“You’re lying. Didn’t you also work out before? What’s the difference between this and working out? It’s hard but it’s better than to stay like this, right?” Leila said quickly. But when she met the Arthur’s gaze, her heart throbbed with pain and she parted her face with streaks of tears trickling out. “You’re a healthy man, you can’t be like this!”
“Leila… Actually, I’m really fine. You don’t have to feel guilty; this really has nothing to do with you!” Arthur spoke in a hoarse voice.
Seeing Leila in tears and anxious for him, he also felt pains in his heart.
Leila turned her head to look at him and said seriously, “I don’t care if it has anything to do with me or not. Anyway, you have to go to treatment as the doctor said it’s very likely for you to recover, don’t give up! I’ve had a plan, if you can’t stand up and walk again, I won’t go back since I’m now working here! If you are willing to waste your time, I can do it too!”
He seemed to have lost a lot of weight. He looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes. It was apparent that he didn’t sleep well.
Arthur stared at Leila’s worried face. He gradually calmed down and he felt a bit complicated in his heart.
He didn’t expect Leila to come, nor did he expect Vincent would allow Leila to come!
He was reluctant to go to therapy because he was too guilty. He couldn’t get out of the shadow because Macey died for him. He felt guilty, especially when he thought of Charles, thought of the Hunter family, thought of the dead Macey, and then thought of his own disappointment in love. Thinking of these, he was buried by guilt, his heart was confused and sorrowful.
“Arthur, let’s go to the hospital. If you don’t want to go back to F City, you can also take the rehabilitation program here!” She would definitely help Arthur to get on his feet in order to make up for him.
With a deep look at Leila, Arthur shook his head. “Leila, please go back, don’t worry about my business, okay? I think it’s fine now! I just want to live a quiet life! Understand?”
Leila was stunned. Her tears fell from her eyes immediately and she sobbed until her tone was hard to be heard, “I know why you’re like this. It’s because of my sister’s death, and you feel indebted. You feel sorry for Charles and my sister if you still live with peace of mind. Also because of your unrequited love and you’re sad. So, you would rather hurt yourself than go to physical therapy. But why? What’s the point for all of this?”
“Leila…” So she knew it all!
Arthur trembled. It turned out that Leila could read his tired and lonely heart.
“But do you know that my sister had desperately wanted to protect you because she hoped that you can live well. You are wasting her life! you should be sorry for my sister, and also your grandaunt. You let her to take care of you at such an old age. How can you be so cruel?” Leila quickly wiped the tears on her face, “You made every one of us suffer, and it hurts to see you like this! How can you bear it in your heart?”
“Leila, please don’t cry!” Arthur reached over and wiped the tears from her face with one hand. The heat of the tears she had cried for him warmed his heart.
“I’m not crying!” Leila said. She couldn’t give him her love and also the feelings he hoped for, she also felt guilty. But once you loved someone, you just could not love another person.
He had saved her life, but she couldn’t give him her love! This also made her feel pain!
“Leila, I’m so sorry! Just be happy. Go back, don’t let Vincent worry. Go back and have a good life.”
“After all I’ve said, you still refuse to go back for physical therapy?”
“That’s not what I meant. You do not need to stay here and accompany me!” Arthur once again looked at Leila’s crying face; he smiled and said, “Live your life well with Vincent, just think of me occasionally. Don’t feel guilty. It’s enough to know you’re living a good life. I will also live well.”
Even if he was alone, even if he didn’t have a home, even if he was tormented in thoughts day and night, as long as she was good, it was enough for him.
“So, are you going to therapy or not?” She just wanted him to get well.
He really didn’t know how to face her, especially when she was crying-he really didn’t have the courage to face it.
Looking at his melancholy look, Leila was sad. She walked forward and squatted in front of him. She put her hands on his knees, she lowered her head, her tears were rippling down from the eyes and fell on his knees, “Arthur, if you don’t want this leg, then I want it. Can you please go to physical therapy, for me?”
He was stunned. Her tears which fell on his knee were like a magic spell, broke Arthur’s persistence. Arthur suppressed his feelings and spoke in a deep voice, “Leila, I give up.”
“You agreed? Promised?” Leila raised her little face with a surprised smile.
“Silly girl, you already cried like this, and if I still insist, I’m only afraid that Vincent will kill me as it’s my sin to make his wife cry so heartbreakingly.” Arthur smiled lightly and shook his head. A wise idea flashed in his mind, “I’ll get the treatment by myself and you don’t need to accompany me. I’ll go to the doctor in City R for physical therapy, so don’t worry!”
