Page 38 of Arden and the Girl Downstairs

Dammit. I do not need to fall apart in front of Arden.

Stupid anaesthetic.

Stupid pain killers.

Making me all emotional and crap.

Rhys is hesitant to leave. I look at Arden again and he’s glancing between me and his best friend. His confused expression quickly turns to one of uncertainty; he didn’t know Rhys and I were friends.

Rhys leans down to give me a quick but gentle hug and whispers in my ear, “Are you sure? I can make him leave. Now probably isn’t a good time to have this conversation.”

I blink back the tears as Rhys talks. I didn’t realise just how much he cares for me until now.

I nod again and whisper back, “I’m sure. Stay close though. I may take you up on your offer to throw him out.”

He lets out a soft chuckle. “I’ll be right outside. Call out pineapple and I’ll come back in.”

His low voice is right next to my ear, ensuring no one else in the room hears our conversation.

“Pineapple?” I whisper, utterly confused. What kind of safe word is that?

“Arden’s afraid of pineapples.”

His response makes me laugh, and I wince in pain. He catches my reaction and leans over to press the button on my morphine drip. “If you’re having this conversation, let’s make you as comfortable as possible.”

Before he even finishes speaking, I can feel the effects of the pain relief.

Oh, this will not end well.

Arden

Rhys finally moves away from Ella, and I can see she’s on the verge of tears. I’m pissed. What the hell is going on between those two? I know Rhys is with Ashley and has feelings for Ally, but the jealousy is still there. How did I miss this?

More so,whendid they become so close?

Yasmin gives me a hug on her way out the door. “Be gentle, please. She may not look it, but she’s fragile right now.”

I glance down at her and nod my understanding. All this pressure from everyone makes me nervous. Will they forgive me if I screw this up?

Yes, but that’s because I’m family. My gut tells me it won’t be as simple as that, though. Ella seems to have worked her way into everyone’s hearts.

Including mine.

When Rhys and Yasmin finally leave and close the door, I stand there and stare at her.

It’s like I’m seeing her for the first time.

She’s beautiful, even in her current condition.

Her bright blue eyes are glassy with tears, and her blonde hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun with a purple scrunchie holding it together. Her face is pale—my guess is from the surgery. She’s tucked in under the hospital blanket, but she looks so small and fragile right now. Yasmin was right.

Her eyes drift shut, the pain relief pulling her under, so I decide to wait. Moving silently across the room, I sit in the chair beside her bed and watch her.

It takes everything in me not to reach out and hold her hand. I want to touch her, comfort her, and take care of her.

But if I’ve learned anything about Ella, it’s that she won’t let me look after her without a fight. She’s one of the most independent women I’ve met.

I don’t know her complete story. But I want to.

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