Chapter 237

The next morning, Lucie woke up groggy and feeling even worse than before. Her whole head felt swollen, and now that the anesthesia had completely worn off, every inch of her body ached. Her head felt like it was about to explode, and the pain in her nose and upper lip was almost unbearable.

“Ow she groaned.

Elio had stayed by her side the entire night, trying to take care of her himself. The problem was, he didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Everything he tried was clumsy and awkward, but he was so earnest about it that she almost felt bad for him.

“Lucie, don’t move. Are you okay? What do you need?” he asked, hovering anxiously.

“I need the bathroom,” she mumbled, struggling to sit up.

“Oh—okay, let me help you.” Before she could protest, he gently lifted the blanket off her, slid her feet into her slippers, and scooped her up in his arms.

The sudden movement made her head spin even more, but she couldn’t find the energy to fight off his over-the-top concern.

“Elio, seriously, my legs are fine. I can walk. You don’t have to carry me everywhere p>

Her injuries were mostly on her face, with a few bruises on her arms. Her legs were perfectly fine.

He ignored her protests, carrying her straight to the bathroom. “Nope. You’ve got a fever and you’re totally out of it. What if you fall p>

Lucie just stared at him in disbelief. She wanted to argue, but her swollen upper lip made even a few words feel like torture. In the end, it seemed easier to just let him do what he wanted.

When they got to the bathroom, Elio carefully set her down on the toilet. “There you go p>

He just stood there, not budging. Lucie shot him a look and forced out, “You can go now p>

He looked so serious. “It’s fine, I won’t look. I’ll just turn around. Pretend I’m not here p>

She stared at him, exasperated.

He gave a nervous little laugh. “Okay, okay, I’m leaving. Just call me if you need anything p>

The second he stepped out, Lucie quickly locked the bathroom door behind him. After she finished, she shuffled over to the mirror and took a look at herself. She barely recognized her own reflection. Her forehead and nose were covered in gauze, there was a bandage wrapped around her head, and her lips were swollen to the size of sausages. Her face was smeared with yellow antiseptic.

“Oh my god, am I ever going to look normal again p>

The doctor said she’d be fine, though her upper lip might scar. Her nose had been broken, but the incision was hidden inside her nostril, so there shouldn’t be any obvious marks.

Still, the pain was enough to make her vision blur.

“Lucie? Are you done? I’m coming in p>

She unlocked the door and stepped out.

“Lucie, you’re way too weak. Let me carry you,” Elo said, already bending down to scoop her up again. He loved holding her-she was so soft and pliant, it was honestly like hugging a luxury pillow. Once he had her in his arms, he never wanted to let go.

Lucie just glared and pushed him away as best she could. “I want to walk on my

own for a bit,” she managed to say.

“Oh, okay. It just hold on to you

then.” He gently put his hand around her waist. Her waist was so tiny he could almost wrap his whole hand around. He couldn’t help but want totet his hand slide up a little.

“Where do you think you’re putting your hand?” she snapped.

“Lucie, you’re totally overthinking it. I’m just helping, okay p>

She rolled her eyes and started shuffling forward.

A sudden knock echoed through the room.

“Come in,” she called.

The door opened with a click. June peeked in, arms full of gift bags and supplement boxes.

“Lucie, I came to see you p>

Just seeing June made Lucie’s head

throb all over again. She felt a wave of anxiety. Ever since she’d met

June, her life had been one

after another she didn’t pinet

dislike June, but was obvious they were from totally different worlds.

“Whoa, Lucie, what happened to you? Is it really that bad?” June gasped, hurrying over for a closer look.

Elio immediately stepped between them, pushing June back. “Stay away from her p>

June glared at him. “Excuse me? I’m just here to see Lucie. Why are you butting in p>

Elio stood his ground, not moving an inch. “You need to leave. Lucie almost got killed because of you, and you still have the nerve to show up p>