Chapter 347: Ezra...Who’s Sonny...?
*Clack*
I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside the hospital room. The quiet sound of my shoes echoed on the clean floor — *tap* *tap* — mixing with the steady, soft beep of the ECG machine in the corner. The room felt calm and empty, with bright morning light coming through the window.
Aeri was sitting up in the hospital bed, quietly looking out the window. I could see her back and her long hair clearly. Even from behind, I knew it was her. My heart tightened in my chest.
"Aeri..." I said her name softly as I walked closer.
She didn’t turn around right away.
"Are you alright?" I asked, stopping on the side of the bed.
"Hmm?" Aeri made a small curious sound and slowly turned her head. When her dark eyes met mine, I felt a shock go through me. She had heavy dark circles under her eyes, and they looked tired and worn out.
"Aeri!" I said, my voice rising with worry. My eyes widened as I stared at her face.
"Ohh Ezra! Good morning..." she replied. She tried to smile, but it looked forced and tired. Even her voice sounded weak, like it was hard for her to speak properly.
"Aeri!" I called out again, louder this time. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I ran the few steps to her bed and instantly wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight.
"Are you okay? What happened to you?" I asked, my voice shaking. "You suddenly blacked out and fell on the ground..."
Tears filled my eyes as I held her close. I could feel my chest getting tight with all the fear I had been carrying since that phone call.
"Ehh... calm down, Ezra..." she said gently. She gave me a small, sweet smile and reached up to brush my hair with her hand. "I am sorry for making you worried."
"Worried?" I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "I am hell worried! I don’t even know what suddenly happened to you."
Tears were now running down my cheeks. I held her shoulders gently, searching her tired face for answers.
"I am sorry! Ezra!" she said softly. She hugged me back tightly, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close again. Her body felt a little weak, but her hug was warm and real.
We stayed like that for a few moments, holding each other in the quiet hospital room. The ECG machine kept beeping steadily in the background. I could feel her breathing against me, slow and tired, but she was here — awake and talking.
I rubbed her back gently with one hand, still not ready to let go. "I was so scared when they called me," I whispered. "I came as fast as I could."
Aeri rested her head on my shoulder and let out a small sigh. "I know... thank you for coming."
I stayed hugging her, my tears slowly drying on my face, feeling both relieved and still full of questions. The bright morning light from the window fell softly on us as we held each other in the hospital bed.
I sat down on the edge of the hospital bed right beside Aeri. I picked up the glass of water from the side table and handed it to her gently. Then I grabbed the thin blanket and wrapped it carefully around her shoulders to keep her warm.
*Slurp*
She took a slow sip of water and let out a long, tired exhale afterward.
"So, Ezra..." she said softly, calling my name.
"Yeah? What is it?" I asked, turning to look at her with curiosity. No matter what kind of worry or question she had, I was ready to help her with it.
"Don’t find this question weird, okay?" she said, gulping nervously. She looked a little stressed, like she was lost deep in her own thoughts.
"Why would I? Just let it out. Anything at all... don’t worry," I replied, smiling gently and placing a hand on my chest to show I meant it.
Aeri took a small breath and then asked, "What exactly happened to me? Actually, I don’t remember anything... Can you tell me in detail? Ever since I opened my eyes, I keep wondering why I’m even here. Though my head hurts a lot." She tried to smile, but it came out sarcastic and tired.
"Ehh..." I gave her a blank stare for a second, then coughed awkwardly. The question felt strange coming from her. Maybe she forgot because she hit her head? I thought to myself. I decided to answer her carefully.
"Yeah, so... you fell down in the hall," I started. "It happened when we came inside our house yesterday morning. Remember? You had groceries in your hands. I was at work the entire night, and we both met at the front of the house. You came home with that weirdo-looking guy named Sonny... who dropped you off in his fancy looking car trying to act and look all show off as if he is someone greater than any of us here."
I made a mock angry face as I said his name. I really hadn’t liked him at all yesterday. I felt so disgusted when I saw him with Aeri. I am yet to ask her where and how she met that bastard and what were they upto entire night but I guess I’ll wait and ask that later. She has just woken up and I am don’t want to ruin her mood by acting insecure. Though, I will genuinely kill him if I ever see him again.
"Umm..." Aeri made a confused sound. She tilted her head and looked down at the floor, her eyes trying hard to recall the memory.
"What is it?" I asked her gently.
"Ezra... Who’s Sonny...?" she asked, sounding genuinely lost.
My mouth fell open and my eyes widened in complete shock. For a moment, I just stared at her, unable to speak. The room suddenly felt quieter, except for the steady beeping of the ECG machine in the background.
I blinked a couple of times, trying to process what she had just said.
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