Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Lily no longer wanted anything to do with Xavier.

It was late. Lily turned off the light by her bed. She didn't care whether Xavier had eaten dinner. She didn't care that he hadn't gotten a blanket from the nurses' station.

A weak light illuminated the end of her bed. Xavier sat on the couch. His legs were crossed while his figure was mostly hidden in the shadow cast by the light. He watched the small lump on the bed with dark eyes. It was difficult to guess what he was thinking about.

Lily hadn't slept the night before, so she was beyond exhausted. She lay down for a few moments before her breathing evened out, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Xavier got up and padded to her side. Her hand, which was in a cast, rested just under her chest. It didn't look like she was resting well-she was frowning in her sleep.

Xavier sank into the chair next to the bed as he mulled over everything that had transpired since she had asked him for a divorce.

Lily was like a whole other person. She felt like a stranger to him. But since he was the cause of everything, Xavier was determined to take responsibility.

He sat in the chair for the rest of the night. Around midnight, Lily stirred groggily from her sleep. Despite the haze of sleep that dulled her senses, Lily was aware that someone was sitting by her bedside. Her eyes were blurry, but she could tell that it was Xavier.

She convinced herself that it was just a dream.

The next day, dawn had just broken when a nurse entered Lily's ward. She woke Lily up to take her temperature.

Lily noticed that Xavier was nowhere to be found after she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She wasn't sure when he had left, nor did she care. She asked the nurse, "Excuse me, when will the results of my last examination be released?"

The nurse was filling in Lily's report when she answered, "Didn't your husband meet with the doctor yesterday? He didn't tell you?"

Lily froze for a moment before she realized that the "husband" the nurse was referring to was Xavier. The title didn't match Xavier at all—he was like a stranger to her.noveldrama

"He might have forgotten. Could you tell me?" she asked the nurse.

The nurse smiled at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, you should speak directly with your primary physician regarding your condition. Or you could ask your husband later."

"Okay," Lily responded in defeat.

She figured she would just ask Marvin directly when his shift started. It wasn't just that she was unwilling to talk to Xavier; she also had no idea if Xavier would actually come back.

The nurse told Lily that her temperature was normal. She left after noting down the temperature on her chart.

Lily grabbed her phone and ordered breakfast for herself. She then got off the bed, intending to freshen up.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Xavier, who was holding a thermal food container, just as she opened the door.

Other than breakfast, Xavier was also carrying a bag. Inside the bag were some toiletries and a few sets of clean clothes. Although Lily was dressed in a hospital gown most of the time, she still had to change her undergarments daily.

"You can check to see if you need anything else. I'll—"

"Thank you," Lily said, grabbing the bag and entering the bathroom. She closed

the door behind her and began to freshen up.

Xavier could hear the running sounds of water through the door He had been caught off-guard by Lily cutting him off. The words he had wanted to say stayed stuck in his throat, choking him.

He took the breakfast into the room and started setting up. He poured the clam chowder into a bowl and placed a few slices of sourdough bread on a plate.

When Lily was done freshening up, she saw that the table was set. When she approached, she realized that the breakfast was only enough for one person. "You can eat it," she said in a cool tone.

Xavier had brought a white shirt with him and was getting ready to change into it. He said, "I'm not hungry."

He hadn't expected her to take the initiative and speak to him. The tight coil choking his heart loosened a little. But just as his words left his

mouth, there was a knocking on the door.

A deliveryman entered and asked, "Is Ms. Joyner here? Your breakfast has

arrived!"