My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 43

The little girl finally received the answer she had been waiting for, and she felt her heart beating like crazy. She finally received her salvation, but she had lost the courage to take that step forward.

…

Yes, I had lost my courage. Christopher had clear, clear eyes, and he could see right through me. He knew I had liked him for a long time now. I could still remember him asking me, "Why are you following me around, little girl?"

"Because I like you." Because I like him.

He was standing right before me, asking gently, "Will you be my girlfriend, little girl?"

I did. I wanted to be his girlfriend so badly. I would have said yes if he asked me nine years ago, but it was too late now. I did not come back to Bryxton to be his girlfriend. All I wanted to do was see him. I wanted to see the person I truly loved. Lowering my eyes, I mumbled, "Do you really like me?"

The question caught him by surprise. He paused for a moment and he answered, "Yes. You're the only woman I love."

Christopher was in his formal performance attire. He was wearing a white shirt underneath his black suit, and he was a tall, muscular man. He seemed powerful enough to hold me down easily, and I only had that feeling when Nicholas was having his way with me. Yes, Nicholas could be intimidating in bed. He pinned me down and did whatever he liked with me. I did not like how it felt, but I did not say

anything to him. I was willing to endure it for the person I liked.

I thought that was love, but now I saw the only one who cared was myself and it was nothing but a joke. I got out of the car and said, "Walk with me."

Nicholas nodded. There was a river near the neighborhood. I walked in front of him, and he suddenly held my hand. His hand was warm, unlike his personality. I curled my fingers, but I could not bring myself to pull back. He held my hand as we walked beside the river. I stared down and followed him, trying to come up with a reason to refuse him. There was no way we could be together.

First, I was his brother's ex-wife. I slept with Nicholas before. Their father would never let me be Christohpher's girlfriend. He might be nice to me, but he would never let this happen. Besides, his mother wanted him to marry Olivia, not me. She would never let her second son's ex-wife marry her eldest son. Olivia was right. This was technically incest, and it would be wrong if I tried to be Christopher's girlfriend. Second, my body was wasting away. I could die at any given moment, and I had no right to love or be loved. Third, Nicholas would stop us. Fourth, and possibly the most important one, Christopher hesitated when I asked him if he liked me. He probably had no idea whether he liked or pitied me. Nobody could believe that an aloof man who had no idea how to deal with relationships would fall for a woman he just met a few times.

I thought he was pitying me, and he said I was pitiful too. I did not care, though. At least I got his answer, though I rejected that answer. We walked for almost fifteen minutes and for a moment, it felt like I found inner peace. I finally did not have to walk behind him anymore. I did not have to chase him anymore. I pursed my lips and said reluctantly, "We have no future together."

He tightened his grip on my hand and gazed at me. He raised his other hand and patted my head, as if

trying to calm me down. "I know what you're worrying about, but I'll get rid of them if you'll be my girlfriend."

I wanted to rub my head against his hand, but I held back the urge. "You can't."

"Trust me, Renee," he said. I could hear how determined he was, and it was the first time he called me by my name.

"I don't like you anymore, Christopher," I refused.

He pursed his lips. Christopher wanted to say something, but he kept quiet in the end. He held my hand and pulled me into his embrace. "I'm sorry, little girl," he whispered.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and saw Olivia standing not far from us. A man who looked similar to Christopher stood beside her. That man was looking at me icily, and I blinked. "Why are you apologizing?"

"You're hurt because I dragged this out for too long. This time, it's my turn to wait for you. Come back when you're ready. I'll always be waiting, even if I'll have to wait my whole life."

He'll spend his whole life waiting for me? Just because I spent nine years waiting for an answer? Olivia and Nicholas heard that. The lady blanched, but Nicholas still seemed calm. No matter what happened, this guy would never break character, even if his own brother was embracing me.

Christopher let me go and turned around. He saw Nicholas and Olivia, but he was not surprised. He said goodbye and left, pretending that Olivia and Nicholas were not there. Right after he left, Olivia

followed him, leaving me and Nicholas alone.

I put my hands in my pockets and smiled. "Did Olivia take you here to stop us in case anything happens?"

Nicholas was wearing a black jacket. He came up to me and mocked, "He gave you what you wanted. Why did you say no? Can't shut your past out?"

"What past?" I asked.

"That you are my ex-wife and had my child before."

I was not going to argue with him, so I went to my car.

Nicholas followed me in silence. When we came to my car, he suddenly asked, "Why'd you refuse him? Were you serious when you said you don't like him any—"

"No," I answered immediately.

"So why did you refuse him?"

I wondered why Nicholas was so adamant on knowing the answer, so I shot him back with his own words, "Well, I am your ex-wife and I had your child before. Besides, I'm wasting away. He's a perfect man. He deserves a better woman."

Nicholas whispered, "Then stay away from him."

"I did," I said.

"You were leading him on. He would not have said that if you weren't giving him mixed signals," Nicholas hissed. "Renee, you know you're wasting away, so stop spreading your misery. Just stay with me and we'll torture each other until you die."

"You're hurt becouse I drogged this out for too long. This time, it's my turn to woit for you. Come bock when you're reody. I'll olwoys be woiting, even if I'll hove to woit my whole life."

He'll spend his whole life woiting for me? Just becouse I spent nine yeors woiting for on onswer? Olivio ond Nicholos heord thot. The lody blonched, but Nicholos still seemed colm. No motter whot hoppened, this guy would never breok chorocter, even if his own brother wos embrocing me.

Christopher let me go ond turned oround. He sow Nicholos ond Olivio, but he wos not surprised. He soid goodbye ond left, pretending thot Olivio ond Nicholos were not there. Right ofter he left, Olivio followed him, leoving me ond Nicholos olone.

I put my honds in my pockets ond smiled. "Did Olivio toke you here to stop us in cose onything hoppens?"

Nicholos wos weoring o block jocket. He come up to me ond mocked, "He gove you whot you wonted. Why did you soy no? Con't shut your post out?"

"Whot post?" I osked. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

"Thot you ore my ex-wife ond hod my child before."

I wos not going to orgue with him, so I went to my cor.

Nicholos followed me in silence. When we come to my cor, he suddenly osked, "Why'd you refuse him? Were you serious when you soid you don't like him ony—"

"No," I onswered immediotely.

"So why did you refuse him?"

I wondered why Nicholos wos so odomont on knowing the onswer, so I shot him bock with his own words, "Well, I om your ex-wife ond I hod your child before. Besides, I'm wosting owoy. He's o perfect mon. He deserves o better womon."

Nicholos whispered, "Then stoy owoy from him."

"I did," I soid.

"You were leoding him on. He would not hove soid thot if you weren't giving him mixed signols," Nicholos hissed. "Renee, you know you're wosting owoy, so stop spreoding your misery. Just stoy with me ond we'll torture eoch other until you die."