Always, It's You

Chapter 67

Ashley woke up with sunlight coming through the window beside the bed. Her head felt light. The last thing she remembered was Taehyung shoving some clothes in her hands to change.

She tried to sit and the whole room seemed spinning around her. Her mouth felt coarse and dry. What time was it??

"Good morning," Taehyung entered the room with a bowl in his hand.

"Morning!" She could barely recognize her voice.

Taehyung put the bowl on the nightstand. It had some sort of liquidy stuff in it. She looked at Taehyung with questions in her eyes.

Taehyung leaned in and touched his lips on her forehead, "The fever is gone down I see!"

"Yes, thank you," Ashley tried to sit up.

Taehyung helped her get down and went into the bathroom. Ashley felt much better after few splashes of water.  She took time to freshen up and when she came out, Taehyung was waiting outside. He helped her get on the bed again and handed her the bowl with a spoon.

Ashley scrunched up her nose seeing the food. "Looks like gooey stuff."

" Nutritious gooey stuffs," Taehyung smiled, " its Jook, rice porridge. It's good for fever. Dig in."

Ashley scooped a spoonful and gulped it down." You know what? It's not half bad! Good actually. Since when you can cook?"

" Jin hyung cooked. Not me."

" Jin Oppa? When?"

" I was at lost. Eomma is still in Daegu. Didn't know what to do. When I said it in the chatroom, Jin hyung stopped by this morning to drop this."

Ashley thumped back, "I am so embarrassed. Caused a lot of trouble for you guys."

"Ash," Taehyung's voice was quieter than usual.

Ashley looked at him.

"You know you can trust me, right?"

Ashley nodded and hummed a little.

"Then don't hold back when you are going through something."

"Tae.."

"I may not understand what is causing you pain, but I can hear you out to the least. I need to know if you trust me or not."

"I know, I am sorry," sighed Ashley.

"No more secrets. Please?"

"No more secrets." Ashley smiled.

Ashley finished the porridge and Taehyung gave her medicine, "I've called in sick on your behalf. The number was on your phone."

"Thank you."

Taehyung slipped in the blanket beside Ashley with a book a while later. Ashley snuggled close to him. Taehyung wrapped her in his hand and opened the book.

"I thought books makes you sleepy," Ashley mumbled, "You said it in an interview."

"Don't trust interviews," Taehyung smiled mischievously. "We still say we are not looking forward to any romantic relationships. And here I  am!"

Ashley smiled.
They both read in uninterrupted silence. Taehyung stopped when he realized Ashley again drifted off.
He closed the book and carefully pulled her closer to his chest.
His eyes lingered on the scar on her shoulder which was peeking out again. A pale white scar with pale dots on both sides indicating enormous stitching done to close it back then. Suddenly he wanted to touch his lips on it, kiss it, heal it, erase the scar not only from here but from the heart as well.