His family immediately crowded around the bed, but his eyes remained fixed on me. Sensing what he wanted, Maria silently exited the hospital room, and the others followed suit. Soon, the room was quiet again,
“Was it worth it?” I asked in a low voice.
He nodded lightly and replied, “It was.‘
||
“You also thought that it must’ve hurt a lot, right?” he asked, his smile weak and his face still pale as a sheet.
I held his chilly hand and said, “Stop talking. You need all the rest you can get.”
However, Dante shook his head and said slowly but firmly, “I spent the whole night thinking about what you said yesterday. I was the one who destroyed our relationship. I didn’t know how to appreciate you. I showed up today only because I wanted to tell you that I regret everything. But when I saw that thug pulling out a blade, all I could think of was how I couldn’t let you get hurt again.”
I was stunned. In the past, I would’ve surely been touched by these words. But now, I was no longer someone who’d spend all my time waiting for someone else. My heart could no longer accept that.
Dante understood what my silence meant, but he asked anyway, “If… Isobel hadn’t shown up, would things have worked out between us?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “No.”
Isobel had merely been the catalyst. Long before her arrival, Dante had already drained me of all my love and energy.
After a long silence, Dante spoke up again. “Can I meet your fiance?”
Startled, I agreed to it.
When Tim came over to the hospital, he looked at Dante and said, “Thanks for saving Nina.”
Dante stared at Tim for ages. At last, he figured it out. Tim didn’t show any jealousy, nor did he utter a word of mockery. He loved me with warmth and openness. Tim’s very existence was akin to striking a blow against the arrogance and aloofness Dante once showed me.
The two men talked for a very long time. When Tim emerged from the room, some of Dante’s stubbornness seemed to have been replaced
1/2
Chapter 16
with acceptance.
I asked Tim what they’d talked about, but he gave me a mysterious smile and said, “It’s a secret between us men.”
Chuckling, I didn’t pursue
any
further.
+25 Bonus
The day before my wedding, I visited Dante to bid him farewell. Just as I was about to leave, he stopped me and asked, “May I attend your wedding tomorrow?”
After a brief pause, I nodded.
