All Chapters of Love Me Like A Champion : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter Twenty Two: Reckless decisionThe private hospital room was quiet. The machines beside Wendy’s bed hummed softly, steady and indifferent. The curtains were half drawn, letting in pale afternoon light that flattened everything into muted shades.Wendy lay propped against white pillows, an oxygen tube resting beneath her nose. Her hair was brushed back from her face, though it still looked damp at the edges. A faint bruise colored her cheekbone where it had struck the tile during the chaos at the pool. Her skin looked too pale against the sheets.Xander sat beside her, elbows on his knees, hands clasped loosely as if he did not trust them to stay steady. He had not changed clothes. His shirt was wrinkled and still faintly marked from where he had held her.Greg stood by the window, staring out at nothing in particular, phone in hand, though he had not made a single call in the last ten minutes.Wendy blinked slowly and turned her head toward Xander. “You look terrible,” she murm

Chapter Twenty Four: Unlikely CareFreya tilted her head slightly as he took a step back, her arms crossed over a small bouquet of flowers and a paper bag.“Freya,” Xander said cautiously, eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”She raised the flowers and bag with an almost teasing tilt. “I brought Wendy something. Flowers, chocolates. Thought she might like it.”Xander blinked. “Since when do you care about my family?” His tone was sharp but curious, a mixture of suspicion and surprise.Freya exhaled slowly, one shoulder lifting. “I was… worried. She’s in a hospital, Xander. People don’t usually try to drown themselves for fun.”He studied her, noting the faint softness in her eyes. He had not expected concern. “Wendy won’t like this. It’s… not advisable you stay here.”Her gaze lingered on him, then slowly she nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly, turning toward the hospital entrance.Xander hesitated, then called after her. “I can drop you home.”Freya paused mid-step, then turned,

Chapter Twenty Six: Nowhere to GoFreya stood across the street long after the machines had gone quiet.The crowd that had gathered earlier had thinned out, leaving behind only silence and scattered conversations in the distance.She wiped her face with the back of her hand, but the tears did not stop.Her bag hung loosely from her shoulder. It was all she had managed to grab. She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to move.Standing there would not change anything.She turned away and began walking down the street, her steps unsteady but determined. The neighborhood around her was familiar. She had lived there long enough to recognize faces, routines, doors that opened and closed at certain hours.People who had seen her before. People who might help.She approached the first house she could think of, a small white building with a narrow porch. The woman who lived there had once borrowed sugar from her.Freya knocked.The door opened after a few seconds. The woman stood there, her expres

Chapter Twenty Eight: Terms of StaySteam still clung faintly to the air when Freya stepped out of the bathroom, her damp hair falling loosely over her shoulders. The oversized shirt she wore hung past her thighs, the sleeves swallowing her hands slightly. The shorts he had given her sat low on her hips, secured only by the tight pull of the drawstring. She paused just inside the room, unsure of herself. Xander stood by the dresser, plugging in the hair dryer. He glanced up at her, his expression briefly unreadable, then softened slightly. “Sit.”She hesitated.“Freya,” he said, less patient this time.She walked over and sat on the edge of the chair near the vanity, her movements slower than usual. The tray of food he had brought in sat on the small table beside her. She picked at it at first, cautious, then hunger took over. Within seconds, she was eating properly, no longer concerned with appearances.Xander stepped behind her and switched on the dryer. Warm air filled the space

Chapter Thirty: Midnight cries Freya sat on the narrow bed in the staff quarters, her back resting against the wall. The room was small. Clean, but small. A single bed, a desk pushed into the corner. It was better than she expected. Better than where she was coming from. Her hands rested loosely in her lap. The uniform was still on her body, though she had loosened the collar slightly. Her hair had fallen out of its neat tie, strands slipping around her face.She stared ahead. For a long time, she did not move. Then she let out a breath that came out uneven.Freya pressed her lips together, trying to steady herself. She shifted slightly on the bed, sitting straighter, as if posture alone could hold her together.Her shoulders dropped.Her eyes burned, but she blinked quickly, forcing it back.“No,” she whispered to herself.She inhaled slowly, trying to regain control. Tried to think of something else. The events of the past day did not come all at once. They slipped in, piece by p