Tom turned and went to the kitchen, saying something to the housekeeper. The housekeeper nodded, then took off her apron, washed her hands, and left happily.
Agnes stood by the dining chair, her gaze fixed on Tom as he walked towards her and stopped in front of her, looking down at her with a bit of heartache. She had cried so much that her eyes were swollen.
The girl lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, trying hard to control her inner turmoil.
“Go take a bath first, wear my shirt,” Tom said. “You need a good rest now, don’t think about anything. Once your phone is charged, call your family to let them know you’re safe.”
His voice was so gentle that it made her feel captivated, so gentle that she didn’t feel tired at all despite being exhausted both physically and mentally. Being able to see him, to stand in front of him, made her feel so happy.
“Be good and listen,” Tom said as he put his arm around her shoulders like she was a child and led her towards the bedroom.
The bedroom wasn’t as big as the one in Fritz Manor but it had a bathroom, a sofa chair, and a bed; it was clean, tidy, and cozy.
After bringing her inside, Tom let go of her and turned to open the wardrobe, picking out a shirt for her. It was also white, very similar to the one he wore last time; perhaps it was even the same one. This reminded both of them of that night in the manor when she also took a bath in his bathroom and wore his shirt to bed…
“Go ahead,” he said, handing the shirt to her. “Mrs. Brown has already bought you clothes for tomorrow. Take a bath first and then get a good night’s sleep.”
The girl slowly lifted her eyes to look at him, their gazes meeting once again. She felt an inexplicable urge to cry again, her nose tingling and tears welling up in her eyes uncontrollably. She loved him so much that she was always overwhelmed with emotions.
Tom’s lips curled into a slight smile as he reached out to rub her head comfortingly. “It’s okay. You’re still alive and haven’t been hurt at all.”
“Can I… not go back to the lab?” she asked with genuine worry in her voice, almost crying again as she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
Tom was slightly taken aback, his smile freezing momentarily before he put his arm around her shoulders again. “Don’t worry, our current research project is very safe.”
“But there are other labs in the building working on dangerous projects,” Agnes said selfishly. She loved him and only wanted him to be safe.
She was truly worried and couldn’t sleep as long as he was in the lab.
Tom didn’t know how to respond. Throughout the day, he had received many calls from home urging him to stop. But scientists must have a spirit of dedication; if everyone feared death, who would push society forward?
Tom remained silent without answering immediately.
Agnes bit her lip and looked up from his embrace. “Alright, I won’t bother you anymore.” She loved him and didn’t want to make things difficult for him. Taking the shirt from his hand, she turned and went into the bathroom…
Tom watched her until she disappeared from sight before walking over to the window. Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, he looked out at the changing clouds with furrowed brows.
He didn’t know when he started getting distracted by this girl or began caring about her feelings…
Seeing her rush over across the ocean for him with tears streaming down her face yet smiling through them deeply touched his heart.
He had let her down too many times before; how could he make it up to her in the future? He felt that no matter what he did, he owed her too much.
Could he love her? He was already aging while she was like the rising sun.
Tom took a deep breath with a heavy heart as a glint of light flashed through his eyes, making it hard for anyone to read his thoughts or understand him.