paper.
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
“Sylvan!” Stella’s scream ripped through the stairwell, her voice trembling with panic as she sprinted toward him, clutching Celeste, who was out cold in her arms. “Sylvan, Celeste just passed out!!
“Stay calm,” Sylvan thought, but his mind was avoid
His eyes fixed on Stella, who had crumpled to her knees before him, and Celeste, her face flushed deep red, was unconscious. The same words pounded through his head. He had to stay calm.
Arthur, who’d apparently stuck close by, bolted ov
over at Stella’s cries. He crouched down, eyes scanning Celeste’s blotchy face,
“Stella? Don’t cry. We’re at the hospital, Come on, let’s get her to the emergency room!”
Sylvan lifted Celeste’s shirt, his breath hitching at the sight of the massive welts across her stomach. Then, it clicked
“Stella, what did you just give Celeste to eat?” he asked.
His sister had allergies, but Celeste had never reacted before. So, Sylvan and Cindy hadn’t been as cautious as they should’ve been. Once the cause clicked, they were hallway to figuring it out.
Stella wiped her tears, her mind racing she turned down candy earlier, so I gave her a sandwich T–There was peanut butter inside!”
Peanuts were a top allergen.
without hesitation, Arthur swept Celeste up into has aus. Sylvan reached for her, but Arthur fixed him with a hard stare
“Cindy still needs you here. I’d never hurt her kid. Let me go!”
Sylvan couldn’t argue. Every second counted for Celeste, and he had just signed Cindy’s emergency treatment consent form. His teeth ground together as be watched Arthur holding Celeste, rushing down the hall with Stella,
Awave of fury surged through Sylvan, and he drove his fist into the wall, Blood trickled from his split knuckles. A raw, frustrated screamtore from him b head dropped, silent sobs escaping him.
him before his
Arthur had been running on fumes since he’d gotten to the hospital that moming. Now, he felt his strength fading, but he couldn’t forget that the light, fragile figure in his atms was Cindy’s daughter. The child she loved more than anything
So, when his ankle gave way on the stats, he reacted purely on instinct, pulling Celeste close to his chest and absorbing the full impact with his arms and back as the sharp edges of the steps dug into him
Stellalet out a sharp cry of tear, nishing down to help. Arthur pushed himself up, his first frantic glance darting to Celeste.
ML Forsyth, I can cany Celeste!
“I’ve got her,” Arthur ground out, the pain in his ankle faring white–hot but he couldn’t stop–not when every second mattered. jaw clenched, he pushed forward sprinting toward the emergency room.
The doctors pinpointed the allergy right away. After a shot of epinephrine and some antihistamines, the terrifying rash finally started to recede.
Stella was beside herself, tears streaming nonstop. She loved Celeste. How could she have let this happen? The gullt twisted inside her, leaving her paralyzed,
insure of what to do.
Autio fully let himself sag. His anke screamed in protest, pain shooting up his leg with every shift, his forehead slick with sweat. He passed Celeste to Stella and
The reverbamed through him, dragging him toward unconsciousness, but Stella’s quiet wesping still reached hin
“Stop blaming yourself, Stella You did nothing wrong,” he said quietly,
Stella sobbed as she dabbed at Celeste’s damp forehead, her voice thick with remorse. “This never would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten her that sandwich…” *Nobody could’ve known about the pranut allergy. Finding out here at the hospital was the best–case scenario. Now we know what to watch out for.” Arthur had a poust
Stella conceded with a reluctant nod then did she notice the feverish fish on his face and day, cracked lips. He looked like he could fall at any moment, “Mi. Forsyth, air you okay?” she asked, her voice filled with contem
The pain was making it diffiniali to focus.
Titlursty Could you get me a glass of water,
The name hung the alt, hcomplete. Candy, so he knew she was alive. Stella couldn’t help but wonder if he knew Celeste was his daughter. This might be her only clateris ask if the ever planted to
The water
Her beam hannered against her as the cradled Celeste closer, grabbing the water glass from the ghtstand and shoving it into Arthur’s hands. T sewed to bring hien back to himself a little. He sat up straighter.
Stella hesitated before whispering, “Mr. Forsyth, you and Chuly.” Arbour’s face went blank for several heartbeats before he answered, “Sle
Adull ache settled intella’s dien. Inher eyes, Autour was me of thantare limforibire long yRAIS
the love of my life.”
the good ones, she couldn’t make sense of why Cindy would choose to pretend to be dead rather
From Max’s texts, she learned that Anur had been seeing apdaris regularly everage. He
“Was it some land of misunderstanding?” stella tred carefully, “Because
use if it were, you should talk it out. You’re still in love with her, right?”
Always
Maybe it was the fever raging through him, or the way every nerve seemed to be on fire, but Arthur felt an overwhelming urge to pour
stella’s gaze met his, her eyes wide and sincere so full of a quiet admiration that they reminded him of Cindy years ago. “I never stopped loving her. Whether it was right years ago, three years ago, or now,” Arthur murmured.
rout his heart
Chapter 22
