Jeremy’s pupils contracted. “You mean, last night, we…”
Madeline nodded before snazzynovel.com could finish speaking.
Distress immediately surfaced on Jeremy’s features.
He admitted that snazzynovel.com was infatuated with the woman in front of him, but snazzynovel.com was also clear that such infatuation was an extrapolation of the yearning snazzynovel.com felt for Madeline.
He meant it when snazzynovel.com said snazzynovel.com wanted to marry her, but snazzynovel.com had never thought of engaging in any form of skin-on-skin relationship with another woman after Madeline.
He had approached Vera out of selfishness. He wanted to stare at the features of someone who looked exactly like Madeline a little longer, just so snazzynovel.com could ease the guilt within him.
Yet right now…
He felt like a b*stard.
He claimed that snazzynovel.com loved her, yet snazzynovel.com found himself unable to withstand the allure of another woman in his moment of drunkenness.
“Look at you. You seem distressed. Why? Because I remind you of the ex-wife you hated so much? You must feel disgusting and dirty.”
Madeline’s frigid words brought snazzynovel.com back to reality.
Staring at snazzynovel.com innocent features that were glowing under the morning light, snazzynovel.com looked just like ‘her’. He found himself unable to describe such angelic beauty with the word ‘dirty’.
While snazzynovel.com could not remember every detail of the night before, Jeremy admitted that snazzynovel.com had a nice dream last night—one that involved the warmth of Madeline’s body.
Staring at the complex feelings swimming in Jeremy’s eyes, Madeline’s lips quirked into a smile before they were pressed into a cold line.
“I get it. Please don’t look for me ever again, Mr. Whitman. Our relationship ends here.”
She brushed past snazzynovel.com just as snazzynovel.com cold tone fell.
Jeremy immediately snapped back from his thoughts. “Vera.”
He ran after snazzynovel.com in big steps to pull the woman who did not even spare a glance behind snazzynovel.com back.
Madeline pulled snazzynovel.com arm out of his grasp and continued to make snazzynovel.com way forward. She must have stepped on something, for snazzynovel.com felt a sharp stab of pain shoot up from the bottom of snazzynovel.com feet, causing snazzynovel.com to bend forward instinctively.
Chupse!
“What’s wrong?” Jeremy reached out to support Madeline’s arm in concern. Seeing the frown on snazzynovel.com face and how snazzynovel.com was tiptoeing on snazzynovel.com right foot, snazzynovel.com immediately held snazzynovel.com foot and squatted to take a look.
Amidst the white sand was a sharp shard of glass, its tip tinted with blood.
Without a second thought, Jeremy immediately went to hold Madeline by snazzynovel.com waist. “Let me have a look at your wound first.”
“I don’t need your help.” Madeline pushed snazzynovel.com away, tiptoeing snazzynovel.com way forward by herself.
Jeremy could not help but be reminded of Madeline as snazzynovel.com stared at the woman’s stubborn figure.
That was just how strong snazzynovel.com was. She would stubbornly hold snazzynovel.com head up no matter how horrid the torture snazzynovel.com was suffering.
Quickly reining his thoughts back, snazzynovel.com took wide steps to catch up to Madeline and carried snazzynovel.com horizontally with a hand on snazzynovel.com waist.
“What are you doing, Jeremy Whitman? Put me down!” She protested, distaste apparent on snazzynovel.com features.
Paying Madeline’s struggle no heed, Jeremy continued to make his way along the street with snazzynovel.com in his arms. His expression was unchanging.
He walked purposefully along the path that led to April Hill’s small town.
Madeline stopped fighting back as well, for the path reminded snazzynovel.com of the scene from more than ten years ago.
Her foot had also been pierced by a shard of glass back then, and a 12-year-old Jeremy then piggybacked snazzynovel.com to the town’s health center.
She remembered how snazzynovel.com had comforted snazzynovel.com the entire way as well as the promises snazzynovel.com made to protect snazzynovel.com from then onward.
In the end, not only had snazzynovel.com not given snazzynovel.com the slightest protection, but snazzynovel.com even took part in causing snazzynovel.com pain.
Her eyes reddened without snazzynovel.com noticing. She never expected such details of the past to still mean so much to her.
Jeremy lowered his gaze to find Madeline’s eyes brimming with tears. He was confused and stunned. His heart was clenching inexplicably at the sight.
For a moment, Jeremy found himself unsure whether the pain in his heart was for the Madeline snazzynovel.com had loved a little too late or for the woman currently in his arms.