9
The events of that night were eventually smoothed over.
After thinking about it for a long time, I sent Leo a text, thanking him.
He replied much later.
“Then buy me a coffee.”
I arranged to meet him at a bookstore cafe near my office. I saw the cut on his face, just starting to scab
over. There was a dark bruise near his eyebrow. A pang of regret went through me. Someone like Leo had
probably never even gotten a paper cut before.
“1…”
He walked toward me, the autumn leaves crunching under his feet.
“Your… injuries… do they still hurt?”
“It’s just a scratch.”
I glanced at the bruise again and then looked down. “Let’s go. It’s across the street.”
10/12
16:02
16:02
Chapter 2
We sat down in the cafe. I watched him drink his coffee calmly. He’s probably never had such bad coffee before, I thought. His parents would probably frown at me, too. Worried about their precious son getting involved with someone like me.
Some lessons, you only need to learn once.
“I…”
I sensed he had something to say. I finally gathered the courage to look at him.
“I’m used to being alone,” I said before he could speak.
He just stared at me for a long time before nodding. “Okay.”
I thanked him again and walked out of the bookstore without looking back.
The wind was cold. I wrapped my coat tighter around me and buried my face in my scarf. I thought a tea
might have fallen, but maybe it was just my imagination.
Autumn passed.
Steve’s big case was a disaster, thanks to Mandy’s incompetence in court. With me gone, the firm’s IPO was a distant dream. In fact, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Steve and Mandy had a massive fight, and he even ended up in the news for assaulting her. His parents, finally seeing her true colors, kicked her out o
their lives.
My team and I, on the other hand, had a string of victories. At our celebration party one night, I got a cal from my best friend.
“Merrin, my brother was in a car accident.”
“My aunt and uncle are on vacation abroad. They can’t get back right away.”
“It will take us until tomorrow to get there. Can you please go to the hospital and check on him for me?”
She was crying on the phone. And I was standing in the falling snow, feeling like I had suddenly gone deaf, a
buzzing silence in my ears.
It was completely dark by the time I found Leo’s room at the hospital.
He had a bandage wrapped around his head and his left arm was in a cast. An IV drip was slowly feeding medicine into his vein. He was asleep, his face pale from blood loss, almost blending in with the white shee-
I stood at the door, looking at him, and tears started to well up in my eyes.
In the middle of the night, he developed a high fever.
He suddenly whispered my name. “Merrin.”
I froze.
11/12
16.02
Chapter 2
He seemed to open his eyes, look at me for a second, and then close them again, slipping back into a deliri-
ous state.
“Merrin,” he murmured again.
“Please… don’t hate me so much. I’m begging you.”
The tears I had been holding back for so long finally broke free. My heart was a tangled mess of sadness and a fierce, uncontrollable ache. It swallowed all my reason, all my resolve.
“Leo, I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you.”
I couldn’t stop myself. I leaned down. My lips, wet and salty with tears, touched his dry, cracked ones.
He suddenly grew still.
A tear fell from my eyelashes, mingling with one that had escaped from the corner of his eye.
Leo slowly opened his eyes.
“Merrin.”
“It’s me. I’m here.”
I kissed him again, softly. I tried to smile through my tears. “Does it still hurt? Are you uncomfortable anywh-
ere?”
He didn’t answer. He just stared at me, as if trying to convince himself that this was real, not a dream.
After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice weak.
“It’s snowing. Are you cold?”
“Did you get cold on your way here?”
Outside the window, the snow fell silently.
I shook my head, letting my tears fall as I gently rested my cheek against his arm.
In that moment, I let myself fall for him.
(End of Story)
