Chapter 269 Just a Memory

Chapter 269: Chapter 269 Just a Memory

Sebastian’s POV

Abigail’s lips were an inch from mine when I moved.

I got my hands between us and pushed her back, then stood clear of the bed entirely.

"Don’t do this, Abigail."

"Why not?" She stared up at me, eyes glassy. "Don’t you love me? Even a little?"

"I told you the last time. I love my wife. That hasn’t changed, and it isn’t going to."

"You’re lying." Her voice cracked. "You can’t fool me. I know you, Sebastian. Look me in the eye and tell me there’s nothing left. Go on. I dare you."

I went quiet.

Then I let out a slow breath.

"No feeling stays frozen in one place forever," I said. "For a long time, I believed I’d never get past you. That losing you had wrecked me for good. But I understand now. What I was holding on to wasn’t you. It was the memory of a boy’s first love. That’s all it ever was." I met her stare and didn’t blink. "I’m not coming back to you, Abigail. Whatever we were, it’s over. If you want, we can be friends. That’s the most I’ve got to give."

I lifted my wrist and checked the time. Three in the morning.

"And technically, it’s past midnight now, so it isn’t your parents’ death anniversary anymore. I’ve stayed. I’ve done my part. Take care of yourself."

I turned to go.

"Don’t leave—"

She lunged off the bed and immediately doubled over, coughing so hard her whole body shook. I stopped, cursed under my breath, and crossed back to steady her. I grabbed the glass off the nightstand and held it to her mouth.

"Drink."

She drank, but the coughing wouldn’t stop. It got worse, tearing out of her in ugly fits until I called for the doctor on duty.

The doctor came fast, took one look at me, and dipped his head slightly. "Alpha."

Then he checked her over, and his expression darkened. "I can smell smoke. Were you smoking nearby?"

"I was," I admitted.

"With respect, Alpha, that was a serious mistake." He kept his tone careful, but the disapproval was plain. "This patient came in with a respiratory infection. She’s just been exposed to smoke on top of it. There’s a real risk this could spread to her lungs."

Guilt sank through me like a stone. "My fault. I understand."

They wheeled Abigail off for another round of tests. I dragged both hands through my hair, jaw locked, temper fraying at the edges.

That was when Emilia called again.

"I think I’m running a fever now," she said. "Can you come home?"

I exhaled hard. "Emilia, don’t do this to me tonight. Please. I’m begging you, no games right now."

There was a pause. "You think I’m playing games."

"Aren’t you? I’m sitting in a hospital doing the bare minimum for a sick woman out of obligation, and you keep calling. You were perfectly fine when I left. Now suddenly you’ve got a fever? Come on. You could at least come up with a better line."

"A line." Her voice went flat and strange. "You honestly think I’d invent something like this? That I, Emilia Taylor, would stoop to lying to you for attention?"

Emilia’s POV

I wasn’t lying to him.

That was the part that stung the most. He’d decided I was faking.

After Sebastian left, I couldn’t sleep. I called him several times.

So I ended up on the balcony in nothing but my nightgown, curled up on a stool like an idiot, waiting for my mate to come home. The wind coming off the water was biting cold, but I barely noticed it. I just sat there, listening to the waves break against the rocks below, watching the driveway.

He didn’t come.

The night wore on, and I started sneezing. I finally dragged myself back inside, pulled a coat over my shoulders, and went straight back out to the balcony to keep watch.

Still nothing. I sat out there until three in the morning.

"You should come inside," Eve murmured, low and worried under my ribs. "You’re freezing. This isn’t good for us."

I ignored her.

At first I felt fine. Cold, but fine. Somewhere in the small hours, that changed, and by the time my head started splitting open, I could barely see straight. I wouldn’t have called him again if the pain hadn’t gotten unbearable. I’d meant to tough it out until dawn.

"Abigail said she had a fever, so off you went," I told him through the phone, my throat raw. "And now you want to sit there and rank us. Figure out which of us matters more to you. That’s the game, right?"

"If that’s the story you want to tell yourself, I can’t stop you."

I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore. I hung up without another word and let the phone drop from my hand onto the floor.

I couldn’t rest. I lay there aching and furious in equal measure until the sky finally started to gray at the edges.

When morning came, I could barely stand. I got dressed one clumsy piece at a time, then made myself think. I couldn’t drive like this. I picked up my phone and called Tiffany.

"Tiffany, are you awake?"

"Barely. Emilia, why are you calling at this hour?"

"I’m not feeling great. Can’t really drive. I hate to ask, but is there any chance you could run me to the hospital?"

Her voice snapped instantly awake. "Wait, what’s wrong? Where’s Sebastian?"

I would have felt a lot better if she hadn’t said his name. The second I heard it, that hot spike of anger flared up again and jabbed straight into my chest.

"He had something to deal with," I said evenly. "He’s not home."

"Okay. I’m coming right now."

"Thanks. And Tiffany, don’t tell Mila. I don’t want her worrying over nothing."

"Got it. Sit tight."

After I hung up, I typed out a message to Fynn. It was too early to call, and honestly, the thought of explaining it out loud was more than I could manage.

[Fynn, I’ve come down with something overnight. I don’t think I can start at the new company on schedule. I’m so sorry for the short notice. I’ll make it up as soon as I’m back on my feet.]

I hit send and let my arm fall back to the bed.

Tiffany was pounding on my door in under half an hour.

"Emilia, did you sleep at all last night?" She was in my face the second she got through the door, peering at me with open alarm. "You look terrible. Those circles under your eyes are terrifying."

"Fever crept up in the middle of the night," I said. "Couldn’t get to sleep after that."

I stuffed the last of my things into my bag. "Come on. Let’s just get this over with."

She drove me to the hospital and walked me straight into the consultation room, hovering the whole way. I’d been hoping for a quick prescription or a shot, something to take the edge off so I could get on with my day. The doctor had other ideas and insisted on an IV.

Lying there in the infusion room, I could barely speak. My throat felt like someone had dragged sandpaper down it, and my head spun so badly I couldn’t tell up from down. The nurse taped the line to the back of my hand and asked, "Have you had anything to eat this morning?"

"No," I mumbled, barely there.

"Someone should get her some food. Sitting through a drip on an empty stomach will make her feel much worse."

Tiffany was already on her feet. "On it. I’ll grab something right now."