Chapter 1421: Felt wrong

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Haines didn’t move an inch. He sat there like a statue, even controlling his breathing as if afraid that inhaling too deeply would give Grace an excuse to squeeze herself against him again. Instead, he stared at the television with wide eyes, as if watching a horror movie rather than a romance.

"It’s ending," he muttered, carefully glancing down at her.

Much to his dismay, Grace had already fallen asleep. Had he been paying attention, he would’ve realized she’d dozed off five minutes into the movie.

Haines blinked and tapped her side lightly. "Grace."

No response.

"The movie’s over," he said. "And I’m going home."

Still nothing.

Grace remained curled up beside him, wrapped comfortably in a soft blanket, her head resting on the pillow in his lap. Haines tried shaking her gently, but she didn’t wake up.

A shallow breath slipped past him, his tensed shoulders lowering. "And now, how am I supposed to go home?"

It would be easy if he were less considerate. He could just stand up and wake her without a second thought. But that wasn’t who he was. Even with Charles, he wouldn’t wake him so abruptly.

His mouth pressed into a thin line as his gaze lingered on her sleeping profile. The slight curl at the corner of her lips suggested she was dreaming of something pleasant.

Haines raised a hand, intending to brush away the strands of hair on her cheek.

But inches before he could, he caught himself.

’What are you doing?’ he asked himself, quickly withdrawing his hand and clasping it into a fist.

Another deep sigh escaped him as he leaned back, cocking his head against the couch. "This... feels really wrong," he whispered.

This warmth. This closeness. The comfort of having another person so near.

It felt wrong.

The lack of hostility, the simple peace of the moment—it all felt foreign. And it frustrated him that he kept putting himself in situations like this.

Slowly, Haines opened his eyes and slid his gaze back to Grace. She was still fast asleep, her head resting on his lap. He couldn’t move without disturbing her.

’Why?’ he wondered. ’If you’re dying, why... me?’

Haines had already answered that question in his own mind, based on theory. Even so, the thought lingered, nagging at him as if something was missing from his conclusion. And perhaps, because of that, he kept getting frustrated.

But the most frustrating part of all... was experiencing this.

A casual night. A movie playing. The two of them simply lounging on the couch until one of them fell asleep.

It felt a little too familiar.

Something he could vaguely remember from the past. And somehow, it made him wonder—was it the setting? The mood? Or had a part of him always longed for something like this?

For this kind of warmth.

For this kind of peace.

’No,’ he told himself, bitterness creeping into his thoughts. ’She’s dying.’

He had to stop thinking so foolishly. He had already made one mistake. By meeting her every night, he was making more. He couldn’t afford to keep piling them up.

Because he knew—without a doubt—that this would never end well for either of them.

She couldn’t know that he was already aware of her condition. He’d seen a glimpse of her reaction earlier, and he knew it had only been a fraction of what she was truly feeling.

And if he let himself believe, even for a second, that this was something real...

He might not be able to recover.

That thought alone terrified him.

The thought of opening his heart, only to be left alone again... No.

"Gracie," he called, shaking her shoulder lightly. "Please wake up. I need to go home."

"Mhm?" Grace let out a soft, sleepy hum, her brows knitting together as her eyes fluttered open. She peeked up at the face hovering over her.

Haines let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"I fell asleep?" she murmured, her voice hoarse as she rubbed her eyes. Pushing herself upright, she glanced at the television, now playing trailers for the next movie. A slow smile tugged at her lips as she turned back to him.

"You stayed," she pointed out.

"Did I have a choice?" he replied flatly, making her chuckle. "I’m leaving now."

"Are you sure you don’t want to stay overnight?"

Haines shook his head. "I have a lot to do this morning."

With that, he pushed himself up, acting as though his mind wasn’t weighed down with a thousand thoughts.

"Wait. I’ll walk you out."

"There’s no need." His response was quick, casting her a look. "Just—just sleep."

Grace’s smile softened, ignoring his protest as she swung her legs off the couch. "I’ll walk you out."

They stared at each other in silence before he sighed.

"Fine," he conceded. "I’ll get my blazer from the kitchen."

Haines disappeared into the kitchen, retrieving his blazer suit. When he returned, Grace was yawning as she slid her feet into her indoor slippers. Once she saw him, she smiled and approached.

"Come on, I’ll walk you out." She yawned, leading the way as he followed.

"Don’t—" Haines trailed off as they reached the front door. Grace held it open, and he turned to face her, eyes flicking to the thin shawl draped over her shoulders. "You don’t have to walk me all the way to the parking lot."

"Aww..." Grace pouted. "But I want to see you off."

"It’s late," he said. "Just stay inside and sleep. You look like you’re still half-asleep."

"That’s because I had a good dream. Want to hear the details?"

"No, thank you." He nodded. "Thanks for the wine."

Grace leaned her head against the doorframe, biting her lip as if to stop herself from smiling. "You’re welcome."

For a moment, they simply stood there, staring at each other, before he finally looked away. Taking a step outside, Haines pulled out his car keys so he wouldn’t have to search for them later.

But just as he crossed the threshold, her voice stopped him.

"Wait," she called.

Automatically, he turned back.

Smooch.

Haines froze at something warm and soft pressed against his cheek.

Grace was on her toes, hands resting on his shoulders, her lips lingering for a brief second before she pulled away.

She smiled, her eyes locking with his.

"It felt wrong not to end the night with at least a kiss on the cheek," she said lightly, her gaze filled with quiet affection. "Take care, Haines."