When They Beg I Rise (Lemira) novel Chapter 936

Caleb was in excellent spirits and decided not to tease her any further.

After walking Stella safely onto campus, his playful demeanor vanished. He pulled out his phone and dialed Thaddeus Draven.

Thaddeus picked up on the first ring. "Any updates on Lemira's end?"

"If someone is so damn concerned, why doesn't he go check on her himself?"

Thaddeus let out a heavy sigh. "You know how he is."

"She was burning up with a high fever all night, and she still hasn't shaken it. She's refusing to go to a hospital."

Thaddeus sounded immediately stressed. "Why won't she go? Is it still bad?"

"I don't know. She's dead set against it."

Thaddeus glanced at the man lying motionless in the hospital bed. The phone was on speaker, meaning Orion could hear every word.

Yet, Orion didn't even flinch.

Exasperated by his friend's stubbornness, Thaddeus barked into the phone, "Then do me a favor and drag her to the hospital."

"Not happening. She's his girl; he can handle it. Tell Orion the car is officially mine."

Caleb hung up without another word. Staring at his phone, he knew damn well a certain someone was going to lose their mind with worry.

On the other end, Thaddeus stared at his dead phone, grinding his teeth. "Did you hear that? Little Lemon is sick, and no one is taking care of her."

Orion finally opened his eyes, the whites completely bloodshot. "You go."

"I'm not going."

Thaddeus was furious. "Caleb is absolutely right. Your girl, your responsibility."

"Aren't you two friends?"

"There are boundaries! If she's too sick to walk, am I supposed to carry her out of the apartment in my arms?"

Orion's brows knitted tightly together. "Take a female nurse with you."

"A nurse can't carry her either."

Thaddeus leveled a hard stare at him. "Are you planning to hide for the rest of your life? She was going to find out eventually."

Orion scrubbed a hand over his face, his eyes shadowed with absolute exhaustion.

His voice was a hollow rasp. "What else am I supposed to do?"

Lemira opened their text thread, staring at the empty text box for what felt like hours, not knowing what to type. Finally, she tossed the phone across the bed.

She kept stealing glances at it. If he didn't come to explain himself in person, if he didn't reach out to her, she swore to God she would never contact him again.

Never.

On the other end of the silent connection, Orion stared at his phone, feeling as though time had slowed to a torturous crawl.

He kept replaying Caleb's words in his head. *Was she really that sick?*

Unable to stand it a second longer, Orion pushed himself out of the hospital bed, determined to head to her apartment.

Matthew Everhart intercepted him in the hallway, his eyes tight with concern. "Orion, your fever hasn't even broken yet. Where are you going?"

"I need to step out. Keep an eye on things here."

Seeing his cousin's grim expression, Matthew couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to see Lemira?"

Hearing her name felt like a knife twisting in Orion's chest.

He was terrified she didn't want him anymore.