Reaching his front yard, Cullen pushed the glass-paneled pivot door open and walked into the house. His eyes scanned the whole place and he was a bit surprised everything remained the same, even the kitchen.
Cullen's heart rose and fell in anger. He was unable to endure the fact that he was beginning to care too much about her. His gaze flickered vigorously and slowly landed on the woman lying on the staircase.
He let out a soft sigh and walked towards the woman curled into a ball. His hand reached for her hair when he got to her, gently taking the strands off her face to catch a glimpse of her.
He halted the second he touched her skin. She was burning with a fever and she looked extremely pale already.
Her pathetic sight reminded him of his mother. For the first few seconds, Cullen froze.
His fingers trembled feeling how hot her skin felt. He gulped softly and pushed her hair backward. Cullen's eyes turned extremely nervous, for the first time in forever.
He was mentally numb.
A sigh fled out of his lips, and he stood straight, placed a hand on his hips, and scratched his non-itchy hair with his free hand.
He bent to her level again and touched her burning forehead with the back of his palm. He gently began to stroke her forehead with his thumb.
Feeling someone around her, Amelia slowly lifted her face, and her lime green eyes dimmed slowly. Tears stood in them.
Cullen's thumb halted. He swiftly stood straight and immediately, his eyes turned sharp again.
Amelia felt her head spin strongly.
Seeing how dreadful his gaze on her was, Amelia tried to jump up on her feet, feeling mindful already.
The moment she sat up, her eyes spun a thousand times more, but she did her best to act all right. This wasn't her first time acting normal while feeling dizzy.
Cullen pinned his gaze on her, and his hard eyes turned remorseful, "I placed an order for you. You look hungry and pale, which is also my fault. I should have checked on you properly before leaving,"
Amelia swallowed at his apologetic tune. Now what? She asked herself. She wasn't used to people apologizing to her. Rather, she was used to apologizing to people even after they had offended her.
"Why are you sleeping here?" Cullen asked in a displeased tone.
Amelia looked around herself. "I found it comfortable here," she lied with a smooth face. Currently, every end of her joints screamed in pain.
Cullen raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying her answer. However, he never pressed on that issue again.
He approached her warily and gently sat down beside her. Anemia's body tensed up. She immediately panicked, and her palms turned sweaty.
Her fear caused her to shift away from him, and glue herself to the wall. Cullen read her gesture perfectly and also did his best not to inconvenience her in any way.
Starting afar, straight ahead to his dining hall, his snow-blue eyes dimmed, and he began a conversation with her. "Can I ask you something?"
Amelia took in a sharp breath. She knew this moment would come sooner or later. She was about to commit suicide when he found her. So surely, he would want to know the reason why, and if she can be trusted.
Thus, she replied in a time voice, "Yes, you can,"
The left end of Cullen's lips raised into a small beautiful smile, exposing a slight trace of his dimples. He loved how she sounded.
Collecting himself, he pushed away every odd feeling she gave to him. He felt nervous around her, which was strange.
Or was it because he felt sorry for her, but still had it in mind to use her as a spawn? Could his conscience be the reason he has a feeling of helping her genuinely?
Clearing his throat, he began, "About your bruises, who gave them to you? Your husband?" as he spoke, he fixed his eyes on her wedding ring the entire time.
Amelia's eyes widened. She never expected such a direct question. Her eyes pooled up immediately, and she began to play with the ring on her finger as if about to pull it off.
Cullen took note of her action but said nothing.
"I_" Amelia began, without any idea of what she was going to say. She doesn't want to come out as rude or anything negative before this stranger. For now, he was the only pillar she held on to, and for that, she must give him an answer - an honest one.
She thought of something to do and as if in her favor, the door doorbell rang.
Cullen sighed, "That must be the delivery guy,"
"Oh," Amelia's eyes widened, "Let me get the door. Go to the dining, I'll come and set the table," she said, her first clenching the hem of her clothes as she mentally prepared herself to walk to the door in her current situation.
Cullen chuckled, "And you think I'll let you?" the words left his mouth before he could stop them.
Amelia raised a questioning brow at him.
Cullen cleared his throat, and immediately corrected himself, "I mean you're my guest. Go to the dining, let me bring in our meals,"
Amelia's lips thinned when she heard him. His voice was no longer gentle and soothing but back to cold and withdrawn.
"Okay," she agreed.
Cullen grinned at her meek attitude.
"I'm so tired," Amelia murmured under her breath.
Cullen gave her a side look as if asking her to repeat herself. And when she did not, he shrugged his shoulders and walked away from her.
Amelia followed behind him. However, in the next second, her vision turned blurry. Unable to act up with it, she missed her footing and stumbled to the floor.
Cullen halted. He turned to her quickly and without hesitation, he fell to his knees and caught her in his arm, right when she was about to slam her head hard on the floor.