“No, I want to see you get better!” Leila shook her head and held Arthur’s hand tightly, “And you need someone to take care of you when you go to the hospital every day!”
“Leila, I’m fine. I can hire a caregiver! A professional caregiver can also help me to do massage!” Arthur held her hand back and continued, “For Macey’s sake, I’ve to live a good life to not disappoint her. I owed her. Now I am not just living for myself but her! I just want to go to the physical therapist myself, I don’t want you to be around. I want to do it quietly. You will get me unease if you’re around as I’ll often remember that I’m unlucky in love and I will be discouraged. I need space, a quiet space, and I want to live a quiet life. So, Leila you go back with Vincent. I’ll come to see you guys when I get better, when I get well, when I can get up, when I have the ability, and also when I rebuild my confidence!”
To love was not to possess, but to learn how to let go of her when she was happy! This was the way he loved her.
“Arthur…” Leila looked away sadly, she understood how he felt! Looking at herself every day would only make him sadder. But she really wanted to do something for him!
“Well Leila, your happiness is my greatest comfort. You don’t have to feel burdened!” Arthur glanced at the sky and once again looked deeply at Leila, “Go back, I won’t ask you to stay for dinner. Go find Vincent, you guys can stay in a hotel, I promise I’ll get better.”
“But will you really get better?” Knowing Arthur’s feelings as well as his stubbornness, Leila pondered for a moment and nodded her head. “If you don’t go to physical therapy, then I’ll still come to pester and annoy you!”
“I will!” Arthur shook his head and smiled. If it meant to be alone, let it be. Anyway, love cannot be forced. “Just go, if I’m right, they should be outside not far away, go to find them!”
“Arthur?!” Leila exclaimed.
“Go!” Arthur turned his face away. “Take care!”
Leila lowered her head, stood up, bit her lip, and whispered, “Arthur, you will definitely have your own happiness, and there will definitely a girl like an angel coming into your life. So, you must get better!”
Leila left. Grandaunt was wiping tears at the door. Love was tough!
She was gone! Arthur felt comforted. It was right to drive her away. He was afraid that if he was still with Leila, he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He was also afraid that he would love humbly and lost his dignity. The last thing he would ever want to do was to spoil her happiness.
Leila walked out of the door and then the alley and turned again, sighing quietly. She owed him too much. Turning around, she walked along the street, and she saw Vincent standing by the car, quietly gazing at her.
“Why are you here? Didn’t you go to the hotel to handle your things?” Arthur really guessed it right, they didn’t leave. Not far ahead, Miyamoto and Renee were standing together. Leila quickly walked over and took Vincent’s arm, even without saying, he knew just now she cried when he saw her red eyes.
“He kicked you out?” Vincent lifted his hand and wiped away the remaining tears from the corner of her eyes. He and Arthur had been friends for many years, and he understood him. If it was him today, Arthur would just do the same.
“Let’s go, Vincent. You help him to find the best doctor, the best physical therapist, the best masseur and caregiver. He said he will get better on his own!” Leila had some melancholy as Arthur didn’t want to see her because he didn’t want to be sad!
And what she could do for him was to care for him, but also to stay away from him.
Everyone was happy to know that Arthur agreed to go to therapy.
After dinner, they went to City R, eating and drinking until night. They stayed overnight at RR Hotel.
Leila and Vincent stayed in Vincent’s President Suite. Renee asked for a room of her own, but then she was brought by Miyamoto into his room, who asked her to watch TV with him.
She sat on the sofa, watching the TV, but didn’t know what was playing on the screen. Then she saw he suddenly leaned over, held her hand and looked at her with great passion in his eyes.
Hunching her shoulders, Renee withdrew her hand and laughed bitterly in embarrassment. “How about you let go first.”
He held her hand and the feeling of numbness made her feel odd. What did he mean by this? Could it be that she was asked to sleep with him at night?
Although they had some sort of intimacy, it didn’t mean that she had to compromise every time, right?
“Renee,” Miyamoto called her again. He stood up and his arms supported on the left and right of the sofa where Renee was sitting. He immediately held her between his arms.
Looking at each other, Renee gulped and dared not move. She was afraid that if she moved it would cause his desire to burst again, “Th… Then I am going back to my room.”
“Wait a minute!” He said hurriedly.
“Ah?” Renee was shocked and looked at the confused Miyamoto, “What?”