Chapter 10
(ARIELLE’S POV)
+25 Bonus
I looked up to stare at the person I had bumped into. It turned out to be a young man, and in the fleeting moment I looked at his face, I couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was. His eyes were a drowning emerald green, and his features, chiseled and rugged, left me momentarily speechless.
I shook my head, snapping out of the spellbound. “I’m so sorry,” I quickly began to apologize.
My eyes darted a short–distance away, and I saw a phone lying on the floor. “Is that your phone?” I asked, not waiting for an answer as I scurried towards it, picked it up, and handed it back to him. “Fortunately, no harm was done to the phone. I’m sorry again.”
All this while, the young man had not uttered a word. And when he finally did, he had an amused smile on. “No need to apologize, really. I should be the one apologizing.”
I shook my head, “No, I was the one who wasn’t looking and bumped into you.”
He chuckled softly, the sound low and warm. “Then let’s call it even. I wasn’t paying attention either.”
I couldn’t help but smile, caught off guard by how effortlessly charming he seemed. He extended his hand. “Dwayne, by the way.”
Just as I reached out to shake his hand, Ashley’s voice called out, cutting through the moment. “Arielle, where have you been? I told you I’d be right back after the call!”
I withdrew my hand quickly, giving Dwayne an apologetic look before turning to Ashley. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wander off.”
Dwayne’s gaze lingered on me, his smile not fading. “That was Jared Smith in that garden, right?”
Yeah, with his best friend. I held that sentence back but nodded, a bit surprised he recognized Jared, but that’s not a rare thing since Jared is quite famous in New York city.
I hesitated, “Um, do you come here for him?”
He smiled, “No. I just had a feeling that you and me, we’d cross paths again.”
His words struck me, but before I could respond, Ashley pulled me along. “Come on, we need to go.”
As I walked away, I cast a glance back at Dwayne. He stood there, watching me with a gentle yet unreadable expression.
Chapter 10
+25 Bonus
Ashley gave me a curious look. “Who was that alluring fox?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her choice of words–classic Ashley. Shaking my head, I replied, ” Just a weirdo I bumped into.”
She laughed, giving me a teasing nudge. “Really? Isn’t it always the case that the hottest guys are the craziest? Total package.”
I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “I don’t know about all that.”
Ashley raised an eyebrow, her playful grin returning. “So… do you still want to explore the garden?”
I thought of it, but the image of Jared and Sofia conversing flashed in my mind, and I quickly shook my head. I would rather not bump into them again. “No, I’m tired. I need to rest.”
“That’s right. Let’s head back inside,” she said and led me back to my hospital room. We got inside, and she helped me into bed.
“Try to rest, okay?”
I nodded, but the images of Jared and Sofia in the garden alone kept blocking my vision, making me restless.
The thoughts of what they could be doing or saying wouldn’t leave me, and I didn’t realize I was tossing on the bed until Ashley’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Are you okay, Arielle. You seem restless, should I get the doctor?”
“I’m fine –”
“No, you’re not. Did something happen in the garden while I was answering the call?”
“No, nothing happened,” I quickly said, trying to brush it off. I can’t tell her I saw Jared and Sofia in the garden.
“Why do I feel like –” Ashley made to say, but the door swung open, and the doctor Wade walked in, an interruption I was grateful for because I didn’t have the strength for Ashley’s interrogation.
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