28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jaylen
N ever in my life have I found myself captivated by another person, yet here I am, lying in my bed, surrounded by silence, and watching Rory as she reads on her Kindle beside me.
The sweets she brought into the room are long gone, and the darkness outside has swamped the city.
The lamp in the room casts a glow across the both of us, highlighting the different shades of brown than run through her hair, and the faint smattering of freckles that dust her skin.
She's gorgeous, and my eyes eat up every inch of her while she's distracted by the device in her hands.
It's fascinating watching the subtle reactions she has while reading.
The small quirk of her lips and the quiet giggle she lets out whenever she finds something funny is adorable and I find a smile appearing on my own face every time.
Whenever she reads something upsetting, her brows draw down in a frown and she'll glance away from the screen to look out the window for a few moments as if the events in the book are getting a little bit too much for her to continue without having a break.
I've asked her a couple of times if she's okay, and she just nods, takes a deep breath and then dives straight back into the book .
I feel like the book is definitely getting to her a little bit though, because the longer I watch her, the more tears I can see gathering in her eyes, and the more she keeps blinking, trying to get rid of them.
When I notice her chin begin to tremble, I reach my arm out, rest it on her shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze.
"You good?" I ask, feeling a turmoil of emotions swarm inside of me when she swipes her hands across her eyes and then turns to face me.
"Yeah, it's just hitting me harder than I expected."
"Okay, why don't you take a little break from it then?" I suggest, rubbing my thumb against her, hoping it's somewhat comforting.
"But I can tell it's getting to a good part," she says, glancing at the screen. "Although it is getting late. I should probably be heading out soon."
"You can stay for a little while longer though, right?"
I can hear the desperation in my voice, but I can't find it in me to care or be embarrassed by it, because I don't want her to leave.
"I'll stay and read for a bit longer."
I've gotten so used to her presence beside me every night when I go to sleep, that I hate it now when she's not here.
When she had the day off, I missed her, obviously, and she was on my mind the whole time, but I was fine because I had distractions, but as soon as night-time rolled around, the loneliness hit me like a ton of bricks.
I didn't realise how used to her I was until that night.
I struggled to sleep, wondering if she was okay, and what she was doing.
The silence of the hospital was harrowing when I was alone, but when she was by my side, it was peaceful .
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, her attention on me now instead of the Kindle in her hands.
"You," I tell her, honestly. "Always you."
Her cheeks grow red underneath the light from the lamp and she glances away from me as a shy smile takes over her face.
I smirk at her reaction to my words.
Knowing that she's going to have to go soon, I move around in the hospital bed until I'm comfy, readying myself for sleep because I don't want to still be awake when she has to leave.
My eyes never stray from her face, admiring her as she loses herself in a fictional world.