He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 190

She grabbed a glass from the nightstand and hurled it straight at Nelson.

He didn't dodge. The glass clipped his forehead, leaving a trail of blood before shattering against the floor.

The shards scattered everywhere, broken and unfixable—just like their relationship.

Juniper froze for a fraction of a second, but her words remained mercilessly sharp. "Get the hell out."

Nelson didn't say a single word. He practically bolted from the room, escaping as fast as he could.

He retreated downstairs and sat rigidly on the sofa. But the paranoia that Juniper might come down and be enraged by the sight of him drove him to walk out the front door.

Even then, he couldn't bring himself to truly leave. He simply sank onto the concrete steps of her porch.

His throat burned, craving the harsh bite of nicotine to take the edge off. His chest continued to throb with a sharp, unrelenting ache that made his head spin.

He pulled out a cigarette, lit it in silence, and leaned against her front door, smoking quietly.

The nicotine was supposed to numb the bitter taste in his mouth, but his eyes remained entirely hollow.

He didn't even really want to smoke. He just had absolutely no idea what else to do.

Upstairs, Juniper swept the luxurious dinner straight into the trash. The stinging pain in her wrists refused to fade. She walked downstairs, grabbed a plain piece of bread from the kitchen, and chewed it in silence. Her heart was still locked in a cage of lingering terror, right until her phone lit up again. It was Alistair.

"Did the food I ordered arrive safely?"

Juniper froze. The delivery had been from him.

She swallowed hard, far too embarrassed to admit she had thrown it all in the garbage.

"Yeah. I'm eating it now."

"Were the braised short ribs tender?"

"Very tender."

"Juniper, I didn't order braised short ribs."

Juniper went completely silent. Suddenly, the bread in her mouth tasted like ash.

Alistair pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He had easily guessed that Nelson would find a way to slither into Juniper's house, and if he saw another man's delivery, he would absolutely throw it away.

His tone remained gentle, entirely unbothered by her lie. "I had to run out for an emergency surgery this afternoon. Are you hungry? I'm bringing you dinner right now, and I can check on your injuries while I'm at it."

Juniper let out a slow breath and softly agreed, "Okay."

Maybe it really was time for her to start looking forward.

By the time Alistair arrived with the takeout bags, it was seven-thirty in the evening. The sky had gone completely black. The lone man sitting on the front porch looked incredibly pathetic.

It was pouring rain. Alistair held a black umbrella over his head, a faint, mocking smile pulling at his lips when he saw the sight.

Nelson clearly hadn't expected him to show his face again. He shot to his feet, his expression turning downright murderous.

Alistair offered him a polite, infuriating smile. "Here to see Juniper?"

He must have been kicked out, which explained why he was guarding the door like a stray dog.

Nelson caught the vicious mockery dripping from his tone. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Alistair keyed in the passcode with practiced ease, his tone effortlessly cool. "Just delivering dinner to my girlfriend."

The words had barely left his mouth before Nelson's fist slammed violently into his face.

Alistair stumbled back, his glasses clattering against the concrete.