< 21
Menu
21
years
Ethan, in a crisp white coat, looking tall and straight. His features were sharper and more refined than three ago, his demeanor more composed and reserved. An intern was speaking to him, but he had no reaction.
“Dr. Riley! Dr. Riley?”
Ethan’s eyes were fixed on me. Long–suppressed longing surged through him like a tidal wave, his gaze intense and focused; the world around him vanished. Only the woman before him remained clear and sharp.
Almost uncontrollably, he walked towards me, each step imbued with longing and anticipation. His heart pounded in his chest. Since learning of my return, he’d searched for me every day. He hadn’t expected to meet me here. He wondered if it was a dream.
“Natalie…” he whispered.
In contrast to his agitation, my expression was calm, like a still lake. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. “Natalie, it’s really you…” His voice was hoarse.
I looked down at his hand. The familiar touch sent a chill down my spine.
My voice was flat and cold.“Should I remind you that we broke up?”
His breath hitched; his eyes reddened. He pulled me into a tight embrace, his grip so strong it felt like he was trying to absorb me into his very being.
“Natalie,
“Natalie…”
I’m
sorry.
Don’t leave
- me.
I didn’t
marry
Chloe. The wedding
was a sham.”
His voice was low and husky, and he murmured my name again and again, each syllable filled with love. Witnessing this scene, the intern was stunned. In his mind, Dr. Riley was always calm and aloof. He’d never seen
of because
his ex–girlfriend? such
vulnerable desperate, a The intern discreetly left. The hospital buzzed with activity; many people were watching us.
side
And of him.
it
was
I frowned. “Ethan, let go of me!”
I struggled, but my fever weakened
- me.
He held me tightly,
as
if afraid I’d disappear.
Pale and weak, I couldn’t even speak. Then, my vision blurred, and I fainted. Only then did he notice my burning face. He scooped me up, carrying me towards the emergency room.
the crisp scent of Darkness fell. I opened my eyes, my breath catching in my throat as I recognized my surroundings. It used to be my bedroom with Ethan. The decor was the same as ever. Even the incense was the same – sandalwood.
Fear and panic seized me; I felt trapped in a inescapable vortex. I fled the bedroom without even putting on my shoes.
Downstairs, in the dining room, Ethan, in dark gray pajamas, placed a bowl of shrimp porridge on the table.
slightly.“Natalie, Seeing me, he smiled slightly. “Natalie, your fever’s broken. You need
I felt disoriented, my scalp tingling.
to
take more
