CHAPTER 14: I CAN BE THE SHOULDER YOU CAN LEAN ON
“You are my work,” he says and I facepalmed myself because why does my perverted brain always twist any words this grey eyes man always says?
“I mean you can call Tara to help me instead of you staying here”.
“Are you chasing me away?” Bradley says and I can’t help but be surprised at how narrow-minded he thinks I am worried about him but he thinks I am chasing him away since he is not ready to leave. I will accommodate him then.
“Are you feeling hungry now, I will ask Miss Peller to make you something” he says but I thought he asked me if I was hungry and if shouldn’t he wait for me to answer before making the call I decided not to say anything because it’s like all energy is drained out of my body but I won’t accommodate any of his injustice against me again, I thought making a mental note about that.
After he made the call to the kitchen he sat down beside my bed looking at me and that makes me awkward but I decided to close my eyes because looking into the handsome Bradley Hale’s gray eyes was a temptation that you will have you use all your body will fight against.
“Do you want to say anything?” I heard him ask and I peeked at him because I still don’t want to look at him.
“I thought you hate silence and now that you are sick I think you will not like this absolute silence” he explained. I wondered how he knows I hate silence so much but I brushed that suspicion off as always because I don’t want to think about it.
“My experience with you already taught me to keep my silence with you because every word I say may be used against me,” I say Bradley burst into laughter immediately and I wondered if I was just saying anything funny.
“You are amusing Gina,” he says and I noticed he has been calling me informally even though they say I have a fever and my body is also depleted of energy but I think I need to address this.
“Are we on the first name calling Mr. Hale?”.
“I think you should be concerned about your health, you should focus on recovering first,” he said, patting my head. I think there are many things we will be addressing when I get better.
We hear a knock on the door and Tara brings in a tray with her, she gives the tray to Bradley but I still don’t see anything wrong with it before she excused herself.
“Open up” I heard Bradley saying and I saw him blowing on the porridge in his hands.
“Are you going to feed me?” I asked not believing what was happening.
“Yes, you can’t use your hand yet”.
“I hurt my left hand not my right hand,” I say, raising my good hand.
“oh I thought you are lefty,” he says scratching his head and I think I have seen enough of the flustered side of Bradley Hale in just the few days I have known him.
I collected the spoon from him and a small table was placed on the bed so I could easily eat from my bowl. I started blowing on my hot porridge before eating. When I tasted the porridge I thought it was going to be some bland porridge but it was so tasty that I forget that someone is with me until I felt a cold hand touch the side of my mouth cleaning some slurped porridge from it and I felt so embarrassed because I feel all my ladylike image is ruined already.
“You have something on your lips that’s it,” he says and I nodded my head at him. I have to use my lips to clean where he touched it because it feels so hot from the touch even though his hand was cold.
“Thanks,” I say slowly. After I finished my porridge Bradley cleared away the bowl and set it aside.
“Did you need anything else?” he asked but I shook my head.
“But can I ask you a question,” I asked and I felt so tired just saying that I think this is the after-effects of the surgery that I didn’t-feel yesterday
“Yes you can,” he says nodding his head and giving me a go-ahead sign.
“How bad is my scandal now,” I say, withdrawing my eyes from him because I don’t want to see any pity look in his eyes.
“As I said earlier you have to focus on your recovery for now”.
“But I want to know, I think I have the right to know”.
“You have been showing a nonchalant attitude about it since yesterday, why are you curious now,” he asked me, squinting his eyes.
“Maybe I am still in denial that all I have achieved and the name that I have made for myself can go down the drain because of just one scandal, “I say in a pained, tired voice.
“Aren’t you tired out of it?” Bradley asked and I raised my eyebrow asking him what he meant and he continued. “Aren’t you tired of being on the screen”?
“I am going to tell you how being on screen has impacted my life when I recover so, don’t think I am tired of it, “I say with a longing expression remembering my glorious days.
“Your scandal has gone from bad to worse,” he says frankly.
“I thought as much but I don’t think it will be still like that because the police released a statement already,” I say not believing that the effect is still that much.
“Ohh that post was deleted in an hour,” he says and I can’t believe it because why will the police take down that post if it clicks . It must have been that spoiled young master and I can’t help but feel so angry.
“You don’t have to be angry, I will be angry on your behalf, you just have to focus on getting better for now”.
“Why are you going to be angry on my behalf,” I asked and he looked away from me. “I asked you a question, Mr. Hale”.
“Why don’t you want me to help you,” he asked and I noticed that he is trying to avoid my eyes. I feel there is more to his kindness towards me and I decided to clarify my suspicion this time.
“I mean why would you want to help me when we just met a few days ago through an accident”.
“I am helping you because it’s you,” he says and that is the clarification that I need.
“Did you know me, Mr. Hale”…