CHAPTER TWO
1238 Words
Asher Montague
I sat, staring blankly at the hospital walls, trying to ignore the sting from the bruises on my arm and head. The man who brought me in stood silently by the door, waiting for the nurses to finally attend to me. At least there were still a few good people left on this planet.
Getting tired of sitting, I stood—immediately regretting it. I had a sprained ankle and some minor bruises. If not for the pain shooting through my leg, I wouldn't have let him drag me here. Hospitals were just a reminder that people die.
But it wasn’t death that bothered me. It was the idea of people suffering inside these walls before eventually passing on.
I ran a hand through my hair, shaking off the annoying thoughts. Where the hell were the nurses?
Honestly, I didn’t mind being here if it meant more time away from my father and his boring board meetings. I picked up my phone from the bed and checked the time. Good—I was already an hour late. Hopefully, by the time this was over, their meeting would be done.
Dropping the phone back down, I was about to complain to the man when a nurse finally walked in.
“Sorry for the wait—” she paused, gasping. “Ash Montague?”
Great. Another fan. I forced a smile, which made me wince, reminding her she had a job to do.
“Oh! Sorry. I just didn’t expect you to be one of my patients.” She scurried over, flustered. “I’ll get that bandage right away.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, which made her blush.
“It’s nothing. But I was wondering… umm, I know this might sound inappropriate or make me seem unprofessional, but please, can I—”
“No.”
The word left my mouth before she could finish, and the embarrassed flush on her face deepened. I didn’t care. I was tired, irritated, and the sterile hospital smell was enough to make me pass out, let alone the pain from my bruises. And she had the nerve to ask for pictures?
“How about doing your job before asking for favors,” I snapped, too pissed to care how rude it sounded.
I mean, the media already painted me as a jerk. Might as well live up to it.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, applying a bandage to my forehead.
I hissed. “Could you be more gentle? You work like you’re still a student.”
“I’m sorry.” She apologized again, blinking several times to hold back the tears I could already see gathering in her eyes.
Okay, maybe I was being a bit much.
“I didn’t mean to scold. I’m just extra cranky today for some reason.”
“It’s okay.” She gave me a tight smile, and I returned it with one of my own.
As she worked on putting a brace on my ankle, neither of us said a word. The man who had brought me in was gone—I hadn’t even noticed him leave. So much for kindness. At least a little goodbye would’ve been nice. Tch, humans.
Just as the nurse was finishing up, the door to my ward swung open, startling her a bit. I was about to go off on whoever barged in without knocking when I saw who it was—and before I could stop myself, a smile crept onto my face.
“Ash, are you okay? How did this happen?” she asked, walking briskly toward me.
Just seeing her brightened my day. Not that she was my girl or anything. Just a friend—and also my PA.
I didn’t even realize she’d been talking until she gently poked my forehead.
“Hm?” I raised a brow, and she frowned at me.
“Seriously, Ash, why can’t you be more careful? When I got the call, I was scared to death.” She sat beside me on the bed. “Does it hurt that bad?”
“Not really. Sorry for making you worry.”
“It’s okay. But it’s your dad you should be worried about. He—”
My eyes flicked to the nurse, who was still crouched in front of me, and Rin got the hint.
Changing the topic, she asked, “So how did this happen? Let me guess—you were on the phone while driving?”
Damn, I love it when she reads me without a word.
“No… I was on a call. That’s different.” I glanced at the nurse. Was it just me, or was she taking forever?
As if sensing my impatience, she stood up. “All done. I’ll leave some painkillers for you on the tray. Take them once you’ve had something to eat.”
I was about to protest when Rin cut in, “Sure, thanks. I’ll make sure he takes them.” She shot me a look that told me she meant it.
Well, who was I to argue with my PA?
“I’m leaving now. You’re free to go, but avoid putting pressure on that ankle for a while.”
“Thanks.”
She nodded, avoiding eye contact as she bowed slightly and left. Rin watched her go.
“Another heartbroken fan realizing Ash Montague isn’t such a sweetheart after all, huh?” she smirked, and I laughed.
“What do you mean? I’m a nice boss, at least.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m kidding. But we should get going—you’re supposed to be in a meeting that started over an hour ago,” she said, getting up.
“And you’re supposed to be on a runway in L.A., looking all glamorous like that, but here we are.”
She laughed. “Okay, smooth talker. Time isn’t going to wait for you. As much as I know you hate these meetings, you need to go if you ever want your dad to start hearing your voice.”
Ugh. I hate when she’s all work-mode, but she had a point.
“Fine. But can we get coffee first?”
“Sure. What’s a nice day without starting it with coffee? Come on.”
She leaned down, guiding my arm around her shoulder to help me stand. As I limped to the door, I couldn’t help but breathe in the soft smell of lavender and roses from her hair. The warmth of her hand nearly numbed the pain in my ankle.
“Oh, the painkillers. Hold on a sec.” She let go of my arm, leaned it against the door, and walked back into the room to grab the medicine.
She waved it at me with a smile, but I was too busy watching the way her hair bounced when she walked and the way her hips swayed. The sliver of skin exposed by her cropped top, flat and perfectly highlighting her waist, caught my eye.
Okay, maybe I was starting to see her as more than just a friend.
Outside the hospital building, she was walking me toward her car when a black Porsche pulled up in front of us, blocking our path.
I already knew who it was, even before the tinted window rolled down to reveal an elegant-looking woman.
“Hello, darling,” she said in a polished, sultry voice.
“Aunt Green,” I sneered.
- Writer
