Take Me Away novel Chapter 40

Spencer's head drooped slightly as bitterness crossed his features. "Grandpa, it is time for you to take a nap."

"I must say, that's the lamest excuse you have made to drive me away," Wayne smiled as placed a reassuring pat to his grandson's knee. "I was not done telling the most crucial parts yet!"

"As you wish, Grandpa. Who am I to stop you?" Spencer replied, humor glinting from his eyes.

"Please treat Fiona well, shower her with love and make her the happiest woman in existence," Wayne said softly. "You need to hold a grand wedding soon. That's one of my greatest wishes."

"Hmm," Spencer replied.

"Fiona tends to easily go down with a fever. Please keep that in mind," Wayne said. "She had a fever once, the worst she had. It was so severe that it lead to cerebral hemorrhage. I never felt so frightened my whole life!"

"Cerebral hemorrhage?"

"It did." Wayne's eyes were grim as the memory flashed through his mind. "Two years after that tragic car accident, I had a conference at a neighboring province. The project lasted more than a week. Once I was done, I returned to S City, only to find out that Fiona was hospitalized.

Her aunt, Jenny and the rest of her family members didn't care about her at all. Three days! Fiona had stayed in her room for three days, and yet none of them had discovered." Wayne's voice dripped with frustration and anger as he continued, "Without my constant presence, Fiona lost her only protection. They took advantage of that and mistreated her!

Her lips were chapped and bleeding, she fought to stay conscious and lost. It worried me to no end! I asked her if she wanted to come home with me, that I would manage the matters at hand and have everything arranged, but she never took my offer.

She resorted to selling bottles she collected from the streets for money. She wanted to learn how to play piano. When I offered to fund her, she turned down my offer. She was a lively child, buzzing with energy like anyone of her age. The accident seemed to have drained it all away.

I entrust you with her well-being. She lost her parents overnight Spencer, the mere thought of it pains me!"

As Wayne continued to unveil more of Fiona's past, several emotions flickered through Spencer's eyes. Never could he ever imagine what Fiona had gone through the past ten years of her life.

Anna had checked up on Fiona a couple of times ever since she was brought to her room. Fiona remained unconscious, barely stirring at all. Anna checked her temperature, relieved that the fever had broken after the injection and slowly exited the room.

"Uh..." Fiona groaned from her bed, sleep slowly draining away. She felt stiff and sore in her arms. Panic filled her and she snapped her eyes open, seeing nothing as the room was drenched in darkness. She took steady breaths of air as she calmed herself down. In and out, she breathed slowly, slowly regaining control of her bearings. After a moment when all was well, she reached out to flip the lamp switch on.

Click!

As light filled the room, Fiona squinted and raised one hand to shield her eyes. She blinked away the pain, adjusting to the glare of the lamp as her hand slowly dropped to her side. Her eyes swept through the room, stopping at the foot of her bed. Spencer sat there as he looked at her, his eyes blank, devoid of any emotion.

"Have you awoken?" Spencer asked, eyelids raised.

"I am," Fiona answered, eyeing a glass of water sitting at her bedside. Her throat was parched and she glanced at the glass longingly. The only thing she could think of was water. She feebly reached out for the glass, when a hand shot forth to grab it for her.

Spencer took the glass and gently tipped it to her lips.

Her hands reached around the glass as Fiona took a small sip. "I can do it, myself," she told him.

"Alright," he answered, as he loosened his grip from the glass.

Fiona gulped the water greedily, relishing the cool comfort it brought to her thirst.

A choked sound came from her throat. Fiona coughed up a little, having drank too hastily from the glass. She downed the water in seconds.

"Need more?" Scarce words left Spencer's mouth tonight, short and tapered.

"I'm fine, thank you." Fiona's gaze was fixed outside her window, her eyes flitting around the scenery of the house, searching for something.

"It's early evening. You've slept through the afternoon," Spencer said, answering her unvoiced question. "Eight in the evening to be exact."

"Oh, I see," Fiona replied, a little surprised that she had slept so long.

"Would you like to have dinner?"

"No. I want to rest more," Fiona said, still weak from fighting off the fever.

"I understand." Fiona never thought the day would come that Spencer would be so agreeable. She was about to let out a sigh of relief with the thought that she would be left alone for the night, but Spencer lifted her quilt and quickly settled in beside her.

"What are you doing?" Fiona felt a loss of words as shock and disbelief painted her features. "What do you want?"

"Just close your eyes and sleep!" Spencer turned around to face her.

Fiona paled as she hurriedly dislodged herself from the quilt, stumbling slightly as she hurriedly got up from the bed. "I'll sleep in the next room," she announced.

"Get back here!" Grasping her arm, he yanked her back towards the bed.

Fiona gasped as she fell backwards, hitting her back against the soft mattress of the bed. With her momentarily disoriented, Spencer wasted no time as he rolled over, caging her in with his arms. By the time she recovered, he had her back firmly pressed on the mattress, hovering above her. "Your face has turned white as a sheet of paper,"

he murmured. "Release me at once!" Fiona struggled against his grip, twisting her arms, trying to dislodge him.

"We just got our marriage certificates, and yet you want to live in a separate room. Grandpa is sleeping in the next room. Do you want him to worry about us?" he whispered.

"What? Have you told Grandpa that we got our marriage certificates?"

"Yes. I see no qualms in telling him. He even asked me to arrange an extravagant wedding."

'An extravagant wedding?' Fiona let out a snort.

She scrunched her face in displeasure. "I see," she finally said. It seemed like they'd reached an impasse. She had no other choice but to compromise. 'Would Grandpa be furious if I told him the truth?' she thought. She weighed her options carefully; she doubted she would be able to free herself from Spencer. A lot had already changed since the day before.

While she was lost to her thoughts, Spencer watched her intently. He was about to release her when she said,

"Spencer, I am exhausted. I don't want to deal with you right now," she icily said, keeping her face blank with emotions. "Get off me."

"Humph!" Spencer looked at her and sneered. "You think I want to fuck you? You were like a dead fish in bed yesterday." He then rolled over and settled on the opposite side of the bed.

Ignoring his presence, Fiona settled to the other side of the bed with her back facing him.

If only she could wake up tomorrow and found everything was just a dream. Exhaustion slowly dragged her away from reality and she drifted off to sleep.

Spencer turned off the lights with a click. Even with the tempting lull of the rain against the window pane, he couldn't sleep. He opened his eyes and turned to face her back.

His gaze traced the outline of her back, seemingly seeing the scars that marred her flesh under her gown.

It was sunny the next day. Fiona remained tucked in her bed because of her illness. She had no idea where Spencer had gone. At dusk, he waltzed in the room with his request for her to resume attending school.

"Well, are you aware that tomorrow is Monday? Your attendance will be required for tomorrow's military training," Spencer said.

"I am go back on my own."

"Grandpa asked me to drive you to school. I won't accompany you all the way if that's what you're worried about."

Fiona agreed with a nod.

Since the rain had stopped, Ryan had been lingering at the entrance of the girls' dormitory building.

Fiona got out of Spencer's car at a bus stop located few distances away from the university. As she approached the dormitory, she saw Ryan.

She held her breath; it felt like she hadn't seen him in years and yet there he was.