She secretly hit her hands under the blanket, pausing for a moment before clenching her teeth in determination.
âRoscoe, donât you understand? When I say I donât need you, I mean I donât need you in my life.
â
The air around them seemed to freeze.
Stunned, Roscoe remained silent for a few minutes.
Upon regaining his composure, the first thing he said was, âNicole, did I do something wrong?â
He meticulously retraced his steps, pondering if he had done anything wrong since he entered the ward.
Could it be that Nicole was unhappy about him asking his colleagues to keep him updated about her?
âs BunnyBookery âI know asking my colleagues to keep me informed might be a bit too much, but I was genuinely concerned about you.
You donât have any family in Ardlens, and I was afraid that you wouldnât be able to reach me if something happened.
â
Roscoeâs serious explanation only intensified Nicoleâs heartache.
The blend of that piercing pain left her breathless.
With gritted teeth, Nicole asserted, âItâs not because of that.
Iâm just not comfortable with having people in my life anymore.
I donât like being cared for like this, and sometimes, I even find your presence annoying.
â
The most difficult part of any undertaking was the beginning.
Now that Nicole had already begun, and the most hurtful words had already been spoken, she knew that it would only get easier from here.
Nicole bit her lip.
âAs for Austin, let the manny take care of him from now on.
She was the one who had been taking care of him till he turned one.
The search for a matched heart for him will take time, and you have your own concerns, so I wonât burden you.
â
When Austin was born, Nicole had enlisted the help of a local nanny to help in his upbringing.
When Austin turned one, Nicole, not herself at that time, decided to withdraw from his life, completely leaving him under the care of the nanny.
This was the toughest decision she had ever made.
Throughout this time, Roscoe had been there.
Back then, Roscoe had been furthering his studies.
Later, when Austin fell ill, Roscoe suggested that Austin stay with him.
Ever since then, Austin had become dependent on Roscoe as well as the nanny.
âIâve never considered Austin as a burden,â Roscoe retorted suddenly, his voice not loud but tinged with indignation.
Swiftly containing his anger, he continued, âNicole, whatever you donât like about me, I will change it.
If you find my presence bothersome, Iâll make myself scarce.
I canâ¦â
âStop it,â Nicole said with reddened eyes.
Her hand trembled beneath the blanket, and she was afraid that her tears would escape at any moment.
âJust pretend you never met me.
Roscoe, we were never meant to be from the start.
â
Nicoleâs words put a clear distance between them, hitting Roscoe hard.
Roscoe felt like he couldnât connect with Nicole anymore.
He thought back to the soft, moonlit way she used to look at Austin, puzzled about why she was being so harsh with himâ¦
âIs this because of him?â Roscoe asked, his eyes locked on Nicoleâs Lips and neck, noticing the telltale marks.
No room for self-deception remained.
Nicole, aware of his stare, felt a wave of shame wash over her.
She tried to hide it by covering her neck with her hand and letting her hair fall over it as though she had done something unforgivable.
For a second, Nicole almost tried to justify her actions.
Somehow, she paused.
Then, deciding not to hide, she exposed the hickeys under his unwavering gaze.
âThis has nothing to do with him.
I just donât like you.
Donât bother tryingâ¦â Nicole said, avoiding Roscoeâs gaze.