Chapter530HighAlert
Lysanderncedover,onlytoseeAuroraclutchinghertinyfists,yawning,appearingsomewhatwrongedasifonthevergeoftearsbutnotquitecrying.
Lysanderresignedlyclosedthevideo,foundAurora’ssmallquiltandpillow,andmeticulouslyarrangedtheminthemiddleofthrgebed.
Withagentletouch,JosiahcarefullycedAuroraonthebed.Then,heclimbedontothebedhimself,lyingnexttoAurora.HegaveLysanderalook,tellinghertohurryupandgetinbed.
Aurora rolledover,liftingbothofhertinyclenchedfists.She<b>was</b>sotiredthatshecould hardlykeephereyesopen,yetshestillfussed,resistingsleep.
Leftwithnootherchoice,Lysandertookoffher<b>shoes</b>andclimbedupaswell,lyingdown.sideofAurora.
nontheother
Josiahcasthisgazedownatthechildnestledbetweenthetwoofthem.Hirgehandgentlypattedthetinyquilt,rhythmicallyandunhurriedly,eachpatdeliberateandsoft.
Lysanderasked.“Youlearnedhowtosootheachildtosleep?”
“Eleanorshowedmehowtodoit,butI’veneveractuallydoneitmyself,repliedJosiah.
Eleanor’smethodworkedprettywell.Afterall,ifitmanagedtoputJosiahwhenhewaslittle,itwouldsurelybeeffectiveonAurora,too.
Aurora’shumsquieteddown,andhereyelidsgrewheavy,eventuallyfallingshut.
Lysanderhummedalubyshehadonceheardatthehospital.AfterAurorawassoundasleep,swhisperedtoJosiah,“Auroraisasleep.I’mleavingnow.”
JosiahwasgentlypattingAuroratosleep,havingpositionedhimselfcarefullysoasnottodisturbher.Hehadbeensittingwithoutchanginghispostureforsolongthathewasfeelingnumbnessinhishandsandachinginhisback.Thus,whenheheardthosewords,hewasunabletoreactimmediately.
Lysanderspokeagain.“ThankyoufortakingcareofAurorainadvance.I’leoveragaintomorrow.morning.”
Inasubduedvoice,Josiahresponded,“Ileftthekeycardontheshoecabbytheentrance.”
HewasafraidAurorawouldcryagain,sohedidn’tdaremakeamove.Hewascautious,fearingthatevenaslightliftofhisarmmightcausethemattresstoshiftanddisturbthebabysleepinginthemiddle.
Leftwithnootherchoice,Lysanderhadtotakethelongerroutebygetting offthebedfromtheotherside,intendingtobypasshimtoretrieveherkeycard.
ItseemedasifAuroracouldsenseLysander.Thebabywokeupwithasoftcryjustasthtterslippedintoherslippers.
Josiahpromptlyextendedhirge,warm,anfortinghandtoadjustthesmallnket.HegentlypattedAurora,reassuringher,“Don’tbeafraid.Sheisn’tleaving!”
Ofcourse,Lysanderdarednotleaveherbed.Shehastilymovedbacktotheheadofthebed,barelydaring
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Josiahwas tirelesslfortingAurorathroughout.
Thetwoadultsworkedtogether,andfinally,theymanagedtosoothethebabyagain.
LysanderliftedhergazetomeeteyeswithJosiah.
Eventhesweetestangelofababycouldgetquitetemperamentalwhenitwastimetobelulledtosleep.
Josiah’svoicewassosoft<b>that</b>itcouldonlybeheardinsuchatranquilsetting.Histhinlipsbarelymovedashewhispered,“Let’swaitabitlongeruntilshe’ssoundasleep.”
Lysanderwasleftwithnooptionsbuttogentlypickupapillowandliedow
fullyclothed.
JosiahwaiteduntilAurorahaddriftedofftosleepbeforehedaredtoslightlyshifthisposition.Hisarmwasnumbfromfatigue,andthemomentheliftedit,hefeltaprickling<b>sensation</b>thatwasbothitchyandpainful.
Oncehehadenduredtheinitialdifort,heunfoldedthenket.Withthegentlesttouchhecouldmuster,hedrapeditoverthem.
OnceAuroraappearedtobesoundasleep,Lysander silentlymouthedtohim,“Let’sswitchroomstonight.I’llstayherewithAurora.Youcanleavenow.”
Josiahretortedinthesamelowvoice.“Areyouburningbridgesrightnow?”
Lysanderdidn’tdenyitandsimplystretchedherhandtowardthedoor,makingagesturetousherthe
guestout.
Inthedeadofnight,aman,awoman,andababyshared<b>a</b>room.
AsenseofdéjàvustirredupmemorieslongthoughttobedeadwithinLysander’smind.
EventhoughtheirsexinApexCitywasunintended,shewasonhighalertagainsthim.
