28|Breathless

~Benny~

Inside the bathroom, I stared at my reflection. Dark circles framed my eyes, the result of my sleepless nights. My hands, gripping the edge of the counter, kept trembling. My skin was as pale as paper. I nibbled my lip, hoping to draw some colors back to it.

There was no use in hiding my fear from Kai. I asked him to wait in my room while I freshened up. I don’t want to be alone.

‘Will he stay with me for the night? What about tomorrow? Can I ask that from him?’

I pulled the white robe closer to my body, tightened the belt, and stepped out of the bathroom. The bedside lamp cast pale warm light inside the room. Kai stood by the French door, peeking at the gaps in the thick light green drapes.

He offered a gentle smile. “Hey.”

“Hi.” I sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing my arms. It was room temperature, but my toes were as cold as ice. I rubbed my feet together, providing much-needed warmth. “Thank you for waiting.”

He nodded, closing the curtains. “Don’t worry about it. Listen,