Willa gently held him back and tapped the right nightstand with her finger.
"Medicine first," she said, looking up at him with a coaxing gaze. "After you take it, I'll lie down and stay completely still. You can hold me however you want."
Randal followed her pointing finger. He hesitated for a fraction of a second before reluctantly letting go of her wrist and bending down to open the drawer.
Seeing him finally pick up the pill bottle, Willa let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
Once he obediently swallowed his medication, she kicked off her shoes and lay back on the bed. "Come here."
Randal lay down beside her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her firmly against his chest.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't slept in so long, but within seconds, Willa could hear the steady, even rhythm of his breathing.
Not daring to move and risk waking him, she lay perfectly still and texted Miles.
"Why has his condition gotten so bad? He wasn't like this before."
The moment the message sent, her phone started ringing.
Terrified, she quickly declined the call and typed frantically: "Don't call! He's sleeping right now."
Miles: "WHAT!!! He actually fell asleep?"
Before Willa could even ask, a barrage of texts came through.
"He hasn't been able to sleep without sedatives for days. He was supposed to stay in the hospital, but he threw a fit, demanding to find you, and discharged himself against medical advice."
"Willa, please, have some mercy. Just consider it doing him a favor—don't leave just yet, okay?"
"I know it's incredibly unfair to you, but I really can't bear to see him like this anymore."
Willa replied: "Alright. I understand."
Slipping her phone under the pillow, she turned her head to observe the sleeping man beside her, her gaze lingering on the deep crease between his brows.
The way he looked while sleeping was drastically different from the memories she had of him five years ago.
The way he held her now felt as if she were a piece of driftwood he was clinging to in the middle of a turbulent ocean.

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