"Is Raeleigh dying?" Looking at Raeleigh's back from a distance, Deanna pouted and felt weepy. At first, Scarlette wanted to admonish Deanna, but her words were stuck in her throat when she saw Deanna's doleful expression.
Seeing how Raeleigh lived like a zombie, Scarlette couldn't be cheerful either. It was just that Jepherson had disappeared without leaving a message. She could neither understand it, nor could she accept it.
Raeleigh sauntered for a short time before she found a secluded spot and sat under a tree. In fact, it was pretty quiet that season.
Yet, Raeleigh felt that only a place out of everyone's sight could offer the real quiet and tranquility she yearned for.
The moment she sat down on the ground, Santiago took off his jacket and threw it to her. "Sit on this."
Raeleigh took a look at the clothes on her lap but didn't heed his words. She didn't think it was a good idea to sit on a man's clothes.
She gave only the slightest glance before she held the jacket in her arms and leaned against the tree.
She thought she was fine, but the death of her unborn baby had plunged her into despair. She had tried to uplift her spirits, but her efforts were futile. It was as if all the bones in her body were shattered to Dixonereens, and albeit her attempts to piece them together bit by bit, it came to nothing.
She had no strength then. She didn't have the strength to speak, to experience life in this world, nor to do anything else.
She sat for a while, lowered her head, and buried her face in Santiago's jacket, her fair hands lying limp above her knees. Her arms were as skinny as that of a child's. Her fingers were already slender to begin with. Right then, they looked as thin as bamboo branches, and she was all skin and bones.
Standing and leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets, Santiago looked up at the clouds in the sky. He squinted as he breathed, feeling the air of melancholy brought by autumn.
Raeleigh sat there for a long time and only got up after two o'clock in the afternoon. Sweeping her eyes over Santiago, who was on the verge of nodding off, she walked towards him. "Don't doze off, it's getting dark. You might just be carried away by the boogeyman when night comes."
Santiago opened his eyes and stared at her. "Even if the boogeyman comes, it won't take me away. It would be you, if you ask me."
"And how sure are you of that?" Raeleigh was amused. She felt a bit chilly after sitting there for hours. Hence, she put on the jacket while bantering with Santiago.
Santiago raised his hand and flicked her forehead. "Make a guess."
Raeleigh rubbed her head. She had grown accustomed to being touched by him every now and then. This was in line with his character, and the way he greeted her was touchy-feely. Old habits die hard, and she had no solution to deal with it either.
Realizing that Santiago was trying so hard to protect her, Raeleigh felt that it was acceptable to be flicked by him.
"I think the boogeyman must hate to eat you because you're thick-skinned and your meat is tough, unlike me, who is thin, and my meat is tender." Raeleigh laughed and turned to walk elsewhere. Santiago followed her from behind. They began to talk on the way.
"So, do you feel better now?" Santiago teetered playfully while looking at Raeleigh. He couldn't tell if her spirits had been lifted, but she seemed to have thought things through.
Santiago walked forward as Raeleigh said, "I need some time before I can restore my strength again, but I think I'm fine now. For the next few years, I'll have to focus on the university courses."
"I can't waste my time on this. Only when I finish my degree can I pursue my goal."
"If your goal is to leave the Harvey Group, I advise you to give up on it," Santiago said, to which she ignored and checked the time. Now that she had been moving around, her hunger caught up with her.
"I'll treat you to lunch." Raeleigh took out her purse and made her way towards the gate. Santiago sneered. "Who was the one saying that she wants to focus on studying just now? Why are you leaving the uni for food?"
Raeleigh grinned. "I was talking about the future, not today. Just see it as a treat before the hard work. I want to hang out and have a good meal today. Then, I'll come back to study tomorrow."
That was exactly what she had mind, so she strode out of the university without hesitation.
Afterwards, they got into the car, and Santiago drove her to a restaurant.
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