Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change?

Edgar sat on the edge of the bed, the dim light barely illuminating the room, silently watching her sleep. How he wished this moment could last a little longer, much longer.

...

The party finally came to an end. In a quiet corner, Gilbert massaged his cheeks, tired from the forced smiles that had made his facial muscles stiff. He pulled out his smartphone, swiping it on. It was clean—no messages, no missed calls. Not a single word from Sherilyn all night!

Suddenly, he looked up, the phone spinning in his palm before he dialed her number with a stern face.

But...

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

What's happening? He tried again. Same result. Was her phone dead? Or did she deliberately turn it off to avoid him? Sherilyn, you better turn that phone on and answer my call! But she didn't.

"Gilbert!"

Down the hallway, Caroline was pushing Francis in his wheelchair, waving at him. "Let's go!"

"Coming!"

Gilbert nodded, stuffing his phone back into his pocket with frustration and followed them. Whatever. If she didn't want to deal with him, he was better off. If he kept calling, he'd be a fool!

That night, Gilbert couldn't sleep. He checked his phone repeatedly, trying to call Sherilyn again, but to no avail. What was going on? Gradually, his anger turned to worry. Could something have happened to Sherilyn? Was she sick? It had snowed last night; had she gone out? The more he thought, the less he could sleep. At dawn, Gilbert left the house.

Early in the morning, before the shift change, Sherilyn urged Edgar to complete her discharge paperwork.

"I'm fine now. It'll get busy after the shift change. Let's get this done quickly."

"Alright."

After finishing the paperwork, Edgar drove her to the entrance of Twilight Trail.

"This is good."

Sherilyn got out of the car, snowflakes gently falling around her.

"Sherilyn!" Suddenly, Edgar opened the car door, stepped out, and, limping slightly, hurried to her side.

He had a scarf in his hand, which he opened and wrapped snugly around her neck, covering her head and face.

"It's snowing. This will keep you warm. Don't catch a cold."

Sherilyn felt a lump in her throat, looking up at him. Even though he didn't say much, his eyes were filled with unspoken affection. Tears welled up in Sherilyn's eyes, and she shook her head, removing the scarf and handing it back to Edgar.

"Keep it. I'm not cold."

Edgar was taken aback, a bitter smile on his lips. "You didn't choose me, and

and now, you reject carf from me?"

"Sherilyn."

She spoke with difficulty, shaking her head, "It's not like that, I..."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Just keep it. It's just a scarf. That's all I can offer you now, though I wish I could have given you more...'

"

"She said no! Take it back! Are you deaf? Can't you hear?"

A dark, stern voice suddenly interrupted, and Sherilyn looked up to see Gilbert stepping out of his sleek Bentley. His gaze lingered on her slightly reddened, moist eyes, jealousy coursing through him. Yet, when his eyes met Edgar's, they were filled with hostility.