"Then who was crying in a quilt every night?" Stuart asked in a low voice, cutting the heartstring tightened tightly like a knife.
He installed the monitor in her bedroom. He knew everything in her bedroom. She was in pain for these two months. Every night she cried to fall asleep. And then she was woken up by a nightmare. Every night. But she still had to pretend to be fine on the day. Now he said he knew all these. Didnât he know the reason?
"So, you just stood there watching me cry, right?"
Edie raised her palm-size face. Her eyes were filled with tears. At the moment, she fixed her eyes on him. She knew he was also looking at her at the moment.
Both fell into silence.
At the moment, the narrow warehouse was wrapped by the wired atmosphere.
Edie knew Stuart didnât know how to answer her. His promise to Marina tortured her for more than two months. How brutal he was.
"Whatever. I donât care now. It would not make any difference now. You can keep your word and fulfill your promise. But donât ever sacrifice me again. You left without any explanation. Everyone told me that you had passed away. They said that you had been killed in that explosion. I also kept telling myself this. It would make me feel better compared with the fact that you left without telling me anything. See, look at me...why do I need to tell you this now. They have passed...."
"I know Iâve made an unforgivable fault. Therefore, I am trying to make up for you. I would try my best."
"My heart has been broken. Could you fix it ?"
"If your heart was broken, I could wrap your heart with my heart," Stuart said word by word. In the darkness, his voice sounded firm and powerful, like making vows.
Suddenly, Edie felt so tired. Why did she keep thinking about this? It seemed that she had been trapped into a dead circle. No matter what she did, she was not able to get out.
Therefore, she fell into silence. She decided not to say a word.
"I am tired now. I donât want to quarrel with you."
She said in a low voice, like the sound of a needle falling on the ground.
This time, she didnât get rid of his arms. She leaned against his chest and gradually felt into sleep.
In the darkness, the man placed his hands on her face. He touched her tears covered on her face,
He gently wiped those tears away and rubbed her long hair with his big hands. Then he said, "it seemed Iâve made such a mistake. Though I owe Marina a lot, I should tell you. I should not have let you worry about me for such a long time."
"Though I attach great importance to commitment, I care about you more. I have become so stupid. Without Ivan and Mr. Bates staying around me, I now donât even know how to talk to you. I really donât want to piss you off. So I choose to shut my mouth up."
"See, I make a mistake again. I acknowledge my mistake. I never deny it. I promise you I would make up for you till you come back to me. You donât know I feel so happy when I stay with you, even if you are quarreling with me. Because I am still alive, I still could stay with you as a man. This is enough for me."
Stuart placed his jaw on her head gently and breathed carefully. He didnât want to break the peace at the moment.
***
Next morning.
When Edie woke up, she felt so painful and sour on the body. She looked around. The room looked so familiar to her. She was slightly surprised. When did she come back last night?
She got up, seeing a bunch of white roses on the bed stand. They were blooming at the moment. The fragrance of the flowers pervaded inside the room.
Was it Stuart that gave him these flowers?
She got up immediately.
The landlordâs wife brought the breakfast onto the table. Seeing Edie, she smiled, and said, "I bet you must wake at this point. Come on, eat something. All food is hot."
"Mrs. Yang, how did I come back? Whereâs my husband?"
"Your husband took you back at five oâclock this morning. Then he left and returned back with a bunch of white roses and some dumplings. He asked me to cook for you. Your husband was such a nice man. When he held you back in his arms, he covered your body with his coat. I am so sorry about what happened last night. The power was cut all night. And it doesnât recover until this morning. You must be freaked out."
"When did he leave?"
"Half an hour ago."
Edie raised her eyes to check the clock on the wall. It was nine oâclock and a half. So Stuart left at nine oâclock, as usual.
Edie didnât ask more questions since he had left. The more questions she asked, the most confused she would get.
She got up to brush her teeth and clean her face. Then she started eating her breakfast, those dumplings Stuart bought for he4r.
Joshua bought a bowl of dumplings yesterday. She didnât expect that he could remember that.
She enjoyed those dumplings. She thought those dumplings might be the most delicious dumplings she had ever had.
After eating breakfast, Edie was about to get out to the store. But Mrs. Yang stopped her immediately, "Mr. Yates told me youâve been sleeping on the floor for a while night. It must be so cold. He wants you to take rest today. He would come to visit you tonight."
"Mrs. Yang, what are you talking about? Why do you keep talking for him?"
"Of course, I am standing on your side. But your husband is right, isnât he?" Mrs. Yang said and smiled.
Edie felt helpless. She had no choice but to return to her room. But she really didnât want to stay in her room. So she still went to the store.
Her landlord was there.
She came to the store to look for the sketch she drew for Stuart yesterday.
She took the sketch back to her room. Then she started beautifying it carefully. She deepened the color to make the line look more three-dimensional. Now the sketch looked vivid.
Edie closed the sketchbook carefully and put it into the box. This was her treasure now. She wanted to pack it up and send it to A.
In the evening, Edie went to the store again. Actually, Stuart said he could go to her room to visit her. But she preferred the atmosphere in the store. Only when he came to the store did Edie feel he was an ordinary man.
Except he looked cuter and better at balancing the money. More manly. Nothing more.
He would help her balance the book. She was responsible for moving those goods. They cooperated with each other so well. Edie loved that feeling.
That made her feel that her dream finally came true at the moment.
At nine oâclock, when students went off their class, Edie started preparing.
When those students arrived, Stuart didnât show up.
Stuart was a good timekeeper.
Those students also started murmuring, "where is that cute guy?"
"Miss, whereâs your cute husband? He was here every day before."
"What happened to him? Traffic accident?"
"Confronted with zombies?"
"Babe, you must be dreaming. There is no zombie in this world."
"So, a traffic accident?"
"..."
While those students talked, Edie got more and more nervous and anxious.
At the moment, someone suddenly screamed out, "Crashes on the highways between A and Lionel. Just half an hour ago."
Between A and Lionel...
Stuart came here along with that way.
Half of an hour ago.... he might be on his way here.
Such an asshole. Why did he go back to A.? Couldnât he stay with her all the time these days?
Edie got panicked. She called Stuart immediately.