Chapter 456 Ordinary Friends
I gripped Edward's trembling shoulders tightly, almost crushing his frail shoulder blades. His body heaved violently under the hospital gown, the fabric soaked with cold sweat clinging to his skin.
When our eyes met, his bloodshot eyes were filled with anxiety and guilt. His murky eyeballs were veined with spiderweb-like red lines, reflecting my tense expression. My throat tightened, and all the words I wanted to say got stuck, unable to come out.
I looked away from Edward's gaze and reached to straighten the crooked pillow. As soon as my fingertips touched the edge, a damp, sticky sensation spread, a trace left by his cold sweat, sending a chill through my fingers.
Trying to appear calm, I returned to the table and picked up an apple from the fruit basket. The knife slowly rotated against the apple's skin, the peel falling into the porcelain plate in tight spirals. As the knife tip sliced through the last bit of peel, I remembered Edward's bloodied appearance in the emergency room, and my wrist jerked, the blade leaving a white mark on my fingertip. Blood quickly seeped out, forming a bead at the tip.
"The most dangerous person right now is you."
I looked down at my bleeding finger, forcing myself to speak, my voice trembling uncontrollably.
"You have to cooperate with the treatment. We haven't finished what we started; you can't fall now."
Lila silently adjusted Edward's IV drip rate, her gaze intensely focused on the infusion tube. Then, she carefully placed a cooling patch on Edward's forehead, her movements stiff, her eyes behind the glasses filled with worry. "Diana's right. You can't even sit up straight, let alone protect anyone. Stop pushing yourself."
Edward's fingers weakly searched the bedsheet, and just before he closed his eyes, he used all his strength to hook my pinky. His fingers were pale and cold, the tips unnaturally white, but the faint grip made my breath catch, my eyes instantly hot. "Promise me, don't take any more risks."
Edward's voice was choked with emotion, a tear slowly seeping from the corner of his eye, sliding down his pale cheek into his ear.
"Funny how someone wanted Diana to go to Anne's room."
Lila sounded a bit annoyed.
Edward's tense body suddenly relaxed, collapsing heavily onto the pillow. His lips moved, his voice barely audible.
"Diana, I'm sorry."
Seeing Edward in such a pitiful state, I felt an indescribable sadness.
The rain had stopped at some point, droplets on the glass sliding down to form small puddles on the windowsill. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, slanting into the room, casting tiny specks of light. The damp wind carried the scent of soil and grass into the room, rustling the medical records by the bed, making a soft rustling sound. I looked at Edward's furrowed brow, worn out from exhaustion and pain, and carefully placed his hand back under the blanket. Touching his cold fingers, a resolve formed within me; no matter what, I would stay by his side.
"Mr. Howard is out of danger."
A hoarse male voice broke the silence like ice shattering in a deep pool. I looked up to see a man in a navy jacket flashing his badge at me, the metal emblem reflecting the scar by his eye.
"I'm Detective Daryl Fields from the city police."
The beeping of the heart monitor suddenly became piercing. Edward's eyelids fluttered open, his bloodshot eyes veined with red. His fingers twitched slightly under the blanket, and I instinctively pressed down on his hand, feeling his rapid pulse like a frightened drumbeat.
Lila's gaze shifted between Daryl's badge and the weak Edward on the bed. She took a deep breath, her lips forming a pale line.
"Since the police are here, I should go."
As she stood, the chair scraped the floor with a sharp, grating sound. Lila's movements were stiff and mechanical as she bent to pick up her coat, her back nearly straight, every joint seeming frozen.
I followed her to the door, the strong smell of disinfectant mixed with distant chatter hitting us. Lila casually draped her coat over her shoulder, leaning forward and lowering her voice to a whisper.
"Call me anytime if anything happens."
Her eyes quickly scanned the room, her voice dropping even lower.
"Especially about that night..."
"I understand."
I grasped Lila's wrist, forcing a smile, but the coldness in my palm was piercing, feeling her veins tremble violently under her skin.
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the corner. Two men in black trench coats appeared at the end of the hallway. One had a neck tattoo that flickered with his steps, his cold gaze locking onto us. Lila followed my gaze to the men, her face instantly losing color. Her body stiffened, her nails digging into my wrist. She quickly pulled out a spare phone from her bag, unlocking it and showing me the new number.
"Only you know this number. Don't tell anyone. Contact me immediately if anything happens."
Watching Lila's cautious instructions, I was filled with confusion. Maybe it was just routine police questioning, why be so tense? Daryl also noticed Lila's unusual behavior.
"Miss, please stay."
Daryl's voice carried a deliberate pause, his tone pressing with an undeniable force.
Lila had no choice but to stop, turning to face Daryl with a smile.
Daryl squinted at Lila, the scar by his eye twisting slightly with the movement.
"Can you explain your relationship with the injured?"
Lila adjusted her glasses, her fingers pausing on the frame for half a second. She looked down at her fingers tangled in the bag strap, her Adam's apple moving lightly.
"Just friends."
Her voice was calm as usual, but she emphasized "just friends."
"I heard he was hospitalized, so I came to check on him."
The beeping of the heart monitor grew clearer, Edward's IV drip slowly falling one drop at a time.
The metal pen cap tapped crisply on the notebook. Daryl frowned, his page-turning paused, the pen tip hovering over the paper.
"Waiting until the injured was out of danger to leave?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Daryl stepped forward, the wind from his navy jacket sweeping past the bed rail. Lila's back instantly straightened but quickly relaxed, her clenched fist pressing wrinkles into her bag, then releasing, her tone steady as usual.
"Just a coincidence."
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