Page 36 of One Last Wish

“You’re as white as a ghost!”

“Ialwayslook that way,” I pointed out, trying to make a joke out of it. I hated all this fuss.

“Get in the damn cab, Alora,” Evelyn ordered, rolling her eyes.

We got back to the apartment quickly. Honestly, my roommate mothered me too much. Once she’d finished making me soup and tucked me into my bed, I was finally left alone. I wasn’t someone that had ever needed looking after.

Everyone from work had messaged, wishing me a speedy recovery. All I had done was pass out. It wasn’t like I’d been to the hospital and had a kidney out or something.

Looking at Theo’s latest message, I frowned.

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THEO: DARCE DIDN’Tcome in today. Have you heard from him?

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ALORA: NO, I ACTUALLYdon’t have his number.

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THEO: REALLY? I THOUGHTyou guys were close?

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IWASN’T EVEN GOINGto answer that. Darce would get in touch at some point...but we hadn’t exactly ended on a good note last night. No, I wasn’t chasing after him. Darce was the one closing himself off! He could come to me!

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“DO YOU NEED ANYTHING?” Evelyn asked a few hours later. She was taking a few days off from college to look after me. “A drink? Food? Someone totalkto?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Did the doctors say anything about your brain scan?” How did she know about that? “I heard them talking when Darce and I brought you in.” They hadn’t found anything, but I wasn’t telling her that.

“Wait?Darcebrought me in?”

“Yeah, when I messaged him, he was only a block away. I’d never seen a guy so distraught when he found you lying there, motionless. You were breathing, at least, so that was good. He wouldn’t even wait for an ambulance. He carried you to a cab and stroked your hair the entire time until we got to the hospital. That guy isdefinitelyinterested in you!”

“What?T...Th...None of that makes sense!”

“I messaged Theo for Darce’s number. I gathered that if he was the reason you’d blacked out, you’d want to see him when you woke up. I had to tell Theo what had happened. He rushed to the hospital and arrived an hour after Darce and I got there.” Wait? Did Evelyn have Darce’s number? “We were all worried about you, but Darce, well, he was all over the place. What is going on with the two of you? And don’t bullshit me this time!”

“I have no idea. He keeps pulling away from me. It’s been a month and I hardly know anything about him. It’s driving me insane!”

“Well, I’m telling you, he’s crazy about you. I could see it in his eyes.”

“Do you have his number?” Evelyn widened her eyes at me in shock. “Iworkwith him. I haven’t needed his number until now.”

“Okay, maybe you can finally sort this crap out between the two of you.” Evelyn gave me his number, and left me in peace to message him.

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ALORA: THEO SAID YOU’REnot at work today?

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IKEPT THE MESSAGEsimple and waited for his reply. By late evening, I was still waiting, and I’d had enough of checking my phone. Frustrated, I turned my lamp off before pulling the duvet around me.Prick!

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