When I got home, I called for Jenny to get me a change of clothes. She was crying the whole time when she rummaged through my closet. Meanwhile, I was struggling to straighten my body and take off my blood-stained clothes for Jenny to hide them. After everything was done, I lay on the bed.
“Jenny, when Chris comes home, tell him that I’m sleepy.”
Then, I fell into a deep sleep. While I was unconscious, I felt someone holding my hand and bringing me close while giving me warmth. I felt snug and at ease. Upon that, I smiled with my eyes closed.
When I woke up, it was already dark. I saw Christopher sitting on the edge of the bed under the orange light while staring at me unwaveringly. I rubbed my eyes groggily and smiled at him. “I was too tired, so I came home. Don’t be mad.”
“You fool!” Christopher grabbed me and held me. “You broke your promise. You said you would tell me wherever you’re going. You promised.”
I smiled quietly. Thank God he didn’t see me vomiting blood.
After I slept for the entire afternoon, I wasn’t feeling sleepy at all. I nestled in Christopher’s arms, but I couldn’t fall asleep. After a while, I looked at his face, then looked out the window and saw the reflection of the beautiful night sky reflected on the surface of the ocean. I saw the bright moon surrounded by glittering stars, and I could hear the perennial sounds of waves washing the beach.
“You wanna go out and have a look?” Seeing that I was staring at the beach, Christopher whispered.
“Yeah, I can’t sleep. I felt like going for a walk.”
“I’ll go with you!” Christopher got up and put on some clothes, then helped me to put on mine. He wrapped me up in a thick jacket and walked me out while holding my hand. That night, the sea breeze was strong, and it messed up my hair. My eyes felt a little sore, so I squinted my eyes and tried not to look too far away.
Christopher flipped the hood of my jacket over my head. When he saw that my eyes were tightly shut, he bent over and carried me in his arms. In shock, I opened one of my eyes and asked, “What are you doing?”
“You wanted to see the night view, so I’ll carry you there.”
“Okay!” I rested my head on his shoulders while he carefully walked forward with me in his arms. When he put me down on the beach, I couldn’t help but ask, “Are you not angry anymore?”
“That depends on your performance!” He huffed softly and turned his head away childishly. I pursed my lips and smiled as I tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek.
As I stepped back, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back. He looked at me amorously and kissed my lips. It wasn’t a passionate kiss but a gentle one; one that was so soft as though he was scared that it would hurt me.
Just like that, with our lips touching, our eyes met. I saw the sorrow and pain he suppressed in his eyes. It was almost imperceptible if I didn’t look closely.
I knew that he was upset about how I was counting down to my last days and the thought of me leaving him behind. The thing I feared the most was happening in front of me. I vomited blood today; soon, I might even end up in a hospital without the strength to eat, and Christopher would suffer even more than what he had right now.
“Christopher, you—” I couldn’t say it because I knew he would be angry if I said it. So I whispered the rest of it silently in my heart. Christopher, you shouldn’t have come.
He let go of my lips and kissed my forehead, and whispered, “You’re thinking about secretly leaving again, aren’t you? This time, I will really be angry.”
I quickly shook my head, pretending that nothing happened, but he always saw through me effortlessly.
“How did you find me?” I asked. After all, I have arranged everything thoroughly. With Darius helping me, there should be no mistakes.
“The next time you lie, please don’t ask Darius for help. He’s the worst at lying.” Christopher looked into the distance and pointed far away. “Look.”
I followed the direction of his finger and saw a beaming lighthouse. “That’s a beautiful lighthouse.”
“No…” He shook his head. “That’s where home is.”
I was stunned for a moment. Avenport?
After a while, Christopher turned to me and said, “Let’s go home. I’ll bring you home, okay?”
