Chapter 14: Wishful Thinking

"Hey, Annabel? Annabel!" Rupert said, holding her gently in his arms and patting her face. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Still shaking, with her eyes closed, Annabel murmured, "It's so dark I'm scared. Don't leave me Don't go" She was scared of the dark.

Rupert's heart softened. Looking at her face, he recalled the little girl who had huddled beside him years ago, pale and frightened. Pity welled up in him. Holding her hand, he said, "Don't be scared. I'm here. It's all right. I'll take you home."

His reassurance worked like magic. Annabel stopped shaking. She continued to mumble, but he couldn't understand her. He stood, holding her.

"I'll never leave you. You're safe now. Don't be scared, okay?" He continued to comfort her as they left.

He gently placed her in the passenger seat. When he fastened her seatbelt, he saw she was gripping his shirt. The woman before him was completely different from the one who had scolded him yesterday. His heart ached.

He blamed himself for not arriving sooner. If he'd saved her number when Bruce had sent it, he could have helped her earlier. Better late than never, though. He couldn't bear to think what might have happened if she'd stayed in the dark all night.

Rupert drove home quickly and carried Annabel to her bedroom. He wiped the sweat from her forehead with a wet towel and tucked her in. As he turned to leave, a hand grasped his pants.

He turned to find Annabel's eyebrows furrowed as she slept uneasily. Her face was still pale. He tried to loosen her grip, but she caught his hand.

"Don't go Stay with me, please" Her voice was shaky, unlike her usual indifference. It was like a child's plea for comfort.

Suddenly, Rupert imagined Annabel's face transforming into that of the little girl. He blinked several times. From the first day he saw Annabel, he'd felt a striking resemblance to that girl. The feeling was stronger now.

After hesitating, Rupert sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He kept seeing the little girl's face when he looked at Annabel, tenderness in his eyes. It was as if they were the same person. If she was the little girl, he wouldn't mind staying with her, accompanying her through the darkness for the rest of his life. He dismissed the thought as wishful thinking.

Dawn broke by the time Annabel woke. A sliver of sunlight fell on her face. She yawned, looked around in confusion, and met Rupert's intense gaze.

As soon as she noticed she was holding his hand, she released it and sat up. "What are you doing here?"

The answer came to her immediately. She'd had a panic attack. Her phone had died. She'd been hyperventilating, her heart racing, her throat tight, so she'd texted Rupert instead of calling.

Seeing his bloodshot eyes and tired appearance, she tried to recall the night's events. She scratched her head in embarrassment.

"You brought me back, didn't you? Thank you. But why did you sleep in my room?"

She didn't think he needed to be there. He should have left after tucking her in. Why had he lain beside her as if they were a couple?

Rupert's demeanor turned cold again. "Weren't you the one who held my hand and begged me to stay? Have you forgotten?"

Annabel's face flushed. "But but I didn't mean it. I wasn't myself, but you were! You should have left as soon as I fell asleep."

"Oh, so I was wrong to take care of you all night?"

"No, I I didn't mean that." Annabel couldn't understand why he'd gone to such lengths. She was used to his coldness.

This was her reward? Rupert clicked his teeth. He regretted his pity and his vigil.

"Don't read anything into my actions. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you. My grandpa would be mad if you got hurt. I did it for myself, so don't flatter yourself!"

Such words usually hurt women, but Annabel was relieved. This sounded more like him.

"I didn't intend to flatter myself. Since you're so ruffled, it seems you've given this too much thought," she retorted, rolling her eyes.