Before I could process the sting of her words, Asher was already scooping Celeste into his arms. “Come on, I’ll take you to the clinic,” he said, completely ignoring me.
“Asher, I’m fine!” Celeste protested weakly, but she didn’t resist.
“Asher,” I said quietly, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice, “I’ll wait here.”
He didn’t even acknowledge me.
Watching him carry her away, I felt the last of my strength drain from my body. It wasn’t just in my head—when Celeste was around, his true feelings slipped out, clear as day.
I forced myself to smile, bitter and hollow, before turning to find the healer’s room on my own.
Inside, the healer frowned as she checked my condition. “You’ve had a severe allergic reaction,” she said, her tone serious. “Your skin is reacting badly to something, and your temperature is dangerously high. Your breathing’s getting shallow too. We need to get you on an IV with antihistamines and some painkillers to help with the swelling.”
I nodded numbly, her words washing over me like a distant echo.
Out of habit, my hand reached for my phone to call Asher. But just as I was about to dial, I stopped myself.
No. Not this time.