Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 290

Ethan:

She didn’t speak much the next day. And I didn’t push her to speak more than she wanted to.

I couldn’t blame her either.

Whatever had happened when she disappeared, it hadn’t just left physical exhaustion. It left something in her eyes. Something hollow. Like she was still there, but barely tethered to the now. She was trying her best to stand strong. She was doing her best to show that she was stronger than whatever she was, that she could handle everything that was going around. But I knew better.

I came into her room quietly, a tray in hand. She raised an eyebrow at me, but I also knew that this was a daily occurring thing since she woke up three days ago.

Warm soup, buttered bread. It wasn’t much, but I figured it might make her eat something. Or at least remind her that someone still cared. Remind her that I could change. That I wanted her and I wanted to be by her side.

“You didn’t have to,” she murmured as I set the tray on the small table beside the bed. “You know, you’re also tired, injured, and you need to recover. You don’t need to keep taking care of me like that, Ethan.”

“I know,” I replied, pulling a chair beside her. “That’s why I did. I don’t need to do it, I want to do it. And I think that you need to understand that I want to care for you.”

Her lips twitched like she wanted to roll her eyes, but didn’t have the strength for it. But I knew that she, deep down wanted to smile, even though she didn’t want to say it.

“You should rest,” I said after a moment. “You still look like hell. And don’t think that you can leave. I heard you speaking to the nurses about persuading the doctors to allow you to leave.”

She blinked slowly, then looked at me sideways. “So do you. And they still allowed you to go. You’re roaming around trying to serve me, even wanting to feed me when you should be eating yourself.”

I laughed. “Touché.”

She sat up slowly, her fingers trembling slightly as she tried to reach for the spoon. I caught the movement, subtle but telling. Without a word, I picked up the spoon, dipped it into the soup, and held it toward her.

She glared. “I can feed myself.”

I didn’t move. “I know. But you shouldn’t have to. I’ve been saying that for the past three days and we’ve been having the same conversation whenever you try to stop me.

Delilah stared at the spoon like it was a challenge. Then, with a sigh, she leaned forward and let me help.

“Is this supposed to be comforting?” she asked after the second bite. “Because I don’t know what am I supposed to feel like this. I will be honest.”

“Not sure. Is it working?”

“No,” she said, but there was less bite in her voice. “It doesn’t feel that comfortable actually. It just feels odd.”

We sat like that for a while. Me feeding her. Her occasionally making sarcastic comments. But none of it meant to push me away. Not really. She could’ve told me to leave. She didn’t.

When she was done, I set the bowl aside and leaned back, watching her.

“You’re not going to ask me what happened?” she asked suddenly, voice quiet.

“I want to,” I admitted. “But I think you’d lie. Or that you just won’t tell me. I’m not going to press on you until you’re willing to tell me what happened, or at least until you’ve gotten your memory back. You seem to be lost, confused and I don’t want to press on you.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, but you are right. I don’t really remember as much as I want to. I don’t remember.” She said, looking away from me.

I nodded. “Then I’ll wait. Just know that I’m always going to be here for you, by your side through it all.”

Delilah looked at me like she was trying to figure out what to do with that answer.

Her eyes widened, her breath caught. But she didn’t move.

“…will you let me?”

For one second, I thought she would.

She tilted up slightly. Our faces were close. Close enough that I could see the flicker of something she was trying so hard to hide.

But just as I began to lean in fully, she pulled away.

“I can’t,” she whispered, turning her head. “Not after everything. I can’t just kiss you, Ethan.”

I stayed still. I didn’t reach again. I didn’t argue.

“Okay,” I said softly. “Then I’ll wait. Until you are willing for me to hold you in my arms, I’ll wait.”

She looked at me, eyes shining with something she didn’t want to name. I took her hand in mine before she could pull it away, gently squeezing it.

And I stayed, though I knew that she would ask me to leave, I knew that she didn’t want me to.

But it wasn’t because she needed me.

But because I needed her.