Chapter 85: Don't pretend to be Nice

The plane shakes violently and begins to tilt dangerously to the left. Broken glass litters the aisle. If Avery falls to the floor, she'll be badly hurt. With a swift motion, Evan jumps from his seat and hugs her protectively. Just as he reaches her the plane tilts again and he falls to the floor, pulling her on top of his body.

The shards of glass pierce his back and he makes a soft, pained sound. Though Avery is slender, her weight on top of him has forced the glass even deeper into his back. Avery tries to scramble up so she's not hurting Evan, but he holds her tightly and protectively.

"Mr. Howel," Robert yells.

The plane steadies and Robert and the bodyguards rush to help Evan. Robert helps Avery up and a bodyguard pulls Evan to his feet. Dozens of shards of glass pierce Evan's back, and blood seeps into the back of his shirt.

"Sit down, fasten your seat belt, and don't bother me," Evan commands, pushing her into a chair.

"What the hell happened?" he asks Robert.

"We've hit a gale-force storm, and the plane may be damaged," a bodyguard says, running from the cockpit, "The pilot says we have to land. We're near Pleasure City, so the pilot is going to try to make it into the airport there."

"Mr. Howel, there's alcohol on the plane. I'll help you clean your wounds," Robert says.

He glares at Avery.

"Maybe this divorce is a good idea," Robert thinks, "Being near her seems to be dangerous for him. He's either upset or sick or injured."

"Let me help him," Avery says, unfastening her seatbelt.

"Do none of you have common sense?" Evan roars, "The plane is landing. Sit down and fasten your seatbelts. Do you all have a death wish?"

"Mr. Howel, the wound should be cleaned quickly to prevent infection," Robert says.

"It can wait until we get to a hotel," Evan growls.

Robert knows he can't argue with his boss so he sits down. He also knows that Evan's outburst was directed at Avery. In spite of the divorce, Evan cares deeply for Avery, but he's too proud to let her see his concern.

The rain is torrential, blocking the noon light and making the day as dark as night. Lightning and thunder crash violently all around them. The plane lands, and a bodyguard informs Evan that the roads are flooded, making travel by car impossible. They'll have to risk a helicopter.

There is a big lido on the roof of the five-star hotel—and it's widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and luxurious in the country. Luscious, tropical plants surround the pool and sway precariously in the wind. The water of the pool is whipped into waves by the ferocity of the storm. In spite of the rain and wind, a line of black-suited hotel staff lines up to meet the helicopter.

The helicopter touches down and Robert, Evan, and Avery emerge with a few bodyguards. The hotel staff bows deeply to Evan. Though the hotel is a famous luxury resort replete with Michelin starred restaurants, ballrooms, and casinos, Evan is one of the most distinguished guests they've ever had.

The hotel staff shows them to the presidential suite. Though Evan is bleeding profusely, no one notices because the dark color of his coat disguises the bloodstains. Moreover, no one dares to look at him long enough to see that anything is wrong.

Robert immediately summons a doctor to the room and helps Evan take off the coat. Evan's shirt is torn and dark with blood. With careful gestures, Robert takes a pair of scissors and cuts the cloth of the shirt away from Evan's back. The shards of glass glint menacingly in the light, the blood has already started to coagulate on his skin. Avery turns away from the wounded back.

"Mr. Howel, we need to pull the broken glass out," the doctor says, "Some of them are in quite deep. When I pull them out, it will be very painful. I recommend using the anesthetic."

"No anesthetic," Evan says.

Avery hears Evan's heavy breathing and the soft plink of the shard's landing in a tray. She squints her eyes shut and tries to ignore the sounds. She doesn't understand why he acted that way on the plane—using his own body to shield her from harm.

"It doesn't make sense," she thinks, "I'm divorcing him, and he knows there's nothing left he can get from me. What were his motives for saving me, then?"

Against her better judgment, she turns to look at him. She finds that he's staring intently at her. His expression is unreadable, and it makes her anxious.

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When the doctor finishes removing the glass, he applies alcohol to the wounds. Some of the punctures are deep and he has to stitch them. Evan's body tenses and stiffens as the needle and thread pierce his skin, but he doesn't make a sound. His whole body emanates coldness.

Avery looks at the wounds on his back, and his defiant expression and she feels a wrenching sensation in her chest. Gently, she takes his hand in hers.

"You need to be careful with these wounds," the doctor advises, "Keep them clean and avoid getting them wet. You also need to avoid any activity which could strain the stitches or reopen the wounds. You can apply salve to the smaller wounds, but be careful with the larger ones."

The doctor passes Robert an antibacterial cream and leaves.

"Mr. Howel, the weather forecast calls for torrential rains and storm force winds for the next three days, so we'll have to stay here," Robert says.

Evan nods unhappily and stands up. His back is covered in gauze, but his chest is bare. He drops Avery's hand and walks into the dressing room as if she's not there. Robert rushes after him, but after a few minutes, Avery can hear Evan roar, "Get out!" and Robert reappears looking distressed.

Avery looks at Robert, "Can I help you?"

"Mr. Howel thinks I'm too clumsy to help him, but he can't put a shirt on by himself. Can you please go help him?" Robert asks.

Avery walks into the dressing room quickly and sees that Evan has a shirt on one arm. He seems unable to pull it onto the other. Since he refused the anesthetic, even the lightest touch on his back causes him great pain.

"Let me help you," she says with a sigh.

Evan roughly pushes her away.

"I'm not going to ensure your meddling just because we were once husband and wife," he snarls.

"Evan Howel, your back is hurt because of me, and I'm going to help you put that shirt on," Avery scolds.

She approaches him but he pushes her away again. She knows that the force with which he's pushing must be straining the stitches. She's scared he's going to tear his wounds open again.

"You don't need to pretend to be nice to me just because you have a guilty conscience," Evan says, trying to put his arm in the other sleeve, "Just leave me alone."

He fails to get his arm into the sleeve. Hesitantly, Avery approaches him and grabs the sleeve, gently guiding his arm into it.

"According to Robert, the other rooms are fully booked," she explains, "Since the rain prevents me from leaving, you'll just have to settle for ignoring me."

Though her tone is stubborn, she feels guilty. The information upsets Evan. 

"You really can't bear to be in the same room as me?" he asks

"You asked me to leave you alone," Avery says with frustration, "What do you want me to do?"

She sighs. It's typical for Evan to ask for something and then blame her. She has to admit, she would prefer to be in a separate room. Evan curls his lip and calls for Robert.

"Are there any other rooms in the hotel?" Evan asks Robert.

"No, all the rooms are booked because of the storm. Only chambers for hotel staff are available."

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