Love Me True (Love Me Book 2)

Chapter 31

When Faye awoke, she was in the hospital bed and her head was pounding. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, her eyes landing on Chloe sitting in the chair on her left side, looking at something on her phone.

"How long have I been out?" Faye asked, licking her dry lips.

"It's about midday, so about twelve hours. Silas gave you something to help you sleep." Chloe said as she stood and walked towards her. "How do you feel?" she asked, her eyes glancing at the machines behind her that were recording all her vitals.

"Thirsty," Faye responded, nodding to the pitcher of water next to the bed. "What's happened since I've been out?"

Chloe poured her some water and sat on the end of her bed. "The bad guy was taken into custody, Silas told the police that you would talk to them later today if you felt up to it, and the ER is business as usual." Chloe watched Faye as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the pillow.

"You know it's ironic after everything Silas did to keep you out of danger, none of it mattered because, in the end, it was some random crazed psycho who held your life hostage." Chloe stood up and crossed her arms as she walked to look out the small window that looked out over the parking lot. "I need to explain about Silas and me, what happened."

Faye felt her heart rate accelerate with the knowledge that what was going to come next was going to be important to her and Silas's future.

"Have you been watching the news, do you know of Valentine Juric and the country he is fighting for?" Chloe asked, looking over her shoulder at Faye.

"Sort of, I have heard of it a few times on the news," Faye said with a frown as she tried to recall exactly what it was that she had heard. "Something about a coup and the UN?"

"Yes, a very long war has ravaged his country, a ten-year war to be exact, but I should start at the beginning." She turned to look out the window as she started to talk. "I met Silas when I was a young girl, he worked alongside my father in the field hospital in Valentine Juric's country. Many doctors trained with my father, but Silas, Valentine, and my father had a special bond. Valentine was in medical school when his father died and his uncle assumed power. Valentine had to make a decision. His father was a dictator, and his uncle was set on the same path. Valentine loves his country and he has dreams for it, he wishes for it to be a democracy. So, he gave up practicing medicine and went to war, and instead of healing people, as he had always dreamed, he had to heal a country." Chloe turned to Faye with a self-mocking smile. "It sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But it is true, Valentine gave up everything, his dream to be a doctor, his anonymity, me." Chloe's voice broke and she stopped talking as she stared at the window.

"You?" Faye encouraged after a few moments of silence. Trying to absorb what she was hearing, that Chloe was in love with Valentine Juric.

"Yes, when my mother died, I was sent to my father and I was happy with him, I had a talent for languages, and the best place to learn them was with him. I met Valentine and Silas who went to school together when I was fifteen. They were both kind to me, but I had a crush on Valentine. Silas finished his studies and eventually left, but Valentine was already home. I grew up with Valentine, it was a hard road to get him to see me as a woman, but eventually, he did and we fell in love, everything was perfect, even my father approved." Chloe laughed at what must have been a private joke.

"But? I hear a but in there?" Faye encouraged once more.

"But the war started, and Valentine sent me away, saying it was too dangerous. My father agreed, and I ended up back here, waiting for news from either one of them. When news did come it was only from my father and never about Valentine. It was always too dangerous to be associated with him, especially at the beginning of the war when his uncle had control."