The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 35

Madeline swallowed the rejection that was on the tip of her tongue. She silently pushed herself off York and shot him a cool glance.

"I'll take care of you, but if you try feeling me up again, you can hire your own nurse."

York chuckled softly and arched an eyebrow.

"You don't need to be so defensive, Ms. Monroe. Even if I wanted to, I don't have the stamina right now."

"So, mind calling a nurse for me? I think my stitches tore."

Madeline looked surprised. She walked over and pulled back the blanket, only to see blood already seeping through his hospital gown.

She took a deep breath.

"You brought this on yourself by moving around."

Her good temper truly evaporated the second York was involved.

Madeline called a nurse to change his dressings, and the nurse strictly warned him that the wound couldn't tear again.

York leaned back against the pillows, his expression indifferent, barely paying attention to the lecture.

Madeline asked the nurse for aftercare instructions, jotting down everything on her phone.

Watching the serious profile of the woman beside him, York clicked his tongue mentally.

If he had known playing the injured victim worked this well, he wouldn't have bothered getting drunk before.

Once the nurse left, Madeline reached the end of her patience.

She simply couldn't ignore the man's unblinking stare. Combined with his unfairly handsome face and those deep, seductive eyes, his intense, clinging gaze felt simultaneously familiar and alien, leaving her with an uncomfortable, indescribable knot in her chest.

That discomfort slowly twisted into irrational irritation.

She couldn't tell if the pain was making York delirious, but his stare was growing increasingly bold.

Frustrated by his relentless gaze, Madeline snapped,

"What are you staring at? Here, take your meds!"

She shook the pills out, grabbed a cup of water, shoved it into York's hand, and couldn't resist adding,

"Guess the wound isn't hurting you enough."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have the energy to mess with her.

"Our fake marriage doesn't include sharing a tiny hospital bed."

York's shamelessness was returning in full force.

Except Madeline was no longer defenseless against his tone and gaze, letting him do whatever he pleased.

She grabbed the blanket and threw it entirely over his face, physically blocking out his eyes.

She couldn't be bothered to figure out what was going through York's mind.

The more she thought about it, the heavier the emotional burden became.

She was past the age of driving herself crazy over his mind games.

"There are cameras in here, Ms. Monroe. Don't you think this is a bit inappropriate?"

York yanked the blanket down, flashing her a clueless, teasing smirk.

"Enough, close your eyes and rest."

Madeline blurted out instinctively, realizing her mistake the moment the words left her mouth.