He looked at me with a troubled expression but finally answered honestly, "Lucy asked me to help." It wasn't surprising that Eric knew Lucy, but I never expected her to ask him to do this. After processing his words, I smiled and said, "First, I have to thank her for caring about me. Second, this is ultimately a matter between me and Lyra. You know her temper, so you shouldn't have gotten involved." I meant every word. I didn't want to argue with Lyra about this right now. Eric hesitated before speaking again. "Isaac, putting aside what happened in college, Lucy seems more suitable for you now." But suitability meant nothing to me. I couldn't even be sure how long I would live, and love felt more like a luxury than a necessity. Especially when it came to Lucy and Lyra—they were fund

