Chapter 51 Thunderous Past
Emyr’s eyes remained fixed on her as she spoke, his expression calm yet attentive.
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“All the nearby flights were sold out,” she began, her tone steady. “I had no choice but to find another airport and take a connecting flight to Newland. I didn’t bother with the hotel. I grabbed my luggage and flagged down a cab.”
She hesitated for a moment, her voice softening. “The storm hit as soon as I left the airport. Rain poured so hard it drowned everything in sight, thunder crashing and lightning splitting the sky. You could barely see past your own nose.”
“I got in that cab, but the driver didn’t take me to the airport.”
Emyr’s chest tightened. Without thinking, he reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. His voice dropped, rough and quiet. “That’s enough. Stop.”
Charmaine turned toward him, meeting his gaze. The dim light cast deep shadows across his face, making his features look sharper, almost sculpted.
To his surprise, she laughed, her eyes bright. “You think something awful happened to me?”
Emyr frowned, but before he could respond, she continued with a slight shrug. “That airport was a mess, and the roads were worse–potholes everywhere. Do you think I couldn’t figure out the driver was trouble? I grabbed him by the neck before he could try anything. He ended up taking us to the base of a mountain, but I jumped out before he even stopped. If anyone had a rough night, it wasn’t me.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples, his brows drawing together. “Then why are you scared of thunderstorms?”
She groaned. “Seriously?” Her voice rose in exasperation. “I could see the lightning outside the windows on that plane. The whole sky lit up, and the plane wasn’t just shaking–it felt like a rollercoaster, dropping out of nowhere. We lost altitude so many times, I thought I was done for!”
He let out a long breath, shaking his head.
Her story felt absurd, a whirlwind of chaos and bravado.
He was about to brush it off when a sudden, searing pain shot through his leg.
“Ah!”
The cry ripped from his throat as his body stiffened, his limbs trembling. Charmaine froze, her focus shifting instantly.
“Is it happening again?” she asked, urgency filling her voice.
“Yes,” he forced out, his teeth clenched as the pain gripped him tighter.
Outside, the storm raged on.
Rain pounded against the windows, engulfing the room in darkness.
Charmaine couldn’t see his face, but the tremor in his body told her everything she needed to know.
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Chapter 51 Thunderous Past
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Her own fear forgotten, she fumbled through the darkness, her hands sweeping across the table until she found her phone. She switched on the flashlight and darted to the door.
Throwing it open, she yelled, “Tad! The painkillers–now!”
The pounding of footsteps echoed through the hall. Tad appeared moments later, a flashlight in one hand, his face pale with worry. “Mr. Emyr’s having an episode?!”
Without waiting for an answer, Tad pushed past her and rushed into the room.
Charmaine seized Tad’s arm, her grip unyielding. “Going in there won’t do any good! Get the meds!”
Her urgency startled Tad, and he stumbled back, caught off guard by the strength in her push.
“There’s no medication,” he stammered, running a hand through his hair, his voice trembling with guilt. “Mr. Emyr’s painkillers have to be kept frozen. The power outage ruined the ones we had. The rest are in the wine cellar, but the lock is electronic. We’ll have to get a new supply from The Crosses‘ private hospital!”
Charmaine’s frustration boiled over. She shoved him again, her tone sharp and commanding. “Then stop standing around! Go get them!”
Without waiting for a reply, she slammed the door and turned back to Emyr.
The flashlight from her phone cast a cold, stark light across the room, accentuating the pallor of his face.
His features were tense, his jaw clenched tightly, each breath labored as though he were fighting to hold himself together.
Charmaine didn’t hesitate. She rushed to the bathroom, snatched a towel, folded it swiftly, and pressed it
toward his mouth.
Emyr raised an eyebrow, his gaze questioning and unimpressed.
“Bite down,” she ordered, her voice firm. “Now isn’t the time to act tough. It hurts, doesn’t it?”
A faint smirk tugged at his lips, though his voice came out raw and strained. “I’ve dealt with worse.”
Charmaine rolled her eyes, her exasperation plain. “Fine. Be my guest and suffer.”
Her words might have sounded cold, but her actions told a different story. She grabbed the wheelchair and brought it closer to the bed.
“Can you stand?” she asked, already moving to support him. Before he could respond, she slipped her arms under his and steadied herself.
“Let’s do this,” she muttered, bracing herself and lifting him to his feet in one determined motion.
The pain struck like a blade, sharp and unyielding, cutting through him with relentless precision. It coursed through every nerve, leaving him breathless.
But even through the torment, Emyr’s focus lingered on Charmaine.
He took in the tight furrow of her brow, the way her lips pressed together in concentration. Was she angry at the inconvenience, or was it something else–concern?
The thought was fleeting, snatched away by a fresh surge of agony that swept through him like a tidal wave.
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Chapter 51 Thunderous Past
His legs gave out, unable to bear the weight any longer.
“Emyr!”
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Charmaine’s voice rang out as she struggled to adjust, catching him just as he collapsed into her arms.
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