Chapter 20

I stayed the night in a hotel near the hospital. As soon as I turned off airplane mode, my phone flooded with messages from Sylvia. "Why did you take the day off?" "Where are you? Why isn't your phone reachable?" "Hudson, are you okay?" "Please call me back—I'm really worried." After reading through all her messages, I decided to call her back with a video call. The second she answered and saw me, relief washed over her face. "Thank goodness, Hudson! You finally called me. Do you know how long I've been waiting? Where did you go? Why didn't you answer? Am I still your girlfriend or not?" I just gave her a quiet smile, letting her get it all out. After a moment's pause, I decided to keep things simple. "Something came up suddenly, so I had to come back to Adenville. I was in such a rush that I forgot to call you. I'm sorry for making you worry." She looked skeptical but nodded. "Alright, fine. I'll let it slide this time. So, when are you coming back?" I couldn't help but feel