Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 603

The next morning, Elysia was up at the crack of dawn, freshened up in a hurry, and headed out to see Elijah. But as soon as she opened the door, she was met with an unexpected sight!

There was Tarquin, still in yesterday's clothes, leaning against the wall with a cigarette. The hallway reeked of cigarette smoke, and it was anyone's guess how long he had been standing there. He looked worse for wear, with dark circles under his eyes and a general look of exhaustion.

Blinking in surprise, Elysia asked, "What are you doing here? How long have you been standing out here? Did you not sleep at all last night?"

At the sight of her, Tarquin had already stubbed out his cigarette. After feeling a bit better last night, he had first visited Elijah in the ICU before coming back here. This spot, closest to her, gave him a sense of comfort and peace. And before he knew it, he had spent the entire night there.

"I came back for my jacket," Tarquin said, brushing off her questions with a casual excuse. If she couldn’t accept his feelings now, he decided to keep them hidden; her peace of mind was what mattered most.

Elysia, puzzled, asked, "You knew I was inside, why didn’t you knock? Or you could’ve just called me."

"No rush."

Elysia bit her lip, then said, "Come inside, then."

Stepping into the apartment, Tarquin followed her lead as Elysia shut the door behind them. She took off her jacket and hung it by the door, deciding not to go out anymore.

"Did you stay up all night again?" she inquired.

"...Couldn’t sleep."

"How can you not be tired after being up for so long?"

Tarquin lied, "I caught some sleep during the day yesterday."

Elysia frowned; she knew he hadn’t. If he had, he wouldn’t look like this now. He must have been awake since the incident with Elijah! She wanted to ask if his insomnia was because of her, especially since he had left in a bad mood the night before. But she hesitated, fearing it might upset him again.