Chapter 155: Sincere Enough for You?[II]
I stared at him, my heart doing a frantic, unsteady tap dance against my ribs. The ultimatum hung in the air, glittering and sharp. My mind raced, trying to find a witty retort, a clever deflection, anything to regain the upper hand. But my body was a traitor, a flush of heat creeping up my neck that had nothing to do with a fever and everything to do with the image his words painted in my mind.
"I... am perfectly capable of bathing myself," I finally managed, my voice sounding far steadier than I felt.
A low chuckle vibrated in his chest, a sound of pure triumph. "As you wish, princess." His eyes were dancing, alight with amusement and something deeper, something fiercely possessive. He still hadn’t let go of my hand.
"Then let go of my hand, you giant sap," I grumbled, though my voice lacked any real bite.
He squeezed it once, a firm, comforting pressure, before finally releasing me. "Ready?"
I nodded, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, a defiant act that my body immediately protested. The world tilted violently. The gentle whirr of the machines suddenly sounded like a jet engine in my ears, and the cool floor seemed miles away. A wave of dizziness washed over me, so potent it stole my breath. My muscles, wrung out and exhausted, trembled under the simple strain of holding me upright.
I swayed.
Before I could even process the fall, Adrien was there. He moved with a liquid grace that defied his exhausted state, closing the distance in a single step. He didn’t grab or lurch; he simply enveloped me. One strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling my back against his solid chest, while his other hand steadied my shoulder. I was suddenly anchored, held firm against the spinning room.
"I’ve got it," I mumbled into the fabric of his crumpled shirt, the words a lie even to my own ears.
"I know," he murmured back, his voice a low rumble against my ear. His breath was warm, smelling faintly of coffee and sleeplessness. He didn’t mock me. He didn’t say ’I told you so.’ He just held me until the world stopped tilting on its axis.
When I felt steady enough to stand, he shifted his grip, sliding one arm fully under my knees and the other around my back.