They fell down together.

Rachel gasped in pain as the IV needle in the back of her hand was pushed in even deeper. It wasn’t the kind of pain that caused numbness. It was the kind that zeroed in on one spot and felt ten times worse.

Tyler heard her gasp and instinctively looked over. “What happened?”

“Nothing. The needle got pushed in. It hurts a little.” Rachel gently lifted her hand and rested it on the blanket.

Tyler pressed the call button. His gaze was fixed on her rapidly swelling hand. “Are you dumb? If you couldn’t reach, just say something. I could’ve bent forward a little.”

Rachel’s hand still throbbed with pain. The sharp, piercing ache hadn’t faded at all. She hadn’t expected him to comfort her, but did he really have to snap at her like that? Did he not realize how scary he looked when he was… His expression was downright murderous, and his voice was cold and harsh.

Rachel didn’t even know why, but the tension that had been building up inside her suddenly burst. Her eyes stung as tears welled up. She looked at Tyler, and her lips trembled with suppressed frustration. “Why are you yelling at me? I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s your fault for being so tall!”

Tyler hadn’t expected her to tear up just because he raised his voice. The harshness on his face immediately softened, and for once, there was a flicker of tenderness in his eyes. He glanced around, looking for something, but came up empty-handed. With a touch of irritation, he muttered, “What kind of hospital doesn’t even have tissues?”

A moment later, seeing no other option, he walked over and awkwardly raised his sleeve to wipe her tears away.

Rachel was stunned. Her vision was blocked, and she instinctively looked up. “What are you doing?”

Tyler paused for a second. He then answered matter-of-factly, “Wiping your tears.”

Rachel was speechless. She had been on the verge of an emotional breakdown, but his ridiculous response made her laugh out loud. Tyler was such a hopelessly clueless man. She could already imagine how he’d be with his girlfriend in the future. If he ever made her cry, he’d probably ask, “What do you want? Tell me what’ll make you stop crying. Do you want a purse? A house? A car?”

That was just who he was. He couldn’t be bothered with small talk or coaxing. If he had to comfort a woman, he’d probably just offer her material compensation.

Rachel might’ve been laughing, but deep down she still felt unsettled. She frowned a little. “You don’t have to do that.”

She meant it as a polite refusal, but somehow, her voice came out with an almost childlike softness. She was shocked at herself.

For a moment, the room fell into a heavy silence. Tyler didn’t quite understand what had just happened, but the sight of her flustered expression made him flush a little himself. He leaned in, and his warm breath brushed against her cheek. “Were you trained to change expressions on command? Why are you blushing again?”

Rachel’s ears felt warm. “Back off!”

A feminine voice grined, “Troubled by just this? Man, you’re easy to tease.”

The hurtful words spoken with his deep, husky voice left her heart thumping.

Over there, a pushed the door open, “Is everything alright?”

Rachel quickly pulled herself together and instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between her and Tyler. She turned to the nurse. “My needle got knocked out of place. Could you help me adjust it?”