Chapter 447
[ 462 words ]
Chapter 447:
Ashley flinched as if struck. “I-I’m the nurse,” she stammered. “I was bringing broth. For when she wakes up.”
He didn’t rise, but the intensity of his glare alone seemed to pin her to the spot. “Leave it. And get out. The next time you enter this room without knocking, you’ll be reporting to the stockade.”
Tears of fear and humiliation welled in Ashley’s eyes. She practically threw the tray onto a small table and fled from the room.
She leaned against the wall outside, her heart hammering. She was terrified of him. But she was also utterly captivated by the fierce, protective devotion he had shown to that woman.
A seed of resentment and determination took root in her heart.
Once the nurse was gone, Jarrod’s anger evaporated, leaving only the deep, aching concern for the woman in the bed. He sat down again, careful to keep his splinted right arm tucked securely against his torso. With his one functional hand, he took hers, his touch delicate to avoid agitating his own healing fractures.
“Caroline,” he whispered, his voice rough. “Come back to me.”
He leaned down and kissed her again, a soft, pleading touch. Under his lips, he felt a faint tremor. Her eyelashes fluttered. Her fingers twitched in his.
𝘑𝘰і𝘯 o𝘶r c𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘂𝗇𝗶𝘵𝘆 оո 𝗀𝗮𝗹𝗇оv𝘦𝗅𝗌.𝖼𝘰𝗆
She slowly opened her eyes. The world was a blur of white canvas overhead. She felt a gentle pressure on her lips and thought she was dreaming of him again.
She blinked, and the blur sharpened into focus. It was his face, etched with worry and exhaustion, hovering over hers. It was real.
“Jarrod?” Her voice was a dry, rasping whisper.
Hearing her speak his name sent a jolt through him. A wide, brilliant smile of pure relief broke across his face. “I’m here, Caroline. I’m right here.”
It wasn’t a dream. He was here. The memories came flooding back—the building collapsing, the darkness, the cold. And a man’s face, pale with pain.
“The man who was with me…” she struggled to say, her throat raw. It was the most important question. “Is he… is he okay?”
Jarrod’s smile faltered. A man with her? He assumed she was delirious, maybe talking about one of the rescuers. He had no idea who Sterling was or what he had done. To calm her, he chose the simplest, kindest path.
“Everyone made it out safe,” he said, his voice a soothing balm. “You were so brave, Caroline. It’s all over now.”
The words washed over her, a wave of profound relief. He was safe. The last weight on her soul lifted.
The combination of surviving, of seeing Jarrod again, of knowing the man who saved her was alive—it was too much. Her emotional dam broke.
With a strangled cry, she pushed herself up and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his throat.
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