White Is The Color Of Intimacy

Chapter 22

Angel heard but did not see. She felt but could not respond. It was like being engulfed in unbearable space, left floating in a pit nothing. Longing to see something.

She felt a soft hand caress her forehead. "Her fever has gone down." An unfamiliar voice mumbled beside her.

"How long is she going to be this way?" She heard before darkness overcame her.

"God, I'm sorry for not listening to you....If only I had listened when you warned me about her the first time, none of this would have happened." A distressed voice said.

"Stop it, Nikolay, this isn't your fault. Estelle wanted things beyond her grasp and she didn't care how she got them. You didn't know." Angel's heart leapt in her chest at the familiar voice.

Viktor? Viktor!

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"She's dehydrated...She's lost a lot of fluid."

"Do something, you're a doctor for Christ sakes, fix her! Wake her up!" Viktor snapped.

"I can't force her awake, she has to want it. This is her fight. I can only help her physically. But if she continues like this it'll only hurt her and the-," Darkness consumed her once more.

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"You need sleep, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to worry yourself to death." Alexei said.

"I don't need you to lecture me, Alexei!" Viktor snapped irritably. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine! How do you expect to care for her when you've worried yourself sick? You look awful. Sleep for a while before you end up in that bed beside her!"

"I can't sleep, not with her like this, look at her Alexei! She's wasting away! And the child, our child..."

Viktor...child? Why couldn't she speak?

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She felt warm familiar hands caressing her face. She felt soft, gentle lips pressing kisses along her skin and then her lips.

She wanted to open her eyes. She wanted to kiss those lips back. But she couldn't...she just couldn't.

"Please, wake up...Angel you can't stay this way forever...I love you. Come back to me." Viktor mumbled, his voice thick with emotion.

He loved her? He loved her!

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Angel's eyes peeled open and she winced at the pounding headache that plagued her. Her body felt heavy and her limbs felt stiff. Her throat burned and her lips felt dry and cracked.

She groaned, squinting despite the darkness of the room.

Suddenly she heard rustling and looked down to find Viktor sleeping at her side, his short hair overgrown and cascading over his face. His lips were parted as he breathed softly, his lashes fluttered with every intake of air.

She reached down, wincing at the pins and needles feeling that radiated up her arm. She rested a hand in his hair, relishing in its softness. She moved her fingers through it for a moment before pulling her hand away. Viktor stirred, glancing up at her. He rubbed at his eyes before staring at her in disbelief.

"Angel?" He said, his voice hoarse. Before she could say anything he grabbed her, squeezing her in his arms.

She groaned at being squeezed so tight but did not stop him.