In the days that followed, I sat very attentively in the yard every day waiting for Lucas.
The rainy season arrived in the city right on schedule, with torrential downpours.
I didn’t go back inside, just continued sitting in the yard waiting, so the heavy rain quickly soaked me
through.
I had never been rained on before, but Ethan had many times.
He was so clumsy, didn’t even know how to hold an umbrella properly. Always tilted it towards my side. Every time we walked back from the garden, half his body would be wet.
I scolded him: “Just get a bigger umbrella!”
He pouted: “This is already the biggest one.”
I sighed helplessly: “Then use two small ones.”
He refused: “But I want to share one umbrella with you.”
What an absolute idiot.
For some reason, thinking of this, I started laughing to myself in the pouring rain.
3:27 pm DDDD.
<
“What are you laughing at?”
It was Lucas.
He held a black umbrella, wrapping me up worriedly in his arms.
I lifted my face, smiling at him: “I’m happy to see you finally came for me.”
Lucas stared at my smiling face. Suddenly, he smashed his umbrella towards me.
The opened umbrella ribs scraped across my face. Blood immediately mixed with the rain flowing
down.
I didn’t move an inch.
Lucas closed his eyes. He said, losing control: “Rachel, don’t be like this. I’m a terrible person, rotten
to the core.”
I touched the blood flowing down my face: “Lucas, are you trying to drive me away by doing this?”
Lucas closed his eyes.
This was a lunatic’s final test of love. He was using violence to confirm affection.
Whoever endured his violence and still wouldn’t leave him was the that person truly loved him.
I could understand him, because I was the same way.
The day Ethan said he liked me, I chased him away, locked the door, and never let him in again.
He just stood in the garden outside, sometimes playing guitar, sometimes sticking a bunch of pretty
daisies in my window.
Even on stormy days, he stood out there. The staff all tried to persuade him to leave.
He said: “I can’t. You don’t understand Rachel. She’s actually super timid, really afraid of thunder.”
I was furious. I went out to kick and hit him, cursed him with the nastiest words I knew, telling him to get lost.
3:27 pm DD
<
He looked like his heart was finally broken. He turned to leave.
In that moment, I closed my eyes.
Because there was something hot in my eyes, and I was afraid it would flow out if I opened them.
But the instant I closed my eyes, Ethan hugged me.
Ethan said: “Rachel, I understand. I understand what you’re afraid of. Don’t be scared. I won’t leave.
I’ll never leave you.”
– At this moment, I hugged Lucas.
“I understand. I understand what you’re afraid of,” I said, choking up. “Don’t be scared. I won’t leave.
I’ll never leave you!”
The heavyoured down from the sky.
Lucas suddenly hugged me tightly.
Warm rain fell on the nape of my neck. It took me a long time to realize it was Lucas’s tears.
This was the first time Lucas had cried in front of me.
It was also the moment he fell completely in love with me.
The rain poured down in sheets. I stared blank ahead.
Ethan, I only needed to show one–tenth of the kindness you showed me to make a lunatic fall completely in love with me.
But you were so good to me.
Yet I never loved you.
16
