Aftermath

I chugged another bottle of water to relieve my thirst. It feels like I have been swallowed sand, it's hard to swallow even it's just water, it stings. I glanced at Ayden, who's wearing a white shirt that had bloodstains, entered the room with a plastic bag. He smiled at me and sat on the edge of my bed.

"When can I get out of here?" I asked him with a hoarse voice. "My IV drip is already done." I don't want to stay here anymore longer, I just hate it so much.

"I already told a nurse, she will be here soon. Here, eat this first. I bought it from the cafeteria." He took out some bread and tore the plastic for me, and placed it on my hand. "It's cream bread. Eat it, you must be hungry, right? Later when we are home, I will cook for you? What do you want to eat? Pasta?"

I munched the bread and looked at him. Pasta? Can he even make that? I tried to swallow even though it's hurt.

"Tuna Tataki that you made before is so good, can you cook that for me?" I asked. Smiling.

He looked at me with a smirk. A fake laughed escape from his mouth.

"I can make pasta, okay. It's not that hard."

"Okay. Pasta then." If you say so, Mr Winter.

I took another bite and the room suddenly filled with awkward silence.

And then a nurse and a doctor come in. I glanced at both of them and looked down.

"Miss Iyves? How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, eyeing at his report and me in turn.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah? Alright, you may go. And I will arrange an appointment with Dr Ward. Dr Ward is a psychotherapist, we will call you soon for the appointment. Is that okay?"

I frowned and glanced at Ayden. He gave me a warm smile.

"Psychotherapist?" I asked the doctor and he smiled at me. That wasn't a nice smile at all.

"Yes, don't worry, Dr Ward will help you overcome your trauma. And I believe your boyfriend will help you too," he said nicely.

I nodded slowly. I'm quite offended by this sudden decision but okay. I will just see one, maybe this is the sign for me to take a serious treatment? Right. I need to fight the demon inside me if I want to heal myself properly.

"For the time being, please rest well, eat a lot and try to distract yourself, maybe going out on a date or shopping?" he said politely. "Well then, you may leave now," he said and walked out. A nurse helped me to take off the IV tube and Ayden quickly stood up and grabbed my bread on the hand and put it back inside the plastic bag.

I looked at him with a frown. I'm not done eating yet.

"Let's eat in a car, okay," he said, standing next to a nurse.

"Okay, you may go now. Here is your description of her meds. Please take a good rest, miss." A nurse said with a smile.

"Thank you," he said. Leaning forward, pushed the blanket off my body and took off his jacket and covered my lower body and lifted me.

"You don't have to lift me."

"You don't have slippers or shoes on, baby." he walked out from the room and even though it's late at night there are still staff around.

This is embarrassing. I hide my face on his shoulder as I feel the stares burning into my eyes.

-----

I'm stunned as I saw two figures fighting inside Ayden's house. And they both looked at us as soon as we entered. I looked at Ayden who had no reaction and grabbed my hand to walk inside. Then, I glanced at the man who looked burning like hell. But soon, his expression changed and softened when his gaze falls on me.

"Are you okay?" they both us in unison. I feel like I'm about to cry again. They looked so tired and to think they came from their house, it took about four hours to arrive here. And looking at their eyes, swollen and red. It's hurt me a lot. What the hell am I doing, making them worried?

I slowly nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry to make you worry." Jade sighed and Diana hugged me tightly. She cried and bawled her lungs out. And I cried again. Jade just sighed and hugged both of us.

"It's okay, as long as you're fine," Jade said and patted both of our heads. And suddenly I felt I've received another hug from my back, and I looked up. Ayden was smiling widely.

"Ah, someone is jealous, we better let her go, boo," Diana said and let go of me, as she pushed Jade's hands away from me.

Jealous? Who? Him? That is his jealous face?

I looked up and he was still smiling.

"You must be hungry right, I will fix us something so sat down and talk as much as you want. And just stay over tonight, we have a lot of room here. And please tell me if you need any clothes to change. I will prepare it for you two." he said to Jade and Diana in such a monotone voice.

