Chapter 199: Lifetime Chase

Avery wakes slowly. The nurse is gently shaking her arm. "Mrs. Howel, Mrs. Howel," the nurse whispers, "Please wake up. Your husband is here."

She blinks groggily and looks around the room, but she doesn't see Evan. Carefully, she stretches her arms and legs, but the sore muscles ache. She sits up and waits impatiently, but Evan doesn't enter the room. "Well, where is he?" she asks the nurse.

The nurse looks down at her shoes. "Mr. Howel is in the emergency room," the nurse says.

Avery freezes. "The emergency room?"

"Mr. Howel has been in an accident," the nurse says.

Avery jumps to her feet, ignoring the pain in her body and runs out of the room barefoot. She barely notices the feel of the cold linoleum on her feet. The hall is too bright, and everything seems to be spinning. She stumbles into the emergency room and grabs Robert by the shoulders.

"Where's Evan? What happened? Is he going to be okay? What did the doctors say?" she asks breathlessly.

Robert grabs her by the hands to steady her and leads her to a chair. "Mr. Howel is going to be fine," he says. "He has a cut on his forehead and a mild concussion. He's getting stitched up now."

Avery tries to control her breathing, but waves of guilt twist her stomach into knots. None of this would have happened if I hadn't asked him to get me a cupcake, she thinks. This is all my fault. I selfishly wanted to get rid of him, and I almost lost him forever.

"Can I see him?" she asks.

"He'll be out soon," Robert says. He glances down at her feet and frowns. "Mrs. Howel, you're not wearing shoes."

Avery looks down at her bare feet in surprise. They look pale and vulnerable on the hard, bright floor. She feels forgetful and foolish, and she wonders if it's because of the pregnancy or the toxin in her body. She wonders if someone is still dosing her with the poison. Could the toxin affect the baby?

Her mind wanders, and Robert taps her on the shoulder. He offers her a pair of soft, fur-lined boots. Before she can put them on, door swings open, and Evan emerges. He struts across the emergency room with cold confidence. Despite the gauze on his forehead, his presence is commanding and hypnotizing. Avery jumps to her feet and rushes to his side, burying her face in his wrinkled shirt.

"Please tell me you're not hurt anywhere else," she said into his chest.

He pulls away from her and looked her up and down. His mouth twitches when he sees the flower in her hair and settles into a frown when he looks at her bare feet.

"Where are your shoes?" he asks.

"I-I forgot them," Avery says, taken aback by his cold tone. "They said you were in the emergency room, and I panicked."

"Well put some shoes on," Evan snaps. "You look ridiculous."

Avery slides her feet into the boots. By the time she gets them on, Evan is already halfway across the room. He glances back at her but doesn't wait. He rushes out of the room with his hands in his pockets, and she has to chase after him.

In the elevator, he presses his back against the opposite wall. Avery can't help but remember all the times he'd wrap his arms around her from behind or use the temporary privacy to kiss her. Soothing jazz plays in the background, but the atmosphere is tense and awkward. She tries to meet his eye, but he won't even look at her.

She wonders if he's angry, but she can't think of anything she's done to anger him. What else has changed, she wonders. The realization hits her suddenly, and she feels her stomach twist. Leonie's pregnancy is the most recent change, she thinks. Her scalp feels prickly, and a sudden cold sweat pops up on her forehead. She closes her eyes and takes a deep, calming breaths. As soon as the elevator dings, she rushes out and waits for Robert. Evan doesn't seem to notice that she's not following him anymore.

"Robert, I need you to tell me the truth," she says. "Is it really just a mild concussion?"

Robert nods.

"Well, did the doctor mention any side effects?" Avery asks. "I know severe concussions can cause amnesia, but what about the mild ones? Can they affect a person's memory? Or their personality?"

Robert smiles, pityingly. "He's not suffering from amnesia, Mrs. Howel. But I suppose there could be some um temporary changes in personality."

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Avery raises her eyebrows. Something about Robert's words seems off, and she can't shake the feeling that he's not quite telling the truth. She sighs and walks back to her room. Evan is sitting on the sofa with a laptop opened on his lap. The sun from the window lights him from behind, casting his face into shadow. He doesn't look up at her.

Avery sighs loudly and sits down next to Evan. His posture stiffens immediately, but he doesn't look up from his screen. Robert knocks at the door and passes Avery a paper bag.

"Here's your cupcake, Mrs. Howel," Robert says.

Avery opens the bag expecting a mess, but it's perfectly neat. The flimsy plastic box isn't smashed or cracked, and the icing on the cupcake isn't even smeared.

"How bad was the accident?" Avery asks confusedly.

"The car was totaled," Robert replies.

"But you and the cupcakes are completely fine?" Avery asks. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Evan glance up from his screen, but by the time she turns to look at him, he's looking down at his computer again. They're both acting so weird, she thinks. What's really going on here?

"It's just one of those coincidences," Robert says with a quick but meaningful look at Evan. "Anyway, why don't you enjoy your cupcake?"

Avery bites her lip but decides it's pointless to argue. Clearly, the men are keeping something from her, and they seem determined to hide the truth. She struggles to open the plastic cupcake box, cracking the thin plastic in the process. She rolls her eyes and takes a bite of the cupcake. The cake is rich and sweet, and the cream cheese icing is just slightly tangy.

She intentionally leaves a bit of icing on her lip. Evan looks up from his laptop and stares at her without moving a muscle. In the past, he would have licked it off her, but now he sits as motionless and cold as an ice sculpture. Avery sighs and licks her own lip. She finishes the cupcake, but it seems dry in her mouth.

She gets up and looks out the window. There's a carnival in the park near the hospital. Thousands of colorful lights flicker on the merry-go-round. As the ride begins to spin, the lights blur together, creating a dreamy, colorful rainbow. She sighs, watching the horses trapped in an eternal chase. No matter how many times the merry-go-round spins, the horses will never get any closer to each other.

"When can we leave the hospital?" Avery asks without looking away from the carnival.

"When do you want to leave?" Evan asks.

"The sooner, the better, it's stuffy here," Avery says, turning to look at him.

"Fine," Evan says. "I'll have Robert discuss it with the doctors. They'll probably discharge you tomorrow anyway."

Avery smiles and nods. She never thought the Howel estate would feel like a safe-haven, but she's suddenly eager to return. Evan frowns and glances at his watch.

"It's getting late," Evan says as he stands up. "I'll ask someone to take care of you on my way out."

"Wait, you're leaving?" she asks.

"Of course," Evan replies.

"Why not stay for dinner?" she asks, hating how desperate her voice sounds.

"No, I have other business to attend to," he says. "Stay here and follow the doctors' orders."

"Wait," Avery says, rushing after him. She lightly grabs his arm and raises herself onto her tiptoes, tilting her head back to be kissed. Instead of leaning down, he pats her lightly on the shoulder. As soon as his hand brushes her, he jerks it away and lets it fall heavily by his side. He doesn't glance back as he leaves.

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