Chapter 312: Wife, I’ll Hold You When I’m Better
Wren Sutton’s heart pounded at Adrian Lancaster’s words. Forcing herself to stay calm, she tried to put on a stern expression.
She reached out and gave his arm, which was lying outside the covers, a light tap.
"The fever must be making you delirious. I was just giving you a sponge bath to bring your temperature down. I didn’t have any other intentions, so how was I teasing you?"
After speaking, Wren stood up, ready to take the basin of water away.
She had just turned around, but before she could pick it up, a scalding hot hand clasped her wrist.
"..."
Adrian Lancaster wasn’t using much force. It was a light, loose hold, one that carried the characteristic weakness and clinginess of someone who was sick.
"Honey, I wasn’t talking nonsense."
His voice was low and hoarse, every word heavy with a nasal tone, yet it carried an undeniable seriousness.
"If it were anyone else giving me a sponge bath, I’d feel incredibly awkward and repulsed. I’d want to get away immediately."
"It’s only when you touch me that I feel at ease."
"Is that so?" Wren raised an eyebrow, teasing him for a change. "But I seem to recall ’a certain someone’ asking for a maid to do it, right before I started."
"..." Adrian’s expression became instantly complex. The affectionate look in his eyes vanished, and his face fell, making him look just like a large dog that had been snubbed by its owner.
He opened his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he scrambled to explain.
But before he could form the words, Wren had already pulled her wrist free, picked up the basin, and walked into the bathroom.
Adrian turned on his side, staring toward the bathroom as he mentally rehearsed the words he hadn’t managed to say.
He took Wren’s teasing to heart. He would explain everything to her properly when she came out, making sure there was no misunderstanding.
Soon, the bathroom door pushed open, and Wren walked out. She radiated an unconcealable exhaustion, her steps so unsteady she almost seemed to float.
After spending a day and a night at the hospital, she had come home only to take care of Adrian. Her nerves had been stretched taut the entire time, and she was truly exhausted.
Wren didn’t look at Adrian on the bed, nor did she say a word. She walked straight over to the sofa in the bedroom.
She collapsed onto it, closed her eyes, and fell asleep in less than a minute, her breathing soft and even.
Watching her curled-up form on the sofa, all the explanations Adrian had prepared got stuck in his throat, transforming into an overwhelming ache of compassion.
’Honey, this has been so hard on you. When I’m well again, I promise I’ll make it up to you.’
The window was open a crack, letting in a noticeable chill.
Worried Wren would get cold, Adrian forced himself out of bed. He padded barefoot across the floor to the wardrobe, opened the door, and pulled out a soft, clean wool blanket.
He moved very quietly, trying not to make a sound for fear of waking Wren.
Then, Adrian turned and walked toward the sofa.
He unfolded the blanket and gently draped it over Wren, carefully tucking it in around her from her shoulders to her waist, then down to her ankles. He wrapped her up snugly, ensuring she would stay warm as she slept.
Once he was done, Adrian didn’t immediately return to bed. Instead, he crouched in front of the sofa, gazing fondly at Wren’s peaceful sleeping face, his eyes swirling with intense love and a deep, aching tenderness.
’How he longed to pull her into his arms and let her rest against his chest as she slept.’
’He wanted even more to lean down and kiss her eyes, her cheeks, and tell her how much his heart ached for her, how grateful he was for her unwavering devotion.’
But the hand he started to raise froze abruptly in mid-air.
’I’m still running a fever. I’m sick. If I get too close, I’ll get her sick too.’
The thought made Adrian snatch his hand back, his knuckles tightening slightly. All he could do was trace Wren’s outline with a gaze that was both gentle and restrained.
’I’ll hold you again when I’m better, Honey.’
His legs grew numb from squatting, so Adrian simply sat down on the floor, like a silent and gentle guardian.
The high fever made his temples throb, and waves of weakness washed over him, but he didn’t have the slightest desire to move.
In her sleep, Wren’s brow furrowed slightly. She unconsciously snuggled deeper into the blanket, like a small kitten seeking warmth.
The sight made Adrian’s heart soften and ache at the same time, guilt and compassion tangling together into a tight knot.
’I’m supposed to be her rock, but instead, I’m the one tiring her out like this.’
He thought about how Wren had spent a day and a night watching over Isla Griffith at the hospital, only to come back and force herself to take his temperature and give him a sponge bath to cool him down.
He desperately wished this sickness would vanish instantly so she wouldn’t have to endure another moment of exhaustion on his behalf.
A short while later, a soft knock came from the door.
Adrian’s heart tightened. He knew it was Dr. Foster. His first reaction wasn’t fear of getting an injection, but fear that the noise would wake Wren.