Chapter 30: Would You Consider It?
1778 Words
Adrian slept through the entire morning at home in a daze. The feeling of a hangover was truly unpleasant. In the past, at times like this, Willow would always make him a cup of warm honey water to ease his discomfort.
Waking up and sitting by the bedside, the pain from his body brought the memories of last night flooding back.
Adrian still decided to go find Willow.
Arriving at Willow's door, Adrian felt inexplicably nervous.
He raised his hand and knocked.
"Who is it?" The door opened.
"Sophie? What are you doing here?" Adrian frowned, looking at the third wheel who shouldn't be here.
"That useless Dr. Harrington."
"What, I can't come find Willow?" Sophie crossed her arms and leaned against the door. Right now, she looked at her own brother with utter disdain, her nose wrinkled in annoyance.
Adrian looked at the tightly closed bedroom door, turned around neatly, and left.
"Hey."
"Unit 501, Building 3, Seaview Gardens. Come pick up Sophie."
After making the call to Dr. Harrington, Adrian stood downstairs with his arms crossed, resting with his eyes closed.
Dr. Harrington: A true brother, for life!
Unexpectedly, fifteen minutes later, Adrian heard the roar of a sports car.
"Go on up." Adrian lifted his chin in indication.
Dr. Harrington nodded with a sense of mission.
"Hey, you're serious about this, right?" Adrian called out to Dr. Harrington.
"Serious." Dr. Harrington turned back and looked at Adrian, nodding solemnly.
Adrian didn't say anything more. He lit a cigarette.
Dr. Harrington rushed upstairs energetically and knocked on the door.
"Ugh, what now?" Sophie opened the door with an impatient look.
Her brother was so annoying!
Opening the door, she only saw Dr. Harrington standing there with a forced smile.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Sophie decisively slammed the door shut. Damn it, how did he find this place???
Dr. Harrington stuck his hand into the door to block it.
Bang.
"Ugh—" Dr. Harrington cried out in pain, but his hand didn't let go.
"Are you stupid?" Sophie opened the door in fright.
Nervously, she picked up Dr. Harrington's hand to examine it carefully. It was somewhat red and swollen.
He was a doctor. How could he not care about his own hand?
"So how much longer are you going to hide?" Dr. Harrington ignored his hand and asked with a terrible expression.
"I... I wasn't hiding. You weren't awake this morning, so I left first when I woke up," Sophie explained haltingly.
"Is that so?" Dr. Harrington raised an eyebrow, his eyes falling on Sophie still wearing his shirt.
"I haven't even asked you—where's my skirt?" Sophie demanded with false bravado.
Dr. Harrington suppressed his anger, grabbed Sophie with one hand, threw her over his shoulder, and left.
What? She wasn't a sack of rice. Why did he keep carrying her like this?
"Put me down! Let's talk properly. Hey, where are you taking me?" Sophie watched as Willow's home grew farther and farther away.
No! Help!
"Stop moving. My hand hurts like hell." Dr. Harrington slapped Sophie's butt.
(Butt: Who will speak up for me?)
Thinking of Dr. Harrington's injured hand, Sophie didn't dare struggle anymore. She obediently hung over his shoulder.
Downstairs, she saw Adrian smoking with a cold expression.
"You traitor! You told him to come, didn't you! I'll never help you again!" Sophie suddenly saw the light. She lifted her head and cursed at Adrian.
Adrian put out his cigarette, shrugged, walked over to Dr. Harrington, and patted his shoulder. A tacit understanding passed between the two men's eyes.
Finally having sent away the third wheel, Adrian went upstairs to find Willow.
The main door hadn't been closed in time. Adrian entered and closed it behind him.
The bedroom door was still tightly shut. Was Willow still sleeping?
Gently turning the bedroom door handle, Adrian saw that Willow had curled herself into a ball, wrapped up like a silkworm chrysalis. She looked so insecure.
Faintly hearing arguing voices outside, reason told Willow that she should get up to see how Sophie was doing, but her body simply couldn't get out of bed. Too sleepy...
Until a familiar mint scent enveloped her.
Adrian's scent... She was dreaming again.
Willow moved toward the familiar scent and bumped into a warm "wall."
Willow even rubbed her face against it. So warm.
Adrian was stunned.
The next second, he admitted he was being improper. He gently climbed into Willow's bed and pulled her into his arms.
Willow's bed in her bedroom was much smaller than the one at their former home. Adrian's large frame made the bed instantly feel cramped.
But at this moment, the two of them were hugging tightly. That afternoon, two people who hadn't slept well for a long time fell into a deep, long sleep...
If time could stop at this moment, Adrian thought, then perhaps he would understand what he had missed before.
As night approached, Willow vaguely felt herself waking up.
She stretched. This nap had been so comfortable.
Wait, why was there something next to her? Willow's eyes flew open.
Adrian? What the hell! Wasn't it a dream??
"Why are you here!" Willow shoved Adrian away fiercely.
Adrian wasn't prepared. He tumbled off the bed and rolled onto the floor.
"Ouch—" Adrian woke up groggily, rubbing his waist.
"Why are you here??" Willow lifted the quilt to check that she was still wearing her pajamas, then turned her head and glared at Adrian.
"Where's Sophie?" It was quiet outside. Willow poked her head out to look.
Looking at Willow clutching the quilt tightly to cover herself, Adrian propped himself up on the floor helplessly. What part of her hadn't he seen before? There was no need for this.
"Dr. Harrington took her away," Adrian said calmly.
Willow: Sophie, good luck!
"You knew?" Willow looked at Adrian, who showed no reaction.
"Only that i***t Sophie couldn't see it for herself," Adrian said.
Willow: ...Thanks. And she was also an i***t who never saw it herself.
"Then how did you get in?"
"Sophie left in a hurry and didn't close the door." Adrian nodded toward the door.
"Then you can't just climb into someone's bed. Get out." Willow was somewhat angry.
"Am I someone else to you?" Adrian stood up, looking down at Willow with some displeasure.
Willow turned her head away and didn't speak.
"I'm here to apologize. I drank too much yesterday and scared you, didn't I?" Sighing, Adrian squatted down to face Willow and spoke in a softer tone.
"You should apologize to Lucas, not me," Willow said lightly.
Adrian clenched his fist. Apologize to that arrogant pretty boy? Not in this lifetime.
"Grandpa invited us to dinner tomorrow. Since last time... he hasn't seen you for a long time." Adrian changed the subject.
"I understand." Willow nodded.
It was Grandpa Arthur's invitation. Willow wouldn't refuse. Moreover, Willow also wanted to see how Grandpa Arthur was doing.
"You can leave now." Seeing that Adrian still had no intention of leaving, Willow showed him the door.
Adrian lowered his eyes and nodded.
"I'm leaving. Take care of yourself. I'll pick you up tomorrow." Adrian stood up.
"No need. I'll go by myself," Willow said, somewhat stubbornly.
Adrian's figure, with his back turned, was somewhat stiff. He didn't speak and left. Anyone could tell—Adrian was angry...
Feeling the other side of the bed return to coldness, Willow's eyes turned slightly red. Damn it. She had been sleeping perfectly fine alone... Why did he have to come?
On the other side, Sophie.
In the car, it was very quiet this time. Neither of them said a word.
Until she saw that Dr. Harrington was taking her back to his own home, Sophie wanted to speak but stopped herself.
Dr. Harrington held Sophie tightly the entire way, carrying gauze and medicine back to his own bedroom. Click. He locked the door and put the key into his... underwear.
Sophie: ...This time, it would really be hard to run away.
"Come here, culprit." Dr. Harrington sat on the bed and extended his injured hand to Sophie.
Sophie knew she was in the wrong. She lowered her head and honestly applied medicine to Dr. Harrington.
Looking at his right hand, which was somewhat red, swollen, and broken-skinned, guilt, depression, fear, and grievance welled up in her heart. Tears uncontrollably dripped onto Dr. Harrington's hand.
Feeling the wetness on his hand, Dr. Harrington only felt that these tears burned straight into his heart.
"I'm the one in pain, not you. What are you crying for, little troublemaker?" Dr. Harrington gently wiped away Sophie's tears.
"Sorry, I really didn't mean to," Sophie said softly, tears continuing to fall.
"I know. I did it on purpose." Dr. Harrington cupped Sophie's face.
"What?" Sophie didn't understand.
"A ruse of self-injury, understand? Otherwise, would you have come back with me?" Dr. Harrington said helplessly.
"You..." Sophie wanted to speak but stopped.
"Sophie, we've slept together twice," Dr. Harrington said seriously.
Sophie nodded foolishly.
"If the first time was an accident, was the second time too?" Dr. Harrington continued.
The second time... didn't count? Sophie thought to herself.
"So what do you feel about me? If you didn't like me, would there have been a second time?" Dr. Harrington pressed step by step.
"I don't know..." Sophie's voice was very soft.
"I've always treated you like a brother. Do you like me? The kind of like between a man and a woman?" Sophie asked with pouted lips.
"If I didn't like you, would I have brought you here?" Dr. Harrington knocked Sophie's head, really wanting to see what was inside that brain of hers.
"But you've never been without women around you," Sophie said.
"What girlfriends? Have I ever announced which one was my girlfriend?" Dr. Harrington asked back.
Thinking about it, that seemed right... It was just that she had always seen women constantly around him. That was all.
"But..." Sophie felt her head swelling, a complete mess.
"If you haven't considered it before, start thinking about it now. Give us a chance. Don't run away, okay?" Dr. Harrington asked seriously.
Heaven had given him this chance. He had to seize it properly.
Sophie thought for a long time—so long that Dr. Harrington's eyes grew sore. Finally, she nodded.
Dr. Harrington smiled with relief. Fortunately, she hadn't refused.
"Then can I leave now?" Sophie asked.
"But my right hand is injured. I can't even take care of my daily life. Won't you take care of me? Who caused this?" Dr. Harrington returned to that shameless appearance.
Sophie: ...
- Writer
