That Night √

49» That Hesitation

Grace's POV
« NOW »

When I woke up the next morning, Luca was there.

Which was surprising for me. Mainly because I hadn't expected to see him, or find him sitting on the chair beside my hospital bed, looking engrossed in his phone as he scrolled on it.

I hadn't expected to see him at all. Even though he had promised, I just thought that he didn't really mean it.

However, I came over the surprise just as quick and sat up, blinking and slowly rubbing my eyes. He looked up from his phone and regarded me with raised brows.

"You're here." Were the only words that came out of my mouth.

Maybe it was just my morning self or maybe he really did look much more exhausted than yesterday night. Had he just come back?

"I promised." He stated shortly before leaning back against the chair.

I eyed him for the next few seconds and he didn't seem to mind that. Even though he wasn't looking at his phone anymore, he still looked distracted.

"When did you come here?" I broke the silence.

He placed his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, few of his curls falling over his forehead. "Hours ago."

I looked over at the wall clock and realized how it was just 7 in the morning right now.

"How was the...party?" I pulled up the sheets against me, wrapping my arms around myself. I didn't want to stop talking to him. It felt nice talking to him.

He opened one eye and regarded me with a somewhat odd look. "Amazing."

That didn't settle well with me. Had he really gone to a party? Was there any chance that he was lying to me?

"Did Ryder ask you to threaten someone?" Sudden words blurted out of my mouth. I had no idea why it was those exact words that came out. Maybe it was what I had seen him doing at the Bridgeview Street, that made me say that.

After all, I knew nothing about what he really did for this Ryder guy. I never got to ask him. He never told me either.

A small smile tugged on his lips. This time, however, he didn't open any of his eyes. "It's amusing, the kind of questions you ask just after waking up." He said.

I frowned and urged myself to look away from his face. He was still in his leather jacket. I could see dirt smeared across some of its edges.

What had he been doing at that party?

"Does Marleen know that you work for him?"

"She doesn't need to know about everything?" He arched up one eyebrow, still not opening his eyes. Which was starting to annoy me for some reason. This whole Ryder thing was starting to annoy me.

"She's worried for you." I whispered, looking away. "You should tell her."

For some reason, I expected him to snap at me—something that was certainly predicted from him these days.

"I can't." Was all he said. And I failed to hear any sort of emotion in his voice, as if it was just that; nothing.

When the silence stretched even more and I still made no move to say anything, he exhaled heavily and straightened up, before opening his eyes and training them directly on me.