CHAPTER 352: YOU CALLED ME

Isiah’s rage burned within him as he stormed towards Lexie. He loomed over her, his knee pressing into the bed as he leaned in, intent on silencing her words.

But as his hand hovered dangerously close to her throat, his gaze fell upon the faint scars on her burned hand.

For a moment, he froze, the fury in his eyes momentarily eclipsed by a flicker of something else. With a clenched jaw, he withdrew slightly, his gaze piercing into hers.

"You called for me," he spat, his voice tinged with a mixture of anger and accusation. "I wasn’t looking for you... you were."

Lexie felt the weight of his presence bearing down on her. She closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself for his impending fury.

But as his hand hovered threateningly, ready to silence her, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of defiance.

With her eyes still closed, she mustered all the strength she had left and whispered defiantly, "I didn’t."

Isiah’s movements were deliberate as he reached out to the exposed skin on Lexie’s shoulder.

Gently, he peeled back the fabric, revealing the raw, angry burn beneath.

Leaning closer, his breath ghosting over her skin, he uttered in a low, almost accusing tone, "You called for me. You kept calling my name, don’t lie."

She gazed at Isiah’s lips, mere inches from hers.

"And you came," she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, yet weighted with significance.

With a gentle yet insistent pull, she guided Isiah towards her, her fingers tracing the contours of his strong shoulders.

Caught off guard by Lexie’s sudden movement, Isiah stumbled forward, his body tumbling onto hers with unexpected force.

The air rushed out of his lungs as he landed beside her, his muscles tensing instinctively.

For a moment, there was silence between them, broken only by the sound of their breathing mingling in the air.

Lexie, undeterred by the suddenness of their closeness, wrapped her arms around Isiah, pulling him closer to her with a gentle urgency.

Despite the unexpected nature of their embrace, there was an undeniable warmth in the way their bodies molded together, fitting like pieces of a puzzle.

Lexie’s voice broke the silence, soft and vulnerable. "Isiah," she whispered, her words hanging in the air like a delicate melody. "Compared to Ethyl and Astrid, I am nothing. I know that. But... can you just send me to sleep?"

"Who do you think you are?" he said sharply, his tone cutting through the air like a blade.

"I’m no one... literally no one," she replied with a hint of desperation in her voice. "I just can’t open my eyes... and just the thought that you’re here next to me fills me with joy... I want to sleep soundly for once."

Lexie was overcome with dizziness, her hands clutching onto his shirt as if he were her lifeline. In her disoriented state, her lips brushed against his neck unintentionally, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Isiah," she murmured, her voice filled with a mix of longing and desperation, "you left me that day... I don’t want to blame you or anything, but... I felt so lonely... like there was no point to my life anymore... Yet, I kept going... I just hoped that somehow, miraculously, you’d show up... But you didn’t... I was about to die, even without all that the people of Triavert did... I was about to die out of longing... I missed you terribly, especially knowing that you were with Astrid... I’m sorry, but... I’m not a good person... I hated her... I hated the thought of her kissing you, touching you in ways I might never experience... I hated imagining you being so intimate with her... I hated the vulnerability you might have shown in those intimate moments... Isiah... I..."

Her words trailed off, Isiah looked down at her. Exhaustion finally overtook her, and she drifted off to sleep.

Isiah moved to lie down on the bed next to Lexie, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he stared up at the ceiling.

He felt the weight of exhaustion settle over him, a weariness that seemed to seep into his bones.

Lexie’s desperation was palpable, evident in every gesture and word she uttered.

Yet, Isiah found himself unable to fully engage with her turmoil. It was as if he had built a fortress around his emotions, shielding himself from the tumultuous storm that raged within her.

With a resigned acceptance, Isiah closed his eyes, allowing the darkness of sleep to envelop him.

Despite his initial intention to stay awake, the weariness of the day weighed heavily upon Isiah.

The comfort of the bed and the gentle rhythm of Lexie’s breathing beside him lulled him into a state of drowsiness he couldn’t fight.

As Isiah slowly stirred awake, the soft light of morning filtering through the curtains greeted his drowsy eyes.

At first, disoriented by sleep, he struggled to place his surroundings, but as awareness returned, the events of the previous night flooded back with startling clarity.

A gentle weight against his waist drew his attention, and with a slight shift, he realized Lexie lay beside him, her arm draped over him in a tender embrace.

Her touch, feather-light yet intimately comforting.

Lexie’s fingers delicately traced the contours of his dark, tousled hair, her movements imbued with a tenderness that stirred something deep within him.

Her eyes remained closed, lost in the tranquility of the moment, as she murmured soft words of endearment.

"My most favorite person... my beloved... Isiah," she whispered.

Isiah turned around to face her .

As Isiah’s gaze settled upon her, Lexie’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing with a delicate pink hue.

Shyness enveloped her like a soft veil, and she averted her gaze, finding solace in studying the rise and fall of his chest.

"I’m sorry," she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought you were asleep."

Lexie dared a fleeting glance upward, her breath catching in her throat as she met his gaze, dark and searching.

"I didn’t mean to intrude," she added, her voice tinged with a hint of apology. "I just... I wanted to be close to you."

She withdrew her hands from him, a sudden rush of apprehension flooding her senses.

Meeting his steady gaze, she found herself momentarily lost in the depths of his eyes, searching for a hint of understanding.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a sharp blade.

"What do you mean?" she countered, her voice tinged with confusion and uncertainty.

"I’m not taking you with me," he clarified, his tone firm yet not unkind. "But I will allow you to choose where you want to go."

Her eyes brimmed with unexpected tears at his words. Drawing closer, she enveloped him in a tight embrace, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to be with you, Isiah."

He remained unmoved, his tone firm yet tinged with a hint of sorrow. "Don’t misunderstand, you’re still going to succumb to that burn."

Lexie’s heart sank at his words, a wave of despair washing over her. She felt the weight of his statement pressing down on her, the harsh reality of her mortality looming before her.

Despite the pain, she couldn’t bring herself to let go of him. Instead, she clung to him tighter, seeking solace in his embrace.

"I’ve already faced death once," she uttered softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I’m not afraid of dying. I’m only afraid of being without you."

Isiah remained silent, his gaze fixed on her as if searching for something in her eyes.

After a moment, he spoke in a voice tinged with uncertainty, "You don’t understand... the consequences..."

Feeling the weight of his words, Lexie hugged him even tighter, her tears soaking his shirt.

Amidst her sobs, she whispered, "I don’t care about the consequences, Isiah. All I know is that I can’t bear to be apart from you. Please, don’t leave me."

A knock at the door shattered the fragile intimacy she had forged. Isiah tensed, reluctantly pulling away from Lexie as he glanced towards the entrance, a flicker of irritation crossing his features.

"May I enter?" Eijar’s voice called from the other side of the door, echoing through the room with a touch of urgency.

"Come in," Isiah replied curtly, his tone carrying a note of impatience.

As Eijar entered the room and spotted Isiah and Lexie in the same bed, her expression softened with relief.

She crawled towards Lexie until she reached the bed, then spoke in a mix of concern and admonishment, "You scared me, you stupid girl. I thought you were gone for good."

Lexie sat up to face Eijar, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

With a trembling hand, she wiped away her tears and met Eijar’s gaze. "I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice barely above a hoarse murmur.

Eijar then shifted her gaze to Isiah, a hint of concern in her expression. "Astrid is looking for you, Master," she informed him, her voice tinged with a sense of urgency.