"I'll be right back okay, princess," he said again and went to his kitchen.

Diana smiled widely before she blew her nose with Jade's handkerchief. And Jade sat down and sighed again.

"Sit down, we need to talk." I sat and glanced at his hand. So it was him who made my beautiful boyfriend's face look like that.

"Princess? He called you that?" He asked half-whispered, "Did he has a fetish or something? He has that kind of vibe, a pervert."

Diana burst into laughed, but quickly stopped and looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"I don't know too, he just did, I didn't know why." I said, lightly, "What happened to your hand?" I asked. And he quickly hid his hand, effortlessly. And Diana glared at him and hit his arm hard.

"It was nothing."

"It doesn't look like it's nothing to me." I know, he was the one who was responsible for making my man's beautiful face black and blue.

"It's nothing, Maddie, by the way, how did he get into your house?" he asked harshly. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing too. How?

"My intuition and I have a spare key, Mr. Xavier gave it to me the other day." I glanced at the voice who was still smiling widely. Darling, I know that's your fake smile. "Let's eat. Food is ready."

Ah, I feel so suffocated. Why do they stare at each other intensely?

"Haha, let's eat, then we'll sleep. Okay? Jade? You're hungry right? Jade?" Diana quickly slapped Jade's arm, quite hard, enough to make Jade winced. She glanced at me with a DO SOMETHING message. I mean...what? Your man hurt my man!

But…

"What did you cook?" I stood up slowly. He who has a cold smile turned his head toward me, still with that face.

"Pasta," he said confidently. I walked to the dining table and sat down with an awkward smile. He is so persistent and a man of his word.

"Pfft!!"

The dining room went quiet, and all eyes are on Jade now.

Why is he laughing?

He cleared his throat and sat down.

"Is this carbonara?" Diana asked with a smile. Ayden who sat next to nod, I think he started to feel insecure with his carbonara. He looks stiff.

I took a bite and smiled. Is he trying to boil the milk for bechamel sauce? It does look thicker and creamy but it tastes like milk. He must have forgotten about seasoning.

I glanced at him, frowning when he tasted it.

"Thank you for cooking, it's good," I said and took another bite. I know he's staring at me but I'm hungry and he tried so hard to cook for all of us. I appreciate the effort. And it's edible.

"Is it?" he asked and this time Jade answered him.

"Yeah, it's good. It's not bad, it's edible. Maybe you need to season it with pepper and salt but it's good. Eat your food, Dee." he said without looking and ate the meal in front of him. I glanced at Diana who hadn't touched her food. She smiled faintly and leaned over.

"I'm pregnant right now, and something creamy makes me nauseated. Don't make me wrong but I love carbonara! But right now I feel like I just want some ice cream instead of pasta." she said with an awkward smile.

I gaped, and Jade lost his grip and dropped the spoon. Ayden smiled wider and leaned forward and rested his arms on it.

"Really? How many weeks? I have a lot of ice cream, what kind of ice cream do you crave?"

"Wait! Hold a minute! You're pregnant?" I asked. I looked at Jade who already lost it.

"Yeah? Hmm...I feel like I want pistachio. Do you have them?"

Now Ayden's quiet, leaned back to his chair. He gave her a bitter smile, we don't have pistachio ice cream. I glanced at him and sighed.

"Sorry, Dee. We don't have pistachios, but we can go to the convenience store later. Okay?"

And now Diana smiles.

"Oh. Okay," she said. And the table went quiet again. Jade slowly grabbed her plate and twisted his body toward her.

"Let's eat a little, okay? I'll go grab some ice cream later."

"I said I don't want it. You eat it. I'll wait."

"Just one bite." he keeps persuading.

"I said no!"

Ah...she looks feisty even more than before. I glanced at Ayden who already focused on his meal and I'll just do the same. It feels like watching your parent fought.

And god, it's so awkward. I think I will have indigestion.