Chapter 138: Die!
"Are you sure? I can help..." Theo’s voice was steady but his stance wasn’t—he lingered in front of the bathroom door, arms braced on either side of the frame as if his sheer presence could protect her.
Daisy’s eyes narrowed, her lips curving into a bitter sneer. "I took a bath just fine without you these past months. What makes today any different? Because you’re here? What a joke..." Her voice dripped with scorn as she jabbed a finger toward the door. "Get... Out."
Theo’s jaw tightened. He didn’t move. His gaze flicked over her face, swollen from last night’s tears, then down to the faint tremor in her hand clutching the towel. "You can hate me all you want," he murmured, his voice low but firm. "But don’t pretend you’re fine when you’re not. I can see right through you, Daisy."
Her chest rose sharply, her breath catching for a split second before she masked it with a scoff. "Then keep your eyes closed. Problem solved. Now... could you please get out... I need to take a bath..."
Theo was still for a few moments before giving up, "All right, I will wait for you right outside the door, okay?" He took a few steps and finally left the bathroom.
And right at that moment, Daisy rushed to the door, slammed it shut, and locked it.
Her back slid down against the wood until she hit the floor, her legs giving out beneath her. She buried her face in her palms, her breath coming hard and uneven. She had failed... failed herself. Because deep down, what she truly wanted was to run into his arms, to hold him tight and never let go.
But the pain screamed louder, the anger stood taller, and both crushed the love that stubbornly still lived inside her.
Her fists clenched against her chest as she whispered hoarsely, "Why does it still hurt... even when I try to hate you?"
A sharp knock rattled the bathroom door.
"Daisy?" Theo’s voice came through, low but edged with concern. "Are you alright in there? It’s been almost an hour..."
Inside, steam curled lazily in the air, clinging to the tiled walls. Daisy lay in the bathtub, her body submerged in the warm water that did little to soothe the ache in her chest. Her gaze shifted toward the door, her lashes heavy, droplets sliding down her face like silent tears.
Another knock followed, gentler this time. "Please... just say something. Don’t shut me out like this."
Daisy closed her eyes instead. Without a word, she sank deeper, letting the water rise over her face, muffling the world, muffling him. For one brief moment, she allowed herself to disappear beneath the surface, as though the silence could erase everything, the pain, the memories, even the man waiting desperately on the other side of the door.
The silence stretched too long.
Theo’s pulse spiked, dread crawling up his spine. "Daisy?" His knuckles slammed against the door this time, harder, urgent. No reply.
"Damn it—" His chest heaved as panic clawed through him. In the next second, he threw his weight forward, kicking hard. The door cracked open with a violent slam, the frame splintering.
His eyes widened instantly.
Daisy... her body lay still in the bathtub, her face submerged beneath the water.
"Daisy!" His voice tore out, raw with terror. He rushed across the tiles, slipping slightly, and plunged his arms into the tub. In one swift motion, he hauled her up, water splashing everywhere, soaking his shirt and dripping onto the floor.
Her hair clung to her cheeks, water streaming down her pale face. Theo’s hands trembled as he cupped her jaw, forcing her head back. "No, no, no... Daisy, look at me! Breathe... damn it, breathe!"
Daisy’s lashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, glaring weakly at him. "Can you please... slow down your voice? It’s too loud..."
Theo froze, the rush of panic still coursing through him. "Oh God..." His voice cracked as he crushed her against his chest, water soaking between them. "Oh please... don’t do it again... my heart almost stopped beating..."
Daisy blinked against his shoulder, stunned by the desperate tremor in his voice. For a split second, she almost melted into his warmth—almost let herself sink into that familiar safety. But the heaviness in her chest reminded her, dragging her back.
"You’re overreacting," she muttered, though her voice lacked the sharp edge she usually wielded.
Theo pulled back just enough to look at her, his jaw tight, eyes blazing. "Overreacting? Daisy, you were under the damn water for God knows how long! Do you have any idea what it felt like to open that door and see you like that?!" His voice shook, not from weakness, but from anger laced with fear. "Don’t you dare scare me like that again."
"Tchh..." She let out a mocking laugh, the sound sharp and bitter. "I’ve been doing this for months to clear my head. And guess what? You never came running back then." Her lips curved into a cruel smirk, her eyes daring him to flinch.
Theo bit down on his lip hard, holding back the storm inside him. His chest rose and fell in uneven breaths before he finally spoke, his voice raw. "Then tell me... what do I need to do, Daisy? What should I do to make you forgive me?"
Her frustration cracked through, too heavy to contain. Her eyes burned as the word slipped out before she could stop it.
"Die..."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Even the steady drip of water from the faucet seemed to echo like thunder in the bathroom.
Theo froze, her single word cutting deeper than any wound he’d ever endured. His fingers, still damp from pulling her out of the tub, slowly curled into fists at his sides.
"Daisy..." His voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable, a mixture of disbelief and pain. He searched her face, desperate for even the faintest sign that she hadn’t meant it. But her expression stayed hard, her eyes refusing to soften.
For the first time since last night, Theo didn’t reach for her. He just stood there, drenched in silence, the air between them heavy with things they could never take back.
And then, without another word, he turned and walked out, the slam of the bathroom door rattling the walls, leaving Daisy trembling in the water, regretting the word she said out of anger.