A dull ache pulsed in my head as my eyes fluttered open. My vision wavered, the bright hospital lights making everything too sharp, too sterile. For a few seconds, all I could hear was the steady beeping of the monitor beside me, the faint hum of the air conditioning.
I inhaled slowly, blinking as my sight adjusted. A hospital? I glanced around, taking in my surroundings—a first-class hospital room, with soft white sheets, expensive monitors, and a view of the city through the tall windows. Definitely not a place an overworked medical student would end up for simple exhaustion.
Something shifted nearby.
I turned my head and found Jia curled up on the couch beside my bed, fast asleep. Her arms were folded, and her face was half-buried in the cushions.
A sigh escaped me as I slowly pushed myself up, feeling how weak my body was.
Ugh. This is exhausting.
The moment the thought crossed my mind—
The door swung open.
And then, there he was.
Liam.
He was running inside, his breathing uneven as if he had sprinted all the way here. His hair was slightly messy, his white shirt wrinkled, but what caught me off guard wasn't any of that.
It was the look on his face.
Bright. Excited.
Like seeing me awake had just made his entire world right again.
"You're awake!" His voice was breathless, filled with so much relief I almost flinched.
I stared at him, completely thrown off.
What the hell?
I expected guilt. Awkwardness. Maybe even hesitation. But this? This genuine happiness?
I blinked, my mind scrambling to process the way his entire expression had lit up the moment he saw me.
"Why… do you look so happy?" My voice came out hoarse, my throat dry.
His smile widened. "Because you're awake!"
His words came out so easily, so naturally, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I stiffened, my fingers clenching the sheets beneath me. "You shouldn't be here."
Liam's smile faltered—just for a second. But I saw it. That tiny crack in his joy before he quickly masked it.
Jia stirred on the couch, groaning as she sat up. She blinked at me, rubbing her eyes before her expression sharpened.
"Surin!" She rushed to my bedside, shooting me a glare. "You scared the hell out of me!"
I exhaled slowly, tearing my gaze away from Liam. "Sorry…"
"Sorry?" Jia huffed. "You passed out at the doorstep! Do you even understand how terrifying that was? If this idiot hadn't been there—" She paused, side-eyeing Liam. "Wait. Why are you here?"
Liam didn't answer.
Because I was still looking at him.
His eyes hadn't left me once.
There was something about the way he stood there, something raw and unspoken in his expression that made my chest feel uncomfortably tight.
I wanted to tell him to leave.
I wanted to tell him I didn't want to see him.
But my body betrayed me.
Because even after everything—even after the heartbreak, the betrayal, the pain—
I still wanted to hear his voice.