Resent Reject Regret by Aqua Summers novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197 Help Me Keep Up The Act

“Dr. Ginger’s suggestion,” Deirdre replied flatly. She let the coat hang on her shoulders. “He said a shut–in lifestyle wouldn’t help my recovery either, so he told me to go outside and immerse myself in the elements for a bit.”

1 don’t think your sorry excuse of an outdoor getup was part of the suggestion, was it? How will you see Ophelia if you catch a cold?”

There was a plop as her gardening shears fell to the ground. Deirdre looked at Brendan in disbelief, her tool forgotten, her lifeless eyes quivering in their sockets. “What did you say?”

Her voice was trembling.

1 said…” Brendan repeated himself with emphatic enunciation. “Ophelia is ready to return. She’ll be with us in ten days.

This meant more than the world to her. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she clawed at Brendan’s collar- despite already suppressing most of her violent excitement–and blabbered, “D–Don’t you dare do this to me. Brendan! Don’t! Don’t g–give me hope…”

Brendan fixed a strangely unyielding stare on her. “I have no reason to lie.”

She felt euphoria. Pure, unadulterated, and blinding–like a supernova lighting Deirdre up from within. She was so alive. So enraptured.

Suddenly, Brendan found himself wishing that his lie would last forever.

“She wasn’t ready to step outside because she was undergoing treatment in the institution, but now, her condition is stable enough. She no longer regresses to being a child.”

“Really?” Deirdre was grinning in relief. She rubbed her cheeks, and a shadow of anxiety took over her face. “No, wait! But what about my face? She’s gonna go into shock if she sees me!”

Then, just as abruptly, she hung her head.

“Can you… do me a favor?” she asked softly, changing the subject.

Brendan saw her smile withering away and–unexpectedly–reached out to graze her lips. Confused, Deirdre raised her head as he finally registered his own action.

Still, he did not take his hand away. Instead, he remarked coldly, “Can you not act all woe–is–me when you’re asking for help? It really ruins the mood. At least try to smile more often! Ophelia is coming to see you. Isn’t that a cause for celebration?”

The man’s tone might be icy, but his fingers were warm. Deidre forced the corners of her lips to curve upward, but her effort produced something quite grotesque. “I was hoping… you could help me keep up the act while she’s with us. Is that… feasible?” she asked as she stared at him with unseeing eyes. “She’s very sensitive, you see. It’s probably because she has gone through a lot. She might sense the truth behind our relationship if we don’t try.”