Josiahfoundhimselfatalossforwords.WithAuroraasleep,itwasn’tappropriateforhimtoarguewithLysander.Resignedtohisfate,hecouldonlygetupandleave.
Just<b>as</b>hearrivedbythecoffeetable,asuddencryechoedfrombehindhim.
Suddenly,Aurorawokeup,cryinginagony.Hertinyfacequicklyturnedred.
Lysanderwasimmediatelyflustered.Shequicklyscoopedthe babyup,gentlyrockingAurorainanattempttosootheher.Fromtimetotime,shewouldpatAurora’sback,finallymanagingtocalmthtterfromherhystericalcryingtomeresobs.
Josiah’sntoleavewasthwarted/sohereturnedtothebedside andsatbackdownwherehehadoriginallybeen.
Uponseeingthattherewerepeopleonboth sidesapanyingher,Auroragavealittlesniffleandthenforted,closed hereyesagain.
Lysandersuspectedshehad<b>found</b>apatternandaskedJosiah<b>,</b>“Doyouwanttotrystandingupagain?”
JosiahdidasLysanderasked.
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Unsurprisingly,Auroracriedoutevenfasterthanbefore,thewailingremarkablyloud.
Lysandersighed.“Whatkindofhabitsdoesthischildhave?Ms.Lionhartraisedheralone.Howdidsheendupwithakidthatcanonlysleepwhilelying betweentwopeople?
Josiahsaid,“Perhapsthere’sanannyathometoo.”
“WhenMs.Lionhartcameover,Ididn’tseeherbringingthenannyalong.”
“Coulditbebecausehermother isn’taroundthatshckedasenseofsecurityandhavetorelymoreonadults?”
Lysanderwasunsurewhattosaytothat.
Josiahgrinned.“There’sakidhere.What<b>can</b>Ido?Justsleep.”
Lysanderwasgenuinelytired,andwhathesaiddidmakesensetoher.
Therewasachildbetweenthem,servingasanaturalbarrier,ensuring<b>that</b>Josiahwouldn’tstooptothelevelofabeast.
Havingunderstoodthat,Lysanderfeltslightlyrelieved.Breathinginthesweet,milkyscentofAurora,shequicklyfellintoadeep,blissfulsleep.
ListeningtoLysander’sgentlebreath,Josiahncedattheblissfullyunawarebabysleepingintheirarms.Suddenly,hefeltasifhisheartwasfilledwithanunbelievablywarm,fuzzingfeeling.
Withgreatcare,hegentlypulledthenketover,coveringthetwofiguresbesidehim.Then,withasenseofcontentment,heclosedhiseyes.
Thefollowingmorning,theroomdoorwaspoundedonsoloudlyitcouldhaveshakentheheavens.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.
Thethreepeopleonthrgebedwererousedfromtheirsleepalmostatthesameinstant.
BeforeJosiahhadevenfullyopenedhiseyes,hehadswiftlyscoopedupAuroraintohisarms.Hirgehandcoveredhercars,preventingherfrombeingstartledintotears.
Lysander,groggyfromsleep,satup,herexpressionfilledwithconfusionassheasked,“Whocoulditbethisearlyinthemorning?Didyoucallfor<b>room</b>service?”
Josiahregainedhiposurequickly.Amidstthenoise,hestatedseriously,“Itshouldn’tbe.Roomservicewouldn’tknockonthedoorthisforce-”
Theharshvoiceechoingfromoutsideinterruptedhisdispleasedwords.“Lysa!Areyouinthisroom?”
Lysanderwasthefirsttoreact,paling.“It’smydad!”
Josiahwasrenderedfullyawake.
“Lysa!Iknowyou’reinthere,Guerra!WhathaveyoudomyLysa?Openthedoorimmediately!”thevoiceoutsideshouted.
Lysanderfirstncedatthebathroomandthewardrobe,thendirectedhergazeoutthewindow,<b>striving</b>tofindacewhereapersoncouldhide.
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Beforeshecouldsayanything.<b>Josiah</b>spokefirst.“We’reonthetopfloor.Escapingfromhereisn’tfeasible.Besides,ifItrytoconcealmyself,won’titseemlikeIhavesomethingtohide?It’llonlymakeyourfatherangrier.”
Lysanderwasatherwitsend.“Whatshouldwedo?”
Afterall,Josiahwasn’ttheonlyonefacinganissue.TherewasalsoAurora.
LysanderknewMaverick’stemperalltoowell.Ifhewitnessedthatscene,hewouldhavesurelytriedtokillJosiahonthespot.
Thmotionoutsidehadalreadyalertedthehotelstaff,withthenoisegrowingincreasinglychaotic.
Someonesteppedforward,advising,“Sir,pleasecalmdown.”
Maverickwouldn’tstandforthat.Infuriated,hesaid,“I’mhereformydaughter,andnoonecanstopme!Isn’tyourbossnamedJosiah?Tellthatscoundrelte outandseeme!”
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