Chapter 145: What A Couple
Theo pulled a chair to sit beside the bed. From earlier, he hadn’t taken his eyes off Daisy. She was curled up under his blanket, breathing evenly, her lashes resting gently against her cheeks. Peaceful... for once. Only because of the sleeping pills Aurora had slipped her.
His hand hovered inches above hers, hesitant, trembling, like touching her might make her vanish. He clenched his jaw and pulled back, instead gripping the armrest of the chair until his knuckles whitened.
She looked so small, so breakable in his bed. And the worst part, the part that made his chest ache like it was being torn open, knowing that her peace had nothing to do with him. She had found it in spite of him.
Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands, his breath shaky. "I should’ve been the one to protect you from all of this..." he whispered into the silence.
Theo raised his head and reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he brushed back a loose strand of hair from Daisy’s face. One stubborn lock clung to her lips, and with painstaking care, he tried to lift it away.
Just as his hand hovered close, Daisy shifted, her body turning slightly toward him. Her lips parted, a faint sound slipping out, half a whisper, half a sigh.
"Theo..."
His breath caught. The way she said his name was soft, fragile, tangled in sleep and it made his chest tightened. He froze, afraid that any movement might break the moment, that she would wake and push him away.
Her hand twitched against the blanket, as if searching for something unseen. Then she murmured again, words blurred but heavy with longing.
"Don’t... leave..."
Theo’s throat tightened, his vision burning. He stayed there, motionless, his hand hovering just inches from her, torn between the urge to hold her and the fear of waking her to reality.
But then, her peaceful expression shifted. Her brows furrowed, the faintest crease forming until it deepened into a pained frown.
Theo leaned closer instinctively, every muscle in him starting to get tense and worried covered his whole heart.
Her lips moved again, broken words escaping in a fragile mumble.
"Don’t... don’t kill... my baby..."
Theo froze, his heart stopping in his chest. The words cut through him like a blade, each syllable dragging him into a place he wasn’t ready to face. His hand, still suspended in the air, trembled as though it had lost all strength.
"No..." he whispered under his breath, his voice barely audible.
Daisy’s lashes fluttered, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes even in sleep, her face twisted as if she were reliving a nightmare she couldn’t escape.
Theo’s chest caved in with a sharp breath. Panic and regret clawed at him as he rushed to her side, lowering himself onto the bed. With trembling hands, he gently turned her to face him, careful not to wake her too harshly. Sliding an arm beneath her head, he lifted her slightly into the crook of his arm, holding her as if she might shatter.
Her tears slipped free, trailing down her cheeks. Each drop felt like it scorched his skin. Theo pressed his forehead against hers, his voice raw and shaking.
"Daisy... no one’s going to hurt you. No one’s going to hurt us anymore. I swear it." He pulled her closer to him, his voice breaking. "I’m sorry... I will do everything to help you heal..."
The words came out raw, tangled with guilt. Theo’s arms tightened around her as if by holding her, he could anchor them both against the storm that had already torn them apart once.
Daisy stirred faintly at the sound, her brow still furrowed, but her breathing steadied just a little in his embrace, as though her body recognized the warmth and the scent she had been craving.
Theo shut his eyes, pressing a trembling kiss against her temple. "I can’t lose you again," he whispered, his chest shaking with the truth he had buried for too long. "Even if you hate me... even if you never forgive me... let me stay, Daisy. Just let me stay."
The room fell into silence, broken only by her fragile breaths. Theo didn’t move away. He stayed there, holding her as though the night itself depended on his promise.
Morning slipped in quietly, sunlight creeping through the curtains and brushing against the tangled figures on the bed. Daisy stirred, the first thing she felt was heat that thick and suffocating pressing against her side. Her lashes fluttered open, and the sight that greeted her made her freeze.
Theo’s face, calm in sleep, lay inches from hers. His arm was still around her, his breath warm against her skin. But what made her frown wasn’t anger, it was the feverish heat radiating from his body.
Her fingers twitched hesitantly before she touched his forehead. The warmth was alarming, burning hot beneath her palm. Her frown deepened, her chest tightening with worry.
"Theo..." she whispered softly, unsure whether she wanted him to wake or keep sleeping. But then, as her gaze wandered, realization struck, they were in their room, inside Theo’s house. "Theo..." she called again, her voice cracking. Still, no response.
Carefully, she pried his hand from hers, laying it gently on the blanket before slipping out of bed. Her legs felt weak beneath her, but she pushed herself to the door. Opening it, she peeked out into the quiet hallway.
"Lily...?" Her voice was small, wavering. No answer. She tried again, a little louder, "Dally? Anyone..."
From the far end of the corridor, hurried footsteps echoed back. "Yes, madam!" Lily appeared, almost breathless as she rushed over. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Call the doctor... or ask security to get the driver ready. Theo has a fever..." Daisy’s words came out rough, her throat painfully dry.
"Madam... you don’t look well either—" Lily cut herself off as Daisy swayed, her knees buckling.
"Madam!" Lily darted forward, barely catching her in time. Daisy’s body felt alarmingly light in her arms, fragile like she hadn’t eaten in days.