Page 36 of Reflections of Peonies
I thought it might be embarrassing—and weird—but the fact it horrified Bryce was everything.
“We’ll talk about it later.” Bryce reached for my hand. “And stop saying it!”
“But Daddy!” I pulled out of his reach. “Why—”
Damen snatched my hand, cutting off my question. He elbowed Bryce as he pulled me to my feet, and I was dragged behind him as he faced Dr. Reed.
She was watching us with a bemused expression.
“Can we leave?” he asked, his hand hot over mine.
She smirked, and I watched her, curious. What was with that expression?
Yet her voice was calm when she responded, “Yes, Damen.” She handed him a paper. “But make sure she goes to see Do Yun on Monday.”
That brought up a good question. “What day is it?” I asked.
She turned back to me, her smile fading. “You’ve been here almost a week.”
A whole week? I had no idea! Would I even be able to go back to class? “What—”
Before I could ask if it was hopeless, Damen stalked forward, pulling me along behind him. He didn’t stop to greet the smiling nurses, nor did he acknowledge the guard at the door. He moved with a singular purpose until we reached the parking lot.
It was raining again—a cold autumn downpour. It drenched us instantly, and I shivered.
Still, Damen didn’t pause.
We didn’t make it ten feet past the sliding glass doors before Julian caught up. He jerked on Damen’s arm, dragging us to a halt.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he addressed Damen, furious. Without waiting for an answer, he released the other man and turned toward me. “Here.” His voice gentled as he draped a black coat over me and pulled the hood over my head.
It was enormous—the bottom hem reached my knees—and warm. My hair was already stuck to my cheeks. He bent toward me, uncaring about the rain, and pushed some wayward strands away from my face. “Better?”
I stared at him, unsure how to respond.
Damen spun around, his eyes wide. He had lost the force of his fury. “I—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Julian snapped before focusing onme again. “Bianca.” His voice was soft. “Are you warm enough? You don’t have shoes on, can I carry you? Let’s get you out of the rain.”
Didn’t he care that his shirt was plastered against his skin? Wasn’thecold? I shook my head. “I’m okay.”
I looked past them at the waning moon, and my attention lingered on the dark sky. It was cloudy, so there was no way to see the stars, but when I closed my eyes, I could imagine them. The rain pelted against my cheeks while the cool air brushed against my face, but it was still much better than the hospital room.
“Good.” Julian touched my hand, pulling me out of my musings. “Let’s go, now that you’re not forced to walk in the rain in only a thin, white hospital gown,” he said accusingly. He glanced at my feet. “Are you sure…”
I shook my head once more.
“I’m stopping home to pack.” Bryce stepped to my side. He ignored Julian as he held an umbrella over my head. “Do you want me to stop by your dorm and pick up anything? Your roommate is Jiayi, right?”
His question cut through the stone that’d settled in my stomach. I was too tired to care much about how he knew, but knowing him—or Damen—they’d probably stalked my student records.
“No.” My hands shook as I pulled the jacket tighter around me. “I want to throw it all away.” My voice was firmer toward the end, my anger overshadowing my fear.
I’d started with nothing more than once. I could do it again.
Bryce didn’t respond, and Damen and Julian only glanced at each other. But as my brother moved past me, I couldn’t stop myself. My resolve had only lasted ten seconds.
“Wait.” I grabbed his shirt. Hopefully, he wouldn’t make fun of me.
