30 Days As A Substitute Prince

Chapter 22

“Aria.” 

Chad’s heart welled at the sight of the woman he wanted to see since the moment he woke up. Even though he had been asleep for the past two days, it felt like it had been forever since he’s seen her. 

Slowly, Aria stalked into the room with tears in her eyes. It had been two whole days of torture for her, wondering if he was going to wake up even though the doctor assured them multiple times that he was okay. 

It was all horrible. The never ending looking over her shoulder, wondering if Heather would come after her too, and most of all, the endless task of distracting herself from the fact that the man she was falling in love with was lying in the infirmary--unconscious. 

She hadn’t visited him. Aria didn’t think she was strong enough to face him like this. She feared that seeing him asleep without seeing his smiles, hearing his voice and feeling his hand on hers would  break her a part. 

Of course she felt guilty that she would find anything to do but see him. She equipped herself mostly with the task of finding Heather. As much as her parents assured her that they would deal with the security and the guards, Aria didn’t let up. 

So eventually, they allowed her to be  a part of the search party, or at least lead it. 

She wanted to protect him. The horrific image of her prince lying at the base of the stairs with his eyes closed and  his hand  twisted in an unusual way was enough to keep her awake at night. What nobody knew – not even the guards--was that she slept outside of the infirmary for the past two nights. 

It was completely impossible to sleep in her bed, knowing he was down here. 

Losing herself in work, grief and anger had made her unrecognisable by her sisters. She didn’t eat with them either, nor did she speak. 

When Liziath offered to go with her to see him, she would simply decline and leave to search for Heather again. 

But now, when Tina told her that he was awake, she didn’t want to do anything else but run to him. 

His smile that she was longing to see met her at first glance as she stepped into the room.   Even with her blurred vision, she could see him well enough to have his smile warming her heart that had been cold from the day he was brought here. 

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Liziath mumbled before leaving the room. 

Chad tried to sit up better so that he could greet her, and once the door closed behind her sister, Aria ran the rest of the way towards him. 

She almost launched herself at him until she remembered that his arm was broken, and so she resorted in gently sitting beside him. Immediately, she engulfed him in a hug and her tears came in full folds. 

Chad held her as close as he could with his one good arm as her body shook with each sob. He blinked away his own tears when he realised how much she was hurting. 

He no longer felt hurt that she didn’t visit him, because at that moment, he understood. 

“I’m right here,” he whispered in her ear as her grip grew tighter and tighter, as if she feared he would disappear if she let go. “I’m right here.” 

She climbed all the way on the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around his torso before burying her face in his chest. Chad sighed. 

He knew she needed this as much as he did. If he was in her place, he didn’t know what he would’ve done.