Chapter 347
Garett put down the contract in his hands, a grin spread across his face.
Eleanor lay on the hospital bed, quietly watching him. It was like seeing a glimpse of their younger selves.
He used to sit at the back of the class, propping his hand on the desk, watching her pass by the window.
He was as gentlemanly then as he was now.
They stared at each other, as if bidding farewell to the regrets of their youth.
After a while, Garett shifted his gaze, glanced at his watch, and when he looked up at Eleanor again, he seemed at peace.
“Eleanor, I’ve got to head back to B City at a quarter past four.”
Eleanor felt a pang of guilt, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she swallowed back her words.
She looked at him, just like when she used to send him off to his games, gently saying, “Garett, drive safe…
Garett’s fingers tightened around the contract, “Eleanor, do you remember what 4:15 means?”
Eleanor racked her brain but couldn’t remember, so she shook her head at him.
Garett let go of the contract, his lips curling into a bitter smile before he pushed his wheelchair away
Eleanor couldn’t turn to watch him leave; all she could hear was the sound of the wheelchair rolling away…
She stared at the clouds outside the window, memories of their seventeen–year–old selves came flooding back. Garett holding flowers, confessing his feelings for her.
He had said, “Eleanor, when I told you I liked you, it was exactly 4:15. Remember that moment, don’t forget.”
She had replied, “Okay, I’ll never forget.”
So, 4:15 was the time he confessed his feelings to her when they were seventeen…
Eleanor, enduring the sharp pain, got up from the bed and turned to look at Garett. “I’m sorry, Garett, I forgot…”
Garett’s wheelchair came to a halt, but he didn’t turn around. “It’s okay, Eleanor. As long as I remember.”
Tears welled up in Eleanor’s eyes again, the pain in her back making her break out in a cold sweat. “Garett, will I ever see you again?”
Tears slipped down Garett’s cheeks, but he didn’t turn around. “Eleanor, let’s not see each other anymore, no more contact…”
He had to completely step out of her life to truly let her go.
Otherwise, how could he ever forget her?
Garett pushed his wheelchair and left the room without hesitation, leaving her behind….
Eleanor watched his determined back, her eyes filled with tears. “Goodbye, Garett.”
Goodbye, my boy, goodbye, Garett.
The man in the wheelchair said, “Goodbye, Eleanor.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Second Chance At Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)
Loved the story, many times caught in so much actually crying with the situation. Wish had more chapters to a better ending....
It's weird that the story went from narrative to slang use. Good story so far though...