correctly.

She nodded. "Kiss me." She repeated.

Only then did he lean down.

His lips touched hers gently.

The kiss was soft, careful, and almost hesitant. He kissed her like he was afraid she might change her mind.

Kylie’s eyes closed.

For a moment, she didn’t move. Then her fingers curled around the front of his shirt.

Christian felt the movement. He pulled back slightly.

Kylie’s eyes opened.

She glanced at him. She tightened her fingers around his shirt, then she pulled him back down.

This time, she kissed him.

Christian’s hand came to the side of her face, careful of the bruising, while Kylie held onto his shirt and kept him close.

The kiss deepened naturally.

Kylie’s fingers tightened against his shirt.

Christian stayed close, letting her set the pace. When they finally separated, they remained only inches apart.

Their foreheads almost touched.

Kylie’s breathing was uneven.

Christian’s eyes searched hers.

Neither of them spoke.

Kylie slowly loosened her grip on his shirt, but she didn’t let go completely.

Christian’s mouth curved into the smallest smile.

Kylie eyed him. "Don’t ruin it."

His smile grew. "I wasn’t going to."

She looked away for a second. Then back at him. "I don’t know what this means."

Christian’s expression softened.

Kylie swallowed. "But I wanted you here. And I wanted to kiss you."

"I know."

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You’re very confident for someone who was standing there looking like he was afraid to breathe."

Christian gave a quiet laugh. "I was terrified."

Kylie stared at him. "Of me?"

"Of making you regret letting me stay."

Her expression softened. She reached for his hand.

Christian immediately took it.

Kylie looked down at their joined hands. Christian sat carefully in the chair beside her bed.

He kept holding her hand.

Kylie rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes.