RENT A HEART

Eve's POV

I hadn't meant to eavesdrop on my brother's conversation with Chris, but once I overheard that Frederick was behind Chris's accident, I couldn't bring myself to leave the doorway.

'What is going on?' I asked myself inwardly, pressing my ear closer to the door as I strained to listen to their hushed words.

'What does Cole mean by everything he's saying?'

'Why does he sound so different?'

'And what evil has Frederick committed in the past?'

The questions came crashing down on me like an avalanche, overwhelming and unanswered.

I felt a growing unease, a suffocating weight pressing down on me with every word my brother spoke about Frederick. I could no longer bear to stand there, listening, and I slipped away towards the restroom.

I splashed cold water on my face as soon as I entered the sterile space, desperate to ensure that I wasn't dreaming. The shock of the icy water on my skin confirmed my suspicions. This was indeed real, not some elaborate nightmare conjured by my anxious mind.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes wide with disbelief and confusion, trying to make sense of everything I had overheard just moments ago.

'Surely there must be a mistake somewhere. I've known Frederick since we were kids. He was the sweetest kid I knew,' I said to myself inwardly, clinging to the memories of the boy I had grown up with.

Just as I was lost in thought, my phone rang, jolting me back to reality. I fumbled in my bag, pulling out my phone to see a call from Frederick. My hand trembled, and the phone slipped from my grasp, clattering against the hard tile floor.

"What does he want?" I mumbled, my voice barely audible, before hesitantly picking up the phone. I stared at the screen, my heart pounding in my chest, before dropping the phone back into my bag as if it were a burning coal.

I washed my hands, cleaned my face, took a deep breath, and tried to compose myself before steeling my nerves and leaving the restroom to return to Chris's room.

I knocked lightly on the door and then went in, surprised to see my brother, Cole, still there.

"Cole?" I called out, feigning surprise at his presence as I set down the things I had brought with me on the table.

"Hi, Eve," he replied, a warm smile gracing his lips as he turned to face me. He enveloped me in a hug, a gesture that was all the more surprising because he wasn't normally the touchy-feely, emotional type.

"I just came to see my little sister's boyfriend and see how he was doing," he said, his tone light, attempting to downplay the intensity of the conversation I had just overheard.

"Oh, that's nice of you," I said, forcing a smile and pretending not to have overheard every word of their hushed exchange.

He nodded, his eyes meeting mine for a brief, knowing moment before informing us that he needed to take his leave.

"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask why you took the time to visit me, when you weren't obligated to, given what the news said about our family's history," Chris asked my brother, his tone curious and a bit probing.

"Stratos has been instrumental in building the best structures for Apex Holdings subsidiaries. I still have some important projects I need your company to handle for me, so it would have been a significant loss from a business perspective. And besides," he said, turning to look back at me, a hint of warmth softening his typically detached expression...

"Eve already told me that your father was innocent and you have evidence to back it up, so it's a win-win situation for me," he said simply, his gaze unwavering.

"Fair enough," Chris said, nodding in understanding. Afterwards, Cole bid us goodbye and left.

"I missed you so much," Chris said softly as soon as we were alone, his voice laced with tenderness. My heart skipped a beat. I didn't think I would ever get used to how sweet he was, or how charming he looked, even with the bandage wrapped around his head.

"I was with you until this morning, Chris," I chuckled, trying to downplay the intensity of my own feelings. He merely pouted, his lips forming a cute, almost childish expression.

"It doesn't matter. Left to me, I would be around you every waking hour of every day. That's how much I love you," he said, beaming at me, his arms outstretched in an open invitation.

"Come here," he murmured, his eyes sparkling with affection, and I couldn't help the blush that bloomed across my cheeks.

"Are you always this cheesy and sweet?" I teased, smiling as I crossed the room and climbed onto the bed.

I had been sitting at the edge of the bed throughout Cole's visit, and even though I was dating Chris, and my brother knew how much I liked him, I still felt a strange sense of self-consciousness about displaying any overt signs of affection while Cole was around. It was as if I needed to maintain a certain level of composure and decorum in his presence.

As soon as I was within arm's reach, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest, his embrace warm and comforting.

"No, I'm not always cheesy," he said, his voice muffled against my hair, "only when I'm with you, of course. And my goodness, you smell so good," he added, tucking his face into the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply, his breath tickling my skin.

"Can you let me go now?" I asked, my voice laced with amusement. I needed to serve him the food I had brought with me, and as much as I enjoyed being held in his arms, my stomach was starting to rumble in protest.

"One more minute, please," he said, his grip tightening slightly. I just chuckled, unable to resist his charming clinginess, and gently patted him on the back, reassuring him that I wasn't going anywhere.

We stayed like that for over a minute, lost in the comforting silence of our embrace, before he finally reluctantly let go of me, his eyes still sparkling with affection.

"Have you had dinner?" I asked, stepping away from him and beginning to unpack the food I had brought from home, my hunger finally winning out over my desire for affection.

"Not yet. Your mum came around in the afternoon," he said, settling back against the pillows, watching me with an appreciative gaze.

"Oh, really?" I said, not one bit surprised. She had mentioned earlier that she was planning to visit him.

"Yeah, and she brought the most delicious food I have ever eaten," he said, smiling at the memory.

"Really? From how happy you look, you both must have had some quality time then," I teased, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, we did," he said, his smile widening, before reaching for a fork and beginning to eat with gusto.

We ate together, sharing the food I had brought, as I realized that I hadn't had lunch or dinner yet either. The simple act of sharing a meal together, even in a sterile hospital room, felt incredibly intimate and comforting.

--------

"Do you have to leave tonight?" Chris asked, his voice laced with a hint of disappointment as I lay on his chest on the bed. His left hand was drawing gentle circles on my arm, a soothing sensation that made me incredibly relaxed and calm.

"Well... yes. There's an important document at my house that I need to review and sign, and I have some meetings with a foreign investor that I need to attend virtually at midnight. So yeah," I said, trying to explain the urgency of the situation, while secretly wishing I could stay right where I was.

"I can send Franklin to get those things from your house and bring them here. In fact, you can stay here with me until I'm discharged. In case you haven't noticed, this ward is a standard suite with a kitchen and everything you need," he said, his voice persuasive.

He didn't explicitly say it, but I knew he was worried, worried for my safety. It killed me that I couldn't just come out and ask him directly what was going on, but I respected his need for privacy and his decision to keep me in the dark, for now.

I propped myself up on my elbow to look at him, my gaze softening. The nurses had removed the bandage on his head, allowing his beautiful raven-black hair to cascade around the sides of his face, making him look like one of those captivating Greek gods from ancient myths. He was so incredibly handsome that I was momentarily distracted from what I had wanted to say.

"Eve," he called out gently, his voice laced with concern, pulling me out of my reverie.

I smiled, touched by how curious he looked, as if he could sense my inner turmoil. Without thinking, I leaned in and gave him a soft, lingering kiss on the lips, a brief but tender gesture that conveyed all the pent-up emotions I couldn't express verbally.

"Don't tempt me like that, Eve," he groaned playfully, his eyes darkening with desire. I chuckled, reveling in the effect I had on him.

"I'll be fine, I promise," I said reassuringly, my voice soft. He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my assurance, although I could still detect a lingering worry in his gaze.

"So you accept my suggestion then?" he asked, his lips curving into a hopeful smile.

"Sure, but just for tonight, though," I stipulated, my tone teasing but firm. "And you need to remember that I am Eve, the biggest personality in the showbiz world, and a Mickelson, for that matter. I'll be fine," I stated, puffing out my chest with mock bravado before snuggling back into his arms.

"Alright then," he conceded, his voice warm and contented. "Besides, I'll be leaving here in a few days anyway," he murmured over my head as he cradled me closer, his embrace comforting.

"About your father's case, have you handed the footage to the police?" I asked, shifting the conversation to a more serious topic.

"Yeah, I already did. They've reopened the case, and the public will be made aware tomorrow," he said, his voice tinged with relief.

"I can't even imagine how your father must have felt when no one believed in his innocence, especially your father, who was his best friend at the time," I said sadly, my heart aching for the injustice he had suffered.

"Well, to be fair, everything pointed to my father being the prime suspect. My dad and your uncle Jaime were in a brawl because Jaime was hitting on my mum at the time," he narrated, his tone matter-of-fact.

"What? No one ever told me that! Oh my god!" I exclaimed, sitting up instantly, my eyes wide with shock.

"My uncle was hitting on your mum at the time?" I asked, my voice incredulous.

"Yeah, according to my dad, your uncle knew he liked my mum and was starting to date her, but Jaime tried to hit on her at one party they went to, and it led to a fight. Afterwards, the following day, your uncle was found dead, with my father lying atop him with the murder weapon," he narrated, his voice devoid of emotion.

The story was intriguing at first, offering a glimpse into how Chris's parents had met, but the end was heartbreaking, a tragic reminder of how an innocent man had been wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.

"I'm really sorry for your dad. The country has to compensate him for the wrongful sentencing," I said, my voice filled with sympathy.

"My father is a proud man; he wouldn't care about the money, to be honest," he said, chuckling softly.

I laid back down and snuggled back into his arms once again, burying my face in his chest as I prepared to sleep.

"Would you like to come with me to Atlantis when I leave this place?" I heard him ask.

"Really?" I asked, looking up at him, only to find him already staring down at me, his gaze tender and adoring.

"Yeah, I want to show you off to everyone," he said proudly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I'll be honored," I said, smiling, my heart swelling with happiness. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, his touch sending a shiver of delight down my spine.

"Thank you," that was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep, finally feeling safe and at peace in his arms.