When My Ex's Worst Enemy Became My Sanctuary novel Chapter 378

The second Dorothea answered the call, she dropped everything and rushed to the hospital. She barely paused to catch her breath before collapsing into Latham’s arms, her eyes swollen and red from crying. Latham’s heart twisted as he ran his fingers gently through her hair.

“Hey, don’t cry. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have made you worry.”

Dorothea looked up, tears slipping down her flushed cheeks. “Latham, you liar! You’ve been keeping secrets from me.”

“I know everything now… I know it all.”

Latham blinked, confused. “Wait, what are you talking about? Did someone start rumors about me? Whatever you heard, don’t believe it. There’s nobody else, I promise, it’s only you.” He was so weak his face was almost colorless, but he still raised his right hand with all the seriousness in the world.

Dorothea suddenly laughed through her tears. “It’s not that.” But laughter turned right back to sobbing.

Latham looked helpless, not sure if he should panic or laugh it off. “Babe, what’s going on? Please, stop crying. If you keep going, I think my heart’s going to fall apart.”

He reached over, carefully wiping her tears away. Dorothea, fingers trembling, pulled his journal out of her bag.

“I read this by accident.”

“Latham, honestly… are you an idiot?”

Latham froze, realization hitting all at once. He shifted, looking both awkward and a little embarrassed. “Oh, that… You read my journal while I was asleep?”

“Come on, that was the last secret you had from me. Don’t get mad. I’ll admit, I used to be a little much, but swear, I’m not a total weirdo.”

You could tell he was genuinely worried she’d think he was a creep. Dorothea didn’t say anything else; she just leaned in and kissed his pale lips.

She knew him too well. He’d always been the quiet type, doing everything for her without a word. Maybe it was her turn to take the lead now. Latham was caught totally off guard, but that didn’t stop him from smiling, just a little. He closed his eyes, pulling her closer, his hand slipping behind her head. Their breathing blended together, and the air in the hospital room felt warmer almost instantly.

Out in the hall, Wade peeked through the barely open door and caught sight of the two of them, tangled up in what was definitely not just a hug. He quickly turned around and faced the other way. Honestly, he didn’t need to see that.

Down the hall, Ladd and a couple of the others were heading over. “Wade, why are you hanging around out here? Where’s Latham? He’s not in trouble again, is he?”

“Dad, Grandma, come in.”

The little crowd entered. Ladd took one look at Latham, saw some color back in his cheeks, and knew exactly what had been going on. Not much to worry about after all.

“Latham, you’d better get well soon, or someone’s going to swoop in and steal Dorothea from you,” Ladd teased.

“Yeah, Thad from my class said if you don’t get better, he’s going to ask Dorothea to be his mom,” a kid piped up.

That made everyone laugh—everyone except Latham, who looked like the world had ended. “Thad, huh? I’ll have a talk with him once I’m out of here.”

Dorothea rolled her eyes at him. “Seriously? Don’t start.”

Only then did Latham drop it and settle down. Ladd turned to him, growing serious. “Latham, you have no idea how much Dorothea’s worried about you these last few days. She pushed herself so hard, she fainted from exhaustion. You need to heal up fast, and when you do, make sure you take care of her, alright?”

Latham’s face tightened with concern. “Wait… she fainted? Has she seen a doctor? What did they say?”