When I woke up, Dustin Wagner was by my side, telling me I had been out cold for three days. He'd been here every day, so I figured Ernest Collins must have been here too., He had said he'd come right over when we spoke on the phone.,

"Here, have some water,

" Dustin said, bringing the cup to my lips., I looked at him, my voice barely a whisper.

"Where's Ernest?

", Dustin's expression stiffened a bit.

"Drink some water first.

", The way he dodged the question sent a shiver down my spine, my throat aching even more.

"He didn't come, did he?

",

"That's not it,

" Dustin said, sitting at the edge of my bed.

"He was here.

",

"Then where is he now? Shouldn't he be here?

" I thought, confused and a bit hurt. Had he really taken my previous words to heart and decided to stay away as some kind of punishment?,

"He left. Probably went to handle those who hurt you,

" Dustin tried to joke, seeing my concern.

"Is he all you're worried about as soon as you wake up?

", Dustin's attempt to lighten the mood did little to ease my worry.,

"Did he go alone? When did he leave?

" I asked.,

"I'm not sure, but don't worry. If he managed to get you to safety, he can handle them,

" Dustin said confidently., Before overhearing that, conversation about Ernest and the Collins family, he was just a regular guy to me. But after, it seemed like he had superpowers, extending his reach even internationally , I remembered being asked if I truly knew Ernest. It appeared I didn't, not as well as others did., Taking the cup from Dustin, I took a few sips.

"So, you knew about Ernest's real identity?

",

"We've had our suspicions,

" Dustin admitted, meeting my gaze.,

"Why didn't you tell me?

" I asked, though I immediately felt foolish for asking. Why should others inform me about my boyfriend's true background?,

"Ernest must have his reasons. You should hear him out,

" Dustin suggested kindly, always the peacemaker.,

"I will,

" I said, grabbing my phone to give Ernest a call. Dustin tactfully excused himself, leaving me to it., Opening my phone, I hesitated before calling, instead checking our chat history which hadn't seen any new messages in days. With a heavy heart, I dialed Ernest's number., He didn't pick up right away. As the phone rang on, a sense of unease washed over me. Just when I thought it'd go to voicemail, he picked up. But then, he didn't say a word.

"Ernest, why aren't you speaking?

" I broke the silence.,

"I'm busy. I'll call you back later,

" he said tersely, hanging up., Holding the phone, a wave of emptiness washed over me. I tried to reassure myself that he must be dealing with something important. As time dragged on and he stil hadn't called, I started to really worry. Something just seemed off. , Unable to stay put, I decided to look for him. Just as I reached the door, it swung open, and there he was, as if my thoughts had summoned him, colliding into a moment fraught with tension and unspoken questions. , Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.