Liz was visibly upset, and Remington could see he had gone too far. He quickly straightened up, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm sorry. Next tI'll make sure to ask for your permission before kissing you." He paused, then added, "In person." Liz couldn't help but blush at his words, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as she retorted, "Don't bother asking, because there won't be a next time!" Just then, the elevator doors opened. She yanked her hand back and quickly exited the elevator, striding towards Thaddeus's hospital room without looking back to see if Remington was following.
Upon reaching the room and pushing the door open, Liz realized Remington was no longer behind her. She shrugged it off and closed the door.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe walked briskly to the bedside, where Zora had tidied up the mess. Thaddeus was still, and Zora mentioned, "Thaddeus tried to wake up when he heard the commotion earlier, but he couldn't manage it." Liz gently took Thaddeus's hand, reassuring him, "Bro, I'm fine. Just focus on getting better, take it slow." The doctor had said Thaddeus was like an old machine slowly cranking back to life, so there was no immediate cause for worry now that he was awake.
Suddenly, the door opened again. Liz turned to see Remington reappear, this tholding a tube of ointment. He approached Liz, grabbing her hand. "Didn't you hurt your head? Letapply sointment." He pulled her towards a couch by the window. Liz had forgotten about her injury until he mentioned it, feeling the pain anew.
"I can apply it myself," she said, reaching for the ointment.
Remington pressed on her shoulders, gently pushing her to sit down, and asked, "You got eyes on top of your head?" Liz thought about asking Zora for help, but before she could speak up, Zora had already slipped out the door, eager to avoid being roped into the situation.
Remington's fingers gently parted her hair, and Liz stopped resisting, pointing to the sore spot. He carefully moved her hair aside, revealing the reddened scalp. "'s swollen. Don't move! I need to apply this, or it might get infected." As he applied the ointment, a cool sensation spread across her scalp, soothing her tense nerves.
The room fell into a comfortable silence, and Liz found herself looking at Remington's broad chest, the outline of his muscles visible beneath his fitted silk shirt.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmTrying to distract herself, she began,
"You know, you don't have to pick and the s fights with Ethan and the others for me. Mrs Dashiell was right; mm an outsider now... Ow!"
Remington's application becmomentarily firmer, causing Liz ta wince in pain Shellooked up at him with a mix of accusation and pain in her eyes. Indeed, Liz and Remington were no longer married, making her an
outsider to his family. She was determined to stand up for herself if Shirley or anyone else tried to bother her again. But she worried that Remington's involvement might complicate things further, making her feel indebted to him once more. X