Filed to story: Leaving the Country After Divorce Novel (Lucian & Roxanne)
Frowning, Roxanne insisted, “I’m fine, and I don’t need special care anymore. It’s unnecessary for you to stay back. You can’t get a good rest here, anyway.”
She did not want to owe him anything more than she already did.
Her voice sounded awkwardly loud in the quiet hospital ward at midnight.
Dead silence filled the room upon her words.
However, the man did not seem to have any intention of leaving.
She dug her fingernails into her palms as she explained in a slightly friendlier tone of voice, “We aren’t in any relationship. Hence, there’s no reason for you to take special care of me, Mr. Farwell. I actually feel burdened when you do that.”
Upon saying so, she gave the man sitting opposite her a solemn look.
Never in a million years would Lucian have thought that caring for her would create a rift between them. He was utterly displeased.
Yet, there was no way he could just leave the woman alone.
After moments of pin-drop silence, he managed to suppress his anger. “Don’t you misunderstand. I just think that Essie will be mad at me if she finds out that I left you here and went back on my own,” he said indifferently.
In other words, he was implying that she was not the reason why he insisted on staying.
Though Roxanne was a little apprehensive, she could not refute him. Left with no choice, she acquiesced to his decision.
However, none of them had anything to say to each other, resulting in a very awkward situation in the ward.
When Roxanne finished eating her oatmeal, Lucian automatically adjusted her bed for her and put the bowl away.
For a long time, both of them just stared at each other without exchanging a word. The silence between them spoke volumes.
Roxanne had rested for the whole day, so it was difficult for her to fall asleep again. Even so, she shut her eyes, not wanting to interact with Lucian.
He, on the other hand, was exhausted after a long day. Sleepiness gradually descended upon him, and in the blink of an eye, he dozed off.
Minutes later, soft rhythmic breathing was the only sound that could be heard in the ward.
Roxanne slowly opened her eyes and cast a look in his direction.
His jacket had been placed over her blanket, leaving him with only a thin shirt on. He folded his arms across his chest, seemingly having a rough time resting.
Roxanne hesitated for a bit before she decided to get up and approach him quietly. Grabbing his jacket from the bed, she gently draped it over him.
A turmoil of emotions crept up on her when she saw his handsome face close up.
It’s still the same gorgeous face from six years ago, but I’m no longer the infatuated girl I was back then. I don’t know how he sees me now, and neither do I want to find out about it. I just want to lead a peaceful life with my two little munchkins,
Suddenly. Roxanne felt a sense of relief rise within her. She strode across the room to switch off the lights, then went back to bed.
As soon as she closed her eyes, a million thoughts ran past her head, giving her a hard time falling asleep.
Ironically, the soft sounds from the bed earlier had awakened Lucian, who was a light sleeper. When he heard her footsteps coming toward him, he chose to keep his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.
A moment later, she stopped in front of him, and he was able to pick up the faint fragrance that lingered upon her body.
Owing to his proximity, the scent made his heart skip a beat, and his breathing became uneven. Somehow, he had a feeling that her gaze was fixated on him. Hence, he could only continue with his act until he heard noises coming from the bed.’
He slowly opened his bleary cyes to look at her, and his gaze never left the bed for the rest of the night.
“That nighi, none of them had a good rest.
The next morning, Roxanne was woken up by a ruckus outside of the ward.
“The little ones were so worried about Ms. Jarvis. They have been asking to come see her since the break of dawn,” Lysa said helplessly.
Archie’s anxious voice rang out. “How is Mommy? Is she still sleeping?”
“Yes. You should go in later.” Lucian’s voice sounded hoarse.
He had not gotten much rest. By the time he dozed off, the children had already barged into the ward, asking to see Roxanne. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, he brought them all outside and shut the door behind him.
Archie noticed how haggard Lucian was, so even though he was frowning, he obliged obediently.
Meanwhile, Benny was peering through the small crack left by the closed door in hopes that he could get a glimpse of Roxanne, but to no avail. With that, he sulked.
Lysa was holding Estella, who was equally worried about the beautiful Roxanne. Her big eyes kept staring at the door as if it would open for her if she continued doing so.
Anyhow, the children stood outside and waited in the hallway quietly when their father reminded them again that Roxanne was still sleeping.
As a result, peace was restored in the hospital.
A warm and fuzzy feeling crept up on Roxanne when she realized how worried the children were. She was utterly touched by their concern and wanted to open the door to welcome them.
As soon as she sat herself up on the bed, she locked gazes with the man through the small window on the door.
Her heart thumped uncontrollably when their eyes met.
Right when she was still debating how to respond to him, the man averted his gaze. Turning to the kids, he announced, “You may enter now.”
Afterward, he opened the door for them.
The little ones all had a twinkle in their eyes when they saw Roxanne sitting on the bed. Without a second thought, all of them dashed toward her.
“How are you feeling, Mommy? Are you still down with a fever?” Archie and Benny ran to the bed at once, unable to hide their worry from their faces.
Roxanne chuckled as she shook her head. “No. I feel much better now.”
The two boys were not convinced. They stretched out their hands, wanting to check her forehead for themselves.
Seeing so, Roxanne bent down and let them touch her forehead.
Then, she caught sight of the small figure standing behind Archie and Benny. With tears in her eyes, the little girl was biting her lip, concern written all over her face.
She was rather timid when compared to the two boys.
Roxanne‘s heart melted when she saw that. She smiled at Estella and asked, “Essie, do you want to confirm if I‘m okay?”
Estella stiffened for a second before nodding her head vigorously. The next moment, she let go of Lysa‘s hand and zoomed toward Roxanne.
The woman had her body bent over as she grabbed Estella‘s outstretched hand and put it on her forehead.
Shortly after, Estella retracted her hand before finally breaking out into a smile.
“You were all scared, weren‘t you? I‘m sorry for making all of you worried about me.” Roxanne patted each of them lovingly as she recalled their panic–stricken faces upon seeing how she was rushed to the hospital yesterday.
Nice novel….love this!!!