Nicholas' body was trembling uncontrollably. I tried to pull him up from the floor, but my strength wasn't enough.
I crouched down in front of him, cupping his face with both hands. "Don't cry. It's all in the past now."
Nicholas tightened his grip, and I instinctively closed my eyes. I lost my balance and fell into his arms.
A sharp pain shot through my ear. Nicholas bit my earlobe before licking it with his tongue. It was as if he wanted to drink my blood but couldn't bear to hurt me.
Suppressed sobs wracked his chest, and his broad hand gently stroked my back, again and again. "The thought of you disappearing from my world forever… It feels like my entire sky is collapsing."
I slowly blinked, forcing my eyes wide open as I tilted my head slightly upward. When I left for abroad, wasn't I also thinking about disappearing from his world forever?
Perhaps the meaning of disappearing was different for us. To him, I could stand on the other side of the world, but I could never truly disappear.
Yet, wasn't that what I had hoped for as well?
For him, I was willing to break my own moral boundaries. All I wanted was for him to live well.
"Ariana, promise me you won't do anything dangerous again, okay? I can't live without you!"
The tears I had been holding back finally fell. Although we had been together for eight years, it wasn't much different from being apart for eight years. The happiest memories we shared could be counted on one hand; the rest were filled with bitterness.
How many eight years did a person have? Should we spend the rest of our lives trapped in this cycle of pain?
At 30, I felt childish thinking of love and romance. But at this moment, I wavered for the first time. Could there still be a chance for us?
Reflecting on the pain of the past and imagining the hurt that might come in the future, the worst-case scenario was that everything would repeat itself. We'd walk the same path again, only to face either separation or death.
Could there still be a chance for us?
I once thought Nicholas was too imposing, that he overshadowed everything around me. Just by holding me like this, he could block out all the sunlight in my world.
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