He Died, I Went Back to Save Him

Chapter 3

Zebulon was set to leave first thing in the morning.

"Handsome, where are you going?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You sure call me that a lot. I've gotta work, you know? I can't just sit around and starve."

Zebulon had just turned 18. At this point in time, he worked as a bartender at a local bar.

I lowered my head and asked, "Will you come back tonight?"

He shot me a quick glance and turned to leave.

"So annoying," he said before walking off.

I watched his retreating figure and quietly followed after him.

I was no longer allowed to stay at the orphanage after turning 18, so I had to find a way to survive on my own.

I watched Zebulon walk into the Stellara Club, then applied for a server job at the coffee shop right across the street.

Thanks to all the experience I'd gained in my past life, working as a server was easy for me.

When there were no customers, I kept my eyes fixed on that club.

Soon, a familiar figure caught my eye. It was the man who'd left Zebulon badly injured in my previous life.

My heart raced with anxiety. I still had 30 minutes left on my shift.

The clock ticked slowly. The second my shift ended, I bolted across the street to the club.

Its neon night vibe felt chaotic and overwhelming. The blaring, loud music made me frown instantly.

I asked another server where Zebulon was, only to find out he'd already clocked out.

A bad feeling washed over me. I rushed out and headed straight to the spot where I'd first met Zebulon in my past life.

When I arrived, four men stood in front of him, tapping wooden bats against their palms.

A scar-faced man named Jake Easter took a drag from his cigarette and stepped toward Zebulon, seething with anger.

He said, "Who the hell do you think you are? You're lucky my sister even likes you, punk. How dare you say no? The nerve!"

My heart was pounding uncontrollably in my chest.

Jake continued, "You worthless trash. What gives you the right to reject my sister? You think she's ugly or something?"

Zebulon lowered his head and let out a quiet laugh. "It's not that she's ugly. She's just not pretty, that's all."

His first line made me feel a little uneasy for a split second.

But hearing the rest, I couldn't help but smile—that was my man, always sharp-tongued and unapologetic.

I zoned out for a second, and in that gap, Jake swung his bat straight at Zebulon.

Zebulon didn't go down without a fight and fought back immediately.

Still, he was outnumbered four to one. No matter how brave he was, he couldn't take all of them on alone.

I didn't have a phone to call for help. All I could think about was how badly hurt Zebulon had been in my past life.

Without hesitation, I sprinted forward.

Three men pinned Zebulon to his knees while Jake raised his bat to strike him down.

I threw myself in front of Zebulon at the last second, and the bat hit me hard. Sharp pain shot through my body instantly.

I knew right away my shoulder was broken.

Those men froze the second they saw me.

Zebulon's eyes widened in pure shock. "Troublemaker, are you crazy? Move out of the way!"

I ignored him and stared straight at Jake. "I've already called the police. They'll be here any minute."

I was only 18, but I glared at him fiercely. My bluff worked.

The men fled quickly, but not before warning Zebulon that this wasn't over.

I collapsed to the ground, clutching my injured shoulder and looking up at Zebulon.

He was furious and shouted at me harshly, "Are you out of your mind? Why'd you jump in the way? You got a death wish?"

I stared at him, tears welling up in my eyes.

He never knew how to show his care gently. It was just like before.

I remembered one night, he'd had too many drinks at a work event. Someone forced him to finish an entire bottle of whiskey before he could leave.

I'd drunk the whole bottle for him and ended up with stomach bleeding.

Back then, he'd snapped at me with red eyes. "Leanne, do you want to die?"

Even so, he'd stayed up day and night taking care of me while I recovered.

It took me four whole months to get my stomach back to normal.

I hung my head, and tears fell steadily down my cheeks. "I just didn't want you to get hurt. I'm in so much pain. Please stop yelling at me."