Chapter 9
1477 Words
Elysia tried to open her eyes but for a moment, her eyelids seemed too heavy, too stubborn.
She could hear voices, distant then muffled, like she was underwater. Then a small ringing in her head made her force her eyes open with a gasp.
The last thing she remembered was the smoke, the orange glow outside her door and that she couldn't breathe.
Her eyes darted around immediately.
White ceiling. White walls. The faint smell of antiseptic.
A hospital.
Panic seized her chest.
Her hand immediately flew to her stomach.
She didn't know why that was the first thing she thought about. Maybe because it had become impossible not to think about it these past few days.
Her baby.
Her throat tightened.
She pushed herself up too quickly and instantly regretted it when dizziness washed over her.
"Elysia? You're awake."
Elysia froze at the sound of the voice.
The voice sounded familiar. Very familiar.
But that was impossible.
Her head snapped towards the direction of the voice and Elysia just stared in awe.
It had been six years since she'd last seen him and now he was sitting there beside her hospital bed, staring back at her with a mixture of worry and confusion.
Kai Parsons.
The son of her family's former butler.
Her childhood friend.
The young man who had disappeared from her life shortly after her father's death.
"K-Kai?" Elysia called quietly.
Her voice was hoarse, barely audible.
Inhaling all that smoke had left her throat raw and even speaking hurt.
She watched as Kai carefully moved closer to the hospital bed.
He looked nothing like the Kai she used to know.
And yet he did.
Time had been kind to him. Six years had added a little more sharpness to his features, his shoulders broader beneath the dark shirt he wore. There was a confidence about him now, a quiet self-assurance that hadn't been there six years ago.
The easy smile she remembered wasn't there now. Instead, there was a seriousness about him she didn't remember seeing before.
But his eyes were still the same.
The same warm brown eyes that had
followed her around the St. Laurent estate throughout most of her childhood.
"Are you okay?" Kai asked and without waiting for an answer, he straightened. "I'll go get a doctor."
He turned quickly but Elysia reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
The movement made her head spin but she held on.
She knew she needed a doctor. But she was far more interested in knowing how Kai was here.
The last thing she'd heard was that he'd left the country.
Kai had vanished from her life so suddenly that she'd spent months wondering what had happened.
Now he was standing in front of her like he hadn't disappeared at all.
"How are you here?" she asked quietly.
Kai's gaze dropped briefly to where her hand still held his wrist before lifting back to her face.
For a second, something flickered across his expression. Something dark. Something she couldn't quite place.
Then it was gone.
Elysia slowly let go of him and pulled her hand back.
"I'll get you a doctor," he said again.
His tone left little room for argument.
Elysia dropped her hand onto her lap.
The whole thing felt strangely awkward.
Maybe she was reading too much into it, but Kai seemed... distant.
They had once been so close.
Back in school, he had defended her so fiercely that some of the teachers had genuinely believed he was her older brother.
He had always been the first person to stand up for her whenever someone made her cry.
But that had been a long time ago.
People changed.
Maybe Kai had changed too.
A few minutes later, he returned with a middle-aged doctor.
"Ah, you're awake." The doctor smiled as he stepped into the room.
Kai followed behind him.
The moment Elysia saw them, her hand instinctively moved to her stomach again.
"How is... how is my baby?" she asked.
She didn't know why she suddenly felt reluctant mentioning the baby in front of Kai.
Maybe it was because they hadn't seen each other in years.
Maybe it was because there were too many things he didn't know about her life now.
Or maybe it was because talking about the baby meant talking about Declan.
Her eyes briefly met Kai's.
For a second, neither of them looked away.
Then Kai broke eye contact first.
His gaze shifted elsewhere, his expression unreadable.
Still, Elysia couldn't shake the feeling that the mention of the baby had somehow made him uncomfortable.
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
"Your baby is fine,"
Elysia felt her shoulders sag with relief.
"However," the doctor continued, "you inhaled a significant amount of smoke. Your throat and lungs are irritated, which is why your voice sounds strained. You were also suffering from mild dehydration and physical shock when you arrived."
Elysia swallowed.
Her throat immediately protested.
The doctor noticed and nodded.
"You'll likely experience soreness in your throat for a few days, some coughing, headaches and dizziness. That's normal after smoke inhalation."
"And the baby?" Elysia asked again.
"We've monitored both of you closely. The baby appears healthy, but we'd like to keep you under observation for another day or two. The combination of the fire, the stress and the smoke could have caused complications, so we'd rather be cautious."
The doctor checked his clipboard and scribbled something down.
"It's a good thing Mr. Parsons got you here when he did," he added. "Another twenty or thirty minutes and the smoke inhalation could have become a much bigger problem."
Elysia turned towards Kai.
"Thank you," she said softly.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
Kai only gave a slight nod. He didn't smile back.
Something about that bothered her more than it should have.
Before she could dwell on it, a young nurse pushed a tray into the room.
"Good. You're awake." The nurse smiled as she wheeled it closer to the bed.
The tray held a glass of water, a small cup of medication and a few medical supplies Elysia couldn't identify.
"Try to drink some water first," the nurse said. "Your throat has been through a lot."
Elysia nodded and accepted the glass when the nurse offered it to her.
She drank slowly, taking small sips.
Her throat still burned a little with every swallow, but compared to what could have happened, it felt insignificant.
She sighed inwardly.
As long as the baby was okay, she was grateful.
Still, one question continued to nag at her.
How had Kai gotten there?
Was he the one who had saved her from the fire?
The last thing she remembered was reaching for her phone and dialing her emergency contact.
Jade.
At least, she had been trying to call Jade. Then she remembered hearing a voice.
A man's voice.
But everything after that was a blur.
The smoke. The dizziness. The struggle to breathe.
She couldn't remember who the voice belonged to.
So how exactly had Kai ended up finding her?
The doctor nodded before turning to the nurse.
"Get her something to eat," he said.
The nurse nodded immediately.
The doctor glanced back at Elysia.
"I'll check on you again in a few hours."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
"So, is there anything specific you'd like to eat?" the nurse asked.
Elysia blinked.
Truthfully, she had no idea.
She wasn't even sure she was hungry.
Everything had happened so fast that food was the last thing on her mind.
Without thinking, her gaze drifted towards Kai.
He was leaning against the wall a short distance away, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers.
Their eyes met.
Elysia wasn't sure why she'd looked at him.
Maybe because he was the only familiar person in the room. Maybe because she still had a hundred unanswered questions.
Whatever the reason, Kai seemed to misunderstand the look.
Because after a brief pause, he spoke.
"Something light would be best."
The nurse nodded and quietly left the room.
Silence settled almost immediately.
Elysia watched as Kai remained where he was for a few moments before finally pushing himself away from the wall.
He turned towards the door.
"Kai?" Elysia called.
His steps paused. Not completely—just enough to let her know he'd heard her.
"I'll call your mother," he said.
Elysia frowned.
That wasn't what she'd meant. She hadn't called out because she wanted her mother.
She wanted answers.
She wanted to know how he had found her.
Why he was here.
Why he was acting like there was an invisible wall between them.
But before she could find the words, Kai was already reaching for the door.
Elysia tightened her grip on the blanket.
"How did you know where to find me?”
- Writer
