Chapter 26.
Her eyes, now red from tears, stared into the darkness.
When he fell asleep, she slipped away without hesitation, rushing into the bathroom, scrubbing herself clean as if trying to wash away the pain.
She couldn’t sleep after that, so she went to the study and continued to work on her design sketches.
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The next day, when Armando woke up, he found the bed empty. Jovana wasn’t lying in his arms.
He thought, “She must be at the edge of the bed.”
He chuckled to himself, stretching out his arms and pulling her back into his embrace, brushing his stubbled chin against her neck. Today’s a light workday. I’ll go out with you,” Armando said.
“How about we go to the amusement park? I know how much you love haunted houses…”
Jovana lowered her gaze. She had stayed up late working on her sketches the night before and didn’t feel like going out.
But Armando, like an eager puppy, persisted.“I’ve got a surprise for you. Come on, let’s go see, OK?”
Jovana sighed, unable to resist, and gave in reluctantly.
She would be gone in twenty–five days, but until then, she was determined to keep him in the dark.
Armando’s joy was evident as he cupped her face, eager to kiss her.
Jovana winced slightly, turning her head to avoid his kiss.
“Honey… Armando’s voice was tinged with disappointment. “You’ve been pushing me away lately. What’s wrong?”
Jovana didn’t feel like explaining. She smiled faintly, saying, “Your stubble scratches. Go wash up first.”
She pushed him away and headed to the washroom.
Armando followed her, his mood instantly lifting, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He grinned, “Honey, can you beard for me?”
In the past, Jovana always complied, willing to help him with anything.
But now, she pulled away from him and said emotionally, “I’ll wash my face. You do it yourself.”
Armando’s eyes darkened, his expression softening as he pleaded, “Just a minute, please?”
It was always like this before.
He had been a sly wolf in sheep’s clothing, turning into a cute puppy when he wanted something from her.
She had always found it hard to disappoint him, but now, Jovana didn’t want to deal with him anymore.
“It’s getting late. Stop being so childish,” she said coldly, rejecting him.
Armando felt a deep emptiness in his chest. His mind wandered back to the events of yesterday.“Have I hurt her?”
He vowed to make it up to her later.
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As they walked towards the amusement park, Armando held Jovana closely, his chin resting on her shoulder.“I’ll spend more time with you, I promise. I won’t let you be sad anymore.”
Jovana smiled bitterly.“Future? Where would we find a future?”
In twenty–five days, it would just be him left.
Armando held the umbrella over Jovana, shielding her from the sun, his other hand carefully holding her bag, attending to her every need. If she lingered on something for even a second, he would instantly buy it for her.
He knew she loved haunted houses, so even though the line was long and the sun was scorching, he didn’t hesitate to wait in line, determined to make her happy.
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Girls passing by couldn’t help but glance at them with envy. One nudged her boyfriend and said, “Look at how attentive the man is to his girlfriend. You should learn from him. You’re just playing with your phone. Are you here to be with me or just to play with your phone? Her boyfriend grumbled impatiently, “Don’t push it.”
She teased, ‘You didn’t act like that when you were trying to win me over.”
Jovana listened to their playful bickering, her gaze dimming as she looked down, lost in thought
“Vana, I got the haunted house tickets. Let’s go,” Armando said as he jogged toward her through the crowd, sweat beading on his forehead.
His usual irritation from dealing with others vanished the moment he saw her, replaced by a bright, affectionate smile.
It reminded her of the old days when he’d rush back to find her after a basketball game at school.
He reached her, took her hand, and wrapped it gently in his, his grip firm, as though afraid she might slip away.
The memories hit her with a pang.
Just then, someone approached them.
