Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law-Chapter 258: Stare

"Why are you staring at my hand?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.

Melanie jerked in response and looked up, trying to play it off.

"Who said I was staring at your hand?"

"I can feel it, okay?" he said, wiggling his fingers slightly. "You’ve been boring holes into it for the past minute."

"Oh, huh. And I can feel my bones aching," she shot back, folding her arms. "No thanks to you."

Melanie glanced over her shoulder to check on Adir. The little one was bundled in his blanket, head lolled to one side in the backseat, fast asleep. She turned back, rested her elbow on the window, and looked at Adam’s hand again.

"I think your wrist is too sexy," she said, deadpan.

Adam sputtered, actually sputtered, and whipped his head toward her with wide eyes.

"What—?"

"Eyes on the road, Adam,"she warned, smirking.

He blinked, laughed under his breath, then without missing a beat, took one hand off the steering wheel and reached for hers. His fingers found hers easily, and he intertwined their fingers.

"Just accept it," he said. "You find everything about me sexy."

She scoffed. "Please."

"I mean it," he went on, unfazed. "The wrist, the voice, the hair, the piercing... I’m honestly flattered by how obsessed you are."

"You’re ridiculous," she muttered, though her cheeks betrayed her, blooming pink in the dim light. He really was attractive all over. How was she supposed to say that but! He’d become insufferable if she accepted that claim. So, she tried to tug her hand away, but he tightened his hold just slightly, enough to make it known he wasn’t letting go that easy.

"Well, I do," he said in a low voice, "I find everything about you sexy."

Melanie turned her head away, hoping he wouldn’t see the smile tugging at her lips. Well, it was good to hear that.

"That’s not the point," she muttered.

"No, the point is," he leaned a little closer, voice low, "you’re just scared to admit you feel the same."

Her throat felt dry all of a sudden.

"I’m not scared," she said, almost a whisper.

He looked at her, "Then don’t pull your hand away."

She didn’t. She simply let him hold her and turned her head to look out of the window... content to just hold hands with him. The quiet silence was soon broken by the ringing of Adam’s phone and she had to reluctantly let go to answer his phone. However, the moment she heard it, she felt her stomach fall.

She sent a worried glance at Adam, who raised an eyebrow in question, "What?"

Melanie stared at the phone screen, her heart sinking. She hesitated, then slowly turned her head to Adam and held his hand back.

"It’s the hospital. It’s Patrick. He’s... really sick. They’ve moved him to the ICU."

Adam’s face went still. For a second, he didn’t react- just looked straight ahead at the road, his jaw tightening. Then he nodded once and pressed his foot to the accelerator, the car gaining speed.

"I see. I just... I thought we’d have more time."

By the time they reached the hospital, the mood in the car had shifted entirely. Adam parked quickly, switched off the ignition, and turned to look at Adir, who was beginning to stir in the back seat.

"Hey, kiddo. Wake up."

Adir blinked and rubbed his eyes before grinning, " Have we reached? I can go see father now, right?"

Adam nodded, "Yeah. We’re at the hospital now. Your dad... he’s a little more sick today. He’s been taken to a special room to help him rest. But we’ll see how close we are allowed to go." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"But you’ve got to be brave. Strong. Your dad doesn’t need to see you upset right now. Can you do that for me?"

Another nod. Slower this time. His eyes were already moist.

Melanie helped him out of the car and quietly took his hand as they walked inside.

At the entrance to the VIP suite, a nurse looked up and smiled gently as she saw Adir.

"Sweetheart, your father’s waiting for you," she said kindly, kneeling a bit to be at his level. "But first, we’ve got to get you sanitized."

dir obediently held out his hands, his lips pressed tightly together as the cold sanitizer spread across his palms. He didn’t say anything. Just looked toward the door.

When they finally stepped inside, the room was dim, with just a few overhead lights casting a soft glow across the white walls and sterile surfaces. The bed was neatly made, and sitting upright against a pile of pillows was Patrick.

He wore a breathing mask, and the wires and tubes trailing from his arm made him look smaller somehow, more fragile. But his eyes lit up the moment they landed on his son.

Patrick lifted his arms without a word.

Adir hesitated at first. He looked at the mask, at the machines, at the thinness of his father’s face. Then slowly, carefully, he stepped forward and tucked himself into the space between Patrick’s arms, resting his small head against his chest.

Patrick held him, one trembling hand running through his son’s hair.

At the door, Adam looked at the scene for a moment, before walking away in a hurry. Melanie looked at him almost running down the hallway and then with a worried look at Adir, walked after him. Sometimes, people didn’t even realize their feelings. It seemed, Adam was coming to terms with his.

Outside, Adam leaned against the car, his head bowed, breathing heavily.

Seeing this, she knew he was feeling the loss as well. So, she just walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her forehead against his back. She felt his breath hitch, before he slowly turned around.

There were no words. He simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. His head lowered to her shoulder as she held him just as tightly in return, feeling him tremble.

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