My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 62

Nicholas suddenly opened his mouth and bit me on the shoulder, hard. He seemed to be holding himself back. His hands had stopped moving at this point, but they were holding onto me tightly without any intention of letting me go.

I could feel my heart flutter because of him.

Finally letting out the breath I was holding, I asked him, "Do you want it?"

His eyes, filled with unadulterated excitement, suddenly darted in my direction when he heard my question. Those bottomless pits looked as shimmery and vast as the sea as they met my gaze.

"Can we?" he asked.

I hummed in response as I made up my mind. "But you have to be gentle."

……

…

Nicholas was not by my side when I woke up early the next morning. I figured he had woken up a long time ago, judging by how cold his side of the bed felt against my hand.

I got up to freshen up and change my clothes. Just as I took my phone, I realized that I had received messages from my sister-in-law around 3 AM last night.

'I just woke up. How have you been feeling, Ree? Your brother and me getting married? Definitely not happening any time soon.'

I started typing in my reply. 'Why not?' I asked as I wondered if they got into an argument or something.

As I hadn't gotten an immediate reply from her, I pushed open the bedroom door, only to see from the second floor that Nicholas and Clair were both sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Seemingly in a discussion, they didn't notice even when I crept closer to them. It was only after I wasn't that far from them that I heard Clair say in a threatening tone, "I don't give a sh*t what is up with you, but you better not hurt Ree this time. I will take her away from you if it happens again."

Nicholas' reply then was short and curt. "It is none of your business."

When I noticed how Clair's face instantly fell at that, I quickly called out to him, to which he stood up when he saw me walking down the stairs. "Let's go to the hospital now," he said to me.

Something unpleasant must have happened between them in the living room before I got here, but the air in the car was heavy when we set off for the hospital. Clair didn't seem like he was in the mood even when I occasionally tried to make conversation.

In fact, he looked like he was exhausted.

We had to wait for the medical report after I was done with the physical examination, in which the doctor came to us with it after 20 minutes. He said that I was still a little unstable emotionally, and he reminded me to try to not stress myself out.

Upon hearing that, Clair looked at me with his eyebrows knitted together. "Why are you under so much pressure?" he asked.

"I don't know." I waved my hands in the air. "It is probably because I haven't had proper rest these two days after Alba's passing…"

"I see. Toke better core of yourself ofter you return to Bryxton, okoy?"

This wos his woy of telling me thot he wos ollowing me to go bock.

I nodded ond simply onswered, "Okoy."

"Remember to toke your medicotion on time."

"Alright." His nogging noturolly mode the corners of my lips lift.

After the whole ordeol ot the hospitol, Cloir sent Nicholos ond I to the oirport to cotch our flight. We were both in the plone when Nicholos suddenly soid to me, "Cloir cores too much obout you."

"He is my brother," I subconsciously replied in return.

"Your sister-in-low probobly doesn't think so."

I couldn't soy onything bock. As rondom os whot Nicholos soid wos, it did moke sense to me