Chapter 293 Eight Times I Love You
A night passed, filled with unspoken words and a silence that spoke volumes.
Jennifer indulged in a profound slumber, awakening at eight o'clock with a replenished vitality. The exhaustion of the past few days seemed to have melted away, leaving her feeling refreshed and revitalized. While retrieving breakfast for James, several individuals commented on the resplendent aura that appeared to emanate from her.
James, too, felt a change. His injuries, though still present, no longer held him captive with the same intensity. He could move with greater ease, his body slowly regaining its strength. The energy that had been so cruelly sapped from him was returning, a slow but steady trickle that filled him with cautious hope.
The scars, however, remained. The ones marring his body were one thing, but the ones etched upon his face... Those were a constant, horrifying reminder of the ordeal he had endured.
Jennifer, to his surprise, seemed to have accepted Harmony's presence without a word of protest. The two women had fallen into an easy routine, taking turns caring for him, even splitting the night shifts between them.
He had protested, of course, but his objections were brushed aside with a gentle but firm resolve. He couldn't understand it. Was Jennifer truly so trusting? So, unconcerned about the possibility of him developing feelings for Harmony? Or was there something else at play, something he couldn't quite grasp?
Adding to his confusion was Harmony's...unusual behavior. When it was her turn to care for him, she became a different person. Her usual confident, even brash demeanor would vanish, replaced by a strange, almost childlike shyness that felt utterly out of character.
Like now, as she attempted to spoon-feed him, her hand trembling slightly, her voice a soft, breathy whisper. Twice now, she had missed his mouth entirely, sending the food dribbling down his chin and onto the sheets.
"Honestly, Harmony, I can do it myself," he said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. If this kept up, he was going to die of embarrassment, if not starvation.
"You're still not fully recovered," she insisted, shaking her head. She leaned closer, her face inches from his, her voice barely audible. "Come on, James. Open wide."
He flinched, a wave of discomfort washing over him. "Harmony, please... Just talk normally. This... This act you're putting on... It's weird, okay? It makes me uncomfortable."
Why did she do this? This wasn't the Harmony he knew, the woman who faced down boardrooms and negotiated million-dollar deals with a steely glint in her eye.
His words had an immediate effect. The gentle facade crumbled, her expression hardening, her jaw clenching. For a brief moment, the real Harmony flickered through, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and hurt.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, composing herself. Upon reopening them, the recipient was graced with a sweet and tender smile; however, this expression of warmth did not entirely extend to her eyes. "How about this? Better?"
He sighed, feeling a strange mix of frustration and pity. "Harmony, you really don't have to do this. I appreciate the concern, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
She paused, her gaze dropping to her lap, her breathing becoming shallow and uneven.
He watched her, his own emotions a tangled mess. He had been meaning to talk to her, to address the elephant in the room, but the opportunity had never seemed to present itself.
Finally, she spoke, her voice low and hesitant. "I... I have nothing else to do. And this way... Jennifer can get some rest. She needs it."
Her words were reasonable and logical, but he could hear the tremor in her voice, the unspoken plea beneath the surface.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Harmony... This... Us... It's not going to happen. You need to accept that. Staying here, hovering over me... It's not going to change anything. It'll only make it harder for you in the long run."
Her body stiffened, her eyes widening with a mixture of pain and disbelief. "Do you...do you hate me that much? That you can't even bear to have me care for you?"
He met her gaze, his expression softening. "No, Harmony. I don't hate you. But what you're feeling... It's not real. It's the trauma, the grief... You're looking for something, someone to fill the void left by Jared. And that's not fair, to you or to me."
Silence descended upon the room, heavy and suffocating.
It stretched on, an eternity passing in the space of a heartbeat before Harmony finally broke the stalemate. A bright, brittle smile spread across her face. "A replacement for Jared? Is that what you think this is, James? That I see you as some sort of...substitute?"
He hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Aren't you?"
"No!" The word exploded from her lips, raw and full of emotion. She slammed the tray down on the bedside table, her movements jerky and uncoordinated. And then, before he could react, she was upon him.
She cupped his face in her hands, her fingers digging into his skin, her eyes boring into his, a strange intensity burning within their depths.
"What are you doing?" he gasped, trying to pull away, but her grip was surprisingly strong.
"Don't you dare move," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
He froze, fear warring with confusion. What was she playing at? Was this some sort of twisted game? "Harmony, don't do anything stupid. I'm injured, remember?"
Her lips curved into a slow, seductive smile, the mask of the timid caregiver falling away completely, revealing the woman he knew lurked beneath. The real Harmony.
"Listen to me, James," she said, her voice husky with emotion. "I love you. And it has nothing to do with Jared."
He stared at her, his mind reeling. This... This couldn't be happening.
"I love you," she repeated, her gaze unwavering. "And it has nothing to do with Jennifer. Nothing to do with your appearance. It's you, James. Your character, your humor, your spirit, your sense of responsibility, your strength... I love all of it. Even if we're not meant to be, even if it's hopeless... I will always love you. I don't need to possess you, James. I just... I just want a chance to be near you, to protect you. Is that... Is that too much to ask?"
Her words, spoken with such raw honesty, such vulnerability, struck him with the force of a physical blow. He had never, in all the time he had known her, seen her like this. So open, so exposed.
He didn't know what to say and how to respond.
As if sensing his turmoil, she released him, her hand trembling slightly as she picked up the tray of food once more. She resumed feeding him, her touch gentle, her gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the walls of the hospital room.
That night, Harmony stayed by his side, but she didn't try to share his bed. Instead, she had a folding bed brought in, positioning it next to his, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her presence.
As he lay there, the events of the day replaying in his mind, he felt a presence near him. He turned his head, his gaze drawn to the window. Arianwen stood perched on a branch of the ancient oak tree outside, her silhouette framed against the moonlight and her eyes deep and unblinking, watching over him.
He closed his eyes, exhaustion finally claiming him, but sleep, when it came, was filled with unsettling dreams.
He woke to the sound of voices, the feeling of someone gently shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Harmony, but it wasn't her.
It was Dennis, his face a mixture of relief and concern, and beside him, her eyes red-rimmed and her expression etched with worry, stood Kaitlyn.
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