I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 323

I dreamed of Horace falling from the bridge to save me. I had collapsed on the pavement, overcome with grief, and when I woke up, Steven was sitting by my bed, holding my hand tightly.

He reeked of stale smoke, as if he’d chain-smoked an entire carton. When he saw my eyes flutter open, his darkened gaze lit up with concern.

“You’re finally awake. Are you hungry? Does it hurt anywhere? Should I call a doctor?”

Drenched in a cold sweat, I was too disoriented to notice anything wrong with my body. A wave of panic washed over me, my face deathly pale. “Steven,” I asked, my voice trembling, “where’s Horace? How is he?”

Steven’s grip on my hand tightened. His handsome face was pale as he pursed his lips. “They’re still searching. No news yet. Are you thirsty? Are you feeling sick?”

Something in his expression was wrong. My heart hammered against my ribs, and my eyes locked onto his. Tears began to stream down my face, my chest constricting with a terrible, knife-sharp fear.

The moments before I blacked out replayed in my mind like a film, each frame searing itself into my memory: Horace pushing me away, Horace falling before my very eyes. I saw it all with horrifying clarity.

I wasn’t a fool. From that height, after a crash that violent, his chances of survival were almost nonexistent. But I was desperately clinging to denial, refusing to hear the worst.

“Oh… okay,” I stammered. “Then I’ll help look for him. We can’t waste any time. The more people searching, the better. I have to find him…”

I tried to sit up, to get out of bed, but I was suddenly aware of how light my body felt, how it ached as if it were about to split in two. I glanced down, but Steven’s hands were already on my shoulders, gently pushing me back onto the pillows.

My eyes widened in horror. My breath hitched. In disbelief, I brought a hand to my flat stomach.

My baby…

“That’s enough, Zephyra,” Steven said, his voice strained with restraint. Veins bulged on his forehead as his face grew darker, his eyes fixed on mine. “You almost bled to death, do you understand? You were unconscious for three days, and the first thing you ask about is Horace. The second is that you want to go find him. I know he’s important to you, but right now, could you please think about yourself for a minute?”

“The doctors just dragged you back from death’s door, and I have no intention of letting them take you to the morgue. I just had to arrange for our child’s burial. I’m not about to arrange for yours too.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify