He Killed Me Then Loved Me Chapter 09
Arnold held me tight against his chest and hurried toward the rental.
After he walked me to the entrance of the complex, he suddenly stopped and waved at me. His clothes and shoes were soaked through.
For no reason at all, my eyes stung, as the scene of our farewell—previous life and this one—overlapped.
Over the clamorous drumming of the rain, I shouted at Arnold, “Where are you going after this?”
He smiled at me, his lips moving, but I couldn’t make out what he said.
Driven by a sudden impulse from nowhere, I ran up and stubbornly dragged Arnold back inside. He stood in the living room with water streaming off his pant legs, looking a little at a loss.
I didn’t dare look at him. I found a set of pajamas in the bedroom, then pushed him into the bathroom.
“Go take a shower, or you’ll catch a cold.”
When I saw him obediently go in, I suddenly came to my senses—my face was burning hot.
Half an hour later, Arnold came out. Water kept dripping from the tips of his hair.
I quickly handed him a towel. “Use this to dry your hair.”
He gave a soft “Mn,” and maybe because he was wearing women’s pajamas, his expression looked a little awkward.
My pajamas were bought oversized. Even so, they were still stretched tight on Arnold. The pant legs were too short by a good bit.
He cleared his throat lightly, looked at me, and asked stiffly, “Lina, aren’t you going to take a shower?”
Only then did I realize, and I hurriedly pulled my gaze away.
“Oh—uh, yeah. I am. I’ll go right now.”
With my pajamas in hand, I rushed into the bathroom. I dragged my feet for a full hour before I finally came out.
Arnold sat ramrod-straight on the sofa, head lowered, as if lost in thought. The sound of the door must have startled him; he looked up.
So nervous I didn’t know where to put my hands or feet, I latched onto a topic at random. “By the way, why did you suddenly show up in Denver?”
Arnold’s fingers on his knee curled slightly. His gaze flickered, and he didn’t dare look at me. “I came to talk to you about something.”
I sat opposite him, and my chest suddenly trembled. “What is it?”
“Catalina, there are some things I’ve held in for two lifetimes. I’ve always felt I should find a chance to say them.”
“I protect you not because I’m some do-gooder. I do it entirely of my own free will. I do it because I want something from you.”
“I like you. In both lifetimes.”
At that, my eyes widened in shock.
Maybe it was simply too much to take in—I couldn’t come back to myself for a long time.
“I…”
I tried to speak again and again, but still couldn’t get a single sentence out.
Arnold smiled and suddenly changed the subject. “Lina, you still haven’t told me—which university did you apply to?”
I answered on instinct, “New York University.”
“Good.”
That night, before the application deadline passed, Arnold used my computer to revise his college application choices. Then he lifted his eyes to me and reminded me, “Go to sleep.”
“Where are you sleeping?”
“The living room.”
“Let’s sleep together.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I froze, my face flushing scarlet. “That’s not what I mean.”
The tips of Arnold’s ears reddened too. “Mm.”
“I mean, I’ll sleep in the bedroom, you’ll sleep on the sofa, we’ll both sleep…”
Realizing I was only making it worse, I dashed back into the bedroom and shut the door tight.
When I got up the next morning, Arnold had already fried the eggs. I sat by the table, studying his brows and eyes carefully.
He suddenly looked over, a scatter of light flickering in his eyes. In that moment, I suddenly felt there was nowhere left for me to hide.
My fingertips turned faintly white around the fork. After a long pause, I said in a low voice, “Arnold, have you ever thought that I’m not the way you think I am?”
“Every time we met, it was all carefully arranged by me. I… I only wanted to use you.”
If I was going to accept him, I thought, I should lay bare all the wrong things I’d done before—spread them out for him to see, and show him my whole self.
I was selfish and unscrupulous. I didn’t want him to discover those flaws himself and then look at me with disappointment.
When my words fell, I lowered my head and waited for his judgment.
Arnold, however, looked as calm as ever as he handed me a carton of milk. He chuckled and said, “Catalina, how is it you never considered that I did it willingly?”
“Maybe I knew you long before you ever knew me.”
“I’m not interested in fighting over the family’s assets. In other words, I didn’t lose anything because of you. Even without company shares, what my mom left me is enough for me to live the rest of my life in comfort.”
“I just like you, purely. Good or bad—I take it all.”
My eyes suddenly burned. I stood up, threw myself into Arnold’s arms, and asked, “Then are you willing to stay with me for the rest of my life?”
“Nothing would make me happier.”
After Arnold and I made it official, we bought an apartment near New York University.
He didn’t like socializing, and neither did I. So, outside of class, we stayed curled up in our little home, watching the fine snow of winter and listening to the birds of summer.
In that small place, we shared many firsts together.
And so, the old dream was gone, and spring deepened.