Chapter 938: This time, I promise.

"What do you want me to do with this regret?"

If honesty was what Nina wanted, could Finn be honest now? Or was it too late, and there was no way he could change her decision?

To be fair, Finn knew he could ask all of this in the hospital, where he looked ten times more sickly and pitiful. Knowing Nina, she wouldn’t have the heart to hurt someone as vulnerable as him. However, just as she mentioned, he didn’t want the situation to cloud her judgment.

Manipulation was something he could do, but he didn’t want to manipulate her. Finn didn’t want this one relationship to be tainted with manipulation, benefits, or insincerity—just like all the relationships he had.

"Nina." Another jagged breath escaped his lips as he cupped her face. He lowered his head until his forehead rested against hers. His lips quivered as he tried to speak.

"I didn’t know separation would come to us... and for days, I’ve been thinking about how it came to this," he expressed with a heavy heart. "I know the reason: the love wasn’t enough. Perhaps it was lacking. Your words, however, didn’t sink in until... I almost lost everything before I could say what I couldn’t tell you."

Slowly, Finn drew his head back, eyes holding hers. "I’m sorry for everything. I can’t live like someone who doesn’t know you. I don’t think I can meet new people and go on like nothing ever happened."

"I missed you—would you even know how my heart feels, like it was going to explode with all these unfinished words I couldn’t tell you?" he continued, his voice shaking. All these words were leaving his mouth without going through his mind, unlike usual. Instead, they were coming straight from his heart.

"I hated you... I kept telling myself I hated you for making me feel emotions I never thought I should feel. But I..." he trailed off as another tear rolled down his cheek. "...but I love you, and I stupidly thought we’d be together till the end, even if I didn’t do anything. I was confident, cocky—arrogant, to think that I would be fine."

"I am not fine, and I would never be fine. I don’t want you to leave me. I am not fine, so even if I have to beg you on my knees for another chance—just one last chance—I would do it." Finn pressed his lips together as he sniffed hard, watching as tears began to form in her eyes, staining her cheeks. "Let’s not be sad anymore, Nina. If we’re going to be sad, can we be sad together? Can you struggle through life with me? Can you please... not leave me because I... really love you."

Please...

Finn forced a smile through his tears, hoping that at least one word of everything he had said would reach her heart. Because if it didn’t, then he would have no other choice but to let her go and give her what she wanted. Even if he wanted to fight and win her heart over, he also didn’t want to burden her any further.

His heart thudded loudly and painfully against his chest, waiting for her to answer. Seconds felt like minutes, and with every breath he took, it felt like a stab in his lungs. The tears that had reached his mouth felt more salty, making him more nauseous. Yet, he waited for her answer, patiently and quietly.

When Nina finally spoke, her voice was quiet. "Don’t lie to me again."

"I won’t—never again."

"You have to be honest with me."

"Even if I think it’s unnecessary, I will tell you, until you’re sick and tired of hearing it from me."

Nina pressed her quivering lips together, her teary eyes still locked onto his. "Don’t make me... regret this decision."

His eyes softened as tears filled them, nodding at her. "Never."

"I also need reassurance that I am loved," she expressed. "I am grateful to Penny for everything she has done for me. I love her, but at the same time, ever since she came into my life, it’s always been hard to distinguish where I stand."

Nina huffed. "It’s not Penny’s fault. All I’m saying is, if we’re going to do this again, I don’t want to wonder where I stand in your life." Although her eyes were full of tears and her lips were trembling, her voice was stern and determined.

"Don’t make me wonder where I am in your life, if you love me, or if I’m even with the right person," she continued, a condition she wanted him to understand. "At least, in my life and yours, in this relationship, I need to know that I have a place that only I can have. Will you promise me, Finn?"

For a moment, silence fell between them after her condition. The corner of his mouth slowly lifted as he cupped her face, brushing the tears from her cheek with his thumb.

Finn nodded. "In your life and mine, at least, in this relationship... there’s just the two of us. I’ll do this right... this time. I promise."

This time, the smile on his face turned genuine. Nina also smiled back, her tense shoulders relaxing.

In this story, the two of them were just side characters in the lives of Penny and all the other incredible people around them. But for the two of them, at least in their eyes, they were each other’s main people, and their stories held more significance than any other.

Although Nina still had her reservations, she wanted to try again. This might fail, and she might end up hurt, but she wanted to try. At the end of the day, she was also getting tired of being so lonely and scared of everything. She could only hope this was worth the risk.

As for Finn, he was grateful. He had always thought he was grateful for this second life, where he could correct his mistakes—a chance to make wiser choices and survive until the end. However, he realized just how shallow he had been.

This second life for him wasn’t about correcting his mistakes and saving the few people he cared about. It wasn’t about not ending up the way he had in the first life. This second chance was more than that. It was a chance for him to experience life with someone who loved and cared for him just as much—or perhaps more—than he deserved.