Chapter 47. Awkward

LEO

Following the doctor’s instructions, I ran to the bathroom, grabbed a fresh towel, filled a bowl with water that was neither cold nor hot, and hurried back to her room.

She hadn’t moved—still curled slightly, her face flushed, her lips parted as if every breath took effort.

“Charlotte,” I murmured, kneeling by her side. “I need you to stay strong for me, just a little.”

Her eyelids fluttered, heavy and reluctant.

A faint whimper escaped her, and it felt like someone had driven a needle straight into my chest.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” I whispered, wringing out the towel and pressing it gently against her forehead.

She murmured something inaudible.

“The doctor is on his way, it will be fine,” I whispered again.

I wiped her arms, her neck, her temples.

Each time the towel passed over her, I could feel her muscles twitch beneath my touch, her body caught between heat and shivers.

How long has she been down with this fev