C18 Can You Accompany Me?

The car window rolled down, revealing a face that radiated warmth and friendliness. "Miss, come on in."

Inside the car, the heater blasted warm air, bringing some relief to her chilled body. Yet, her clothes clung to her, damp and uncomfortable.

"Miss, there's a towel in the back. Help yourself to it," the driver offered kindly.

After a moment, he inquired, "Where to?"

Evelyn dried her hair with the towel, expressed her gratitude, and gave him her address.

For years, Evelyn had endured scorn. She had scrimped and saved, worked tirelessly to pay for her college tuition, living expenses, and even managed to rent a one-bedroom apartment for herself. Now, she felt a twinge of relief—relief that she had somewhere to belong.

Upon arrival, the rain was relentless. She dashed through the downpour into her complex, only to be soaked once more.

Back in her rental, she shed her wet clothes and crawled straight into bed. All she wanted was to let out a good cry. Despite her resilience, she was still a young girl with a vulnerable side. But she had learned to be strong. Eventually, tears gave way to sleep—a deep sleep that lasted six hours.

Evelyn woke with a fever.

In a hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, she coughed painfully.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Simultaneously, she felt a rhythmic patting on her back. What was that?

Instinctively jolting awake, her eyes met a pair of unfathomably deep ones.

A voice, rich and pure with concern, reached her ears, "Feeling any better?"

It took Evelyn a few seconds to gather her wits. "How did I get here?" she murmured, scanning her surroundings in astonishment. She was in Leslie's villa, though she distinctly remembered returning to her own apartment.

"I texted you, called you, but got no response. I was worried, so I had Dan look for you," Leslie explained, his face devoid of emotion, yet the air around him seemed to grow colder.

He appeared to be... upset.

With her head throbbing, Evelyn nestled back into the covers. Fixing her gaze on Leslie, she said earnestly, "Uncle, thank you."

Thank you?

Leslie's expression grew stern, and with a hint of displeasure, he asked, "Why didn't you message me?"

He had made it clear earlier that day: if anything came up, she should call him.

"I..." Evelyn stammered, struggling to find an excuse.

Truth be told, she had wanted to handle everything on her own to prevent Leslie from seeing the state of her family life.

But it seemed she had overestimated her resilience.

She had thought herself unshakable, yet unexpectedly, a bout of rain had left her ill.

"You've just had an IV. Get some more rest. Once you're up, I'll have Dan bring you some food," Leslie said, not wanting to press her. He tucked the blanket around her with a voice tinged with resignation.

Evelyn obediently shut her eyes, yet her mind was besieged by the voices of Marvin and Willard.

Their words pierced her like needles jabbing at her spine.

Abruptly, she opened her eyes just in time to see Leslie preparing to wheel away. He was turning to leave.

She quickly extended her hand, grasping Leslie's firmly. "Uncle, could you stay with me?"

Her voice was raspy and weak, yet it vibrated with a tremor that touched Leslie's soul.

He turned back, clasping her hand, his eyebrows arching slightly as he reassured her, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."