Autophobia

Thankful

Zane wasn't surprised to see Amelia like this. He could only guess what was slipped into her drinks last night. But he did expect her to be very ill this morning. He also considered her small size too. All morning Amelia has been seated by the toilet. The maid has been giving her water whenever her cup was empty. Not knowing exactly what was in her system, Zane didn't let Amelia take anything for her headache or her stomach cramps.

They were both in her room. Amelia was in her small personal bathroom and Zane sat in a chair just outside and out of the way for the maid to come in and out. The maid was currently in the kitchen, making Amelia some eggs and toast. Neither of them talked to each other yet. Amelia had her head rested on the seat of the toilet. She was in some pajamas the nurse had changed her into last night. Her hair was a rat nest on the top of her head. Tears from throwing up covered her cheeks.

Before Zane came to Amelia's room this morning he did call Benard and Hazel. He remembers very clearly tapping each number slowly, as if to give Mason time. He was still mad but to hear it go to voice message made him feel a lot better. It was amazing how easy it is to get rid of people.

As much as Zane hated to admit it, he appreciated Carlo coming to drink with him last night. He knows he struggles to sympathize with others and it clearly showed with Amelia. Zane knows his struggle is not an excuse for how he had treated her. And in the beginning he'll admit that he did not care to change that. After what happened tonight, after realizing how easily he can lose her, he realized that he needs to change, not Amelia.

Now he's hoping that she'll open up once he is able to change.

Carlo, although a charming and understanding man, is a bad man, sometimes a twisted man. When he listened as Zane explained what he did to get Amelia, he was not disgusted nor mad. Carlo has been in the human trafficking business and has never owned his own a slave but it was big money for him. He actually said that Carter should have put a price on Amelia for profit at least. As fuck up as it sounds, Zane would have paid the price if Carter had offered.

Carlo did call Zane an idiot. If Zane wasn't such and asshole in the beginning and physical with Amelia, Carlo claims that Amelia would have opened up to him at least a little bit by now. Zane does want to change for Amelia. Right now he doesn't really care if Amelia likes him or not. Zane just wants her to feel safe around him. Right now, that's all he wants.

Zane was brought back out of his thoughts when he heard Amelia start to vomit again. Before, the maid would help hold her hair back but she wasn't here now. He only stepped in when he saw Amelia struggling to hold her hair back. He quickly stepped behind her and grabbed her messy hair gently back. Amelia let go of her hair and used her hands to support herself as she finished vomiting.

She has vomited most of her food earlier. Now she was only puking up yellow stomach acid. Zane new how that felt but watching her go through it made it seem worse.

When she finished she let out a coughing fit. Zane could feel her body shake every time she coughed. As she started to calm down she reached for the small towel that was set on the rim of the bathtub and used it to wipe her face. Zane let go of her hair and sat back down.

He wasn't really sure what he should do with himself so he decided to pull out his phone, unsure what to even do on his phone. He didn't finish unlocking it when Amelia spoke.

"Thank you."

Zane stopped his hand. To hear her say that was strange. It must have been the first real sincere thing she's said since she got here. He shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes on his phone.

"Its nothing."

"No."

Zane looked to her. She was looking at him with her head resting on the toilet seat. Even with her pearly white skin he could tell how ill she felt. She looked more sickly than Zane thought she should be.