Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 58: Honest Mistake

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Honest Mistake

Amelia came running over almost immediately.

Which was expected, of course, since she was usually the first to react in such situations.

But when she threw her arms around his middle and buried her face in his chest, he felt a little guilty since he could feel her trembling. Looking down at her messy brown hair, he let out a sigh.

"I'm fine," he rasped, gently setting his hand on her head. "Really. They've patched me up."

"You're all right, then?" Gus lowly demanded, examining him. "They've healed you?"

"As far as I know," Xaphile confirmed, glancing at Sinmir and Vrael, who were both resting against nearby walls with equally tired expressions. "Even my throat is doing better."

Then his eyes fell across Ella, who was staring at him in disbelief. She didn't move from her place by the fire, but her eyes, glinting with a mixture of emotions he couldn't quite articulate, roved over his face, hair, and bound-up foot with jagged darts.

"What transpired during our absence?" she stiffly inquired. "There's a great deal of unpleasant emotion radiating off of you like a cloud."

He winced, then gently pushed Amelia off of his chest.

"So much that it's kind of obnoxious."

As he spoke, he attempted to take a step forward; his knee didn't like this and decided to buckle like a cooked spaghetti noodle. He instantly grabbed the door frame, long black nails gouging the wood, eyes squeezed shut and face locked into a grimace.

His leg may have been doing better, but it still hurt like a bitch.

"Phil!" Amelia stammered, sweeping over and grasping his arm. "Are... are you truly all right? You don't look well at all!"

"Leg's weak," he muttered, taking a second to get his feet under him again. "Sorry."

Ella's eyes lingered on his foot, small fingers curling into fists.

When she spoke, her voice was laced with venom.

"They didn't heal you... they tried. Your voice is still raw and your wounds are still there."

"At least I'm not coughing up my lungs anymore," he retorted, frowning at her. "Sioh's poison probably would have made my condition worsen a hell of a lot more. Might have even killed me."

"Whose poison?" Vrael rasped, finally lifting his eyes. "Who's Sioh?"

His face was oddly sleepy-looking and his reddish brown irises were somewhat glazed over.

He looked like he'd been drugged.

"Sioh is that huge, ugly monster that attacked me back at the lake."

"That thing has a name?" Sinmir bellowed, raising his eyebrows so high they disappeared into his bangs. "What sort of person gives a demon like that a name?!"

"That's what I thought when they told me," Xaphile sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, they've healed me, so I'm fine now... just a bit hoarse. No getting loud for a few weeks. I can deal with it."

When he stepped forward, he put as little weight as possible on his wrapped-up foot.

Amelia moved aside when he slowly made his way toward the fire. Doing so entailed walking past Ella, however, and he couldn't help but cast a furtive glance at her when he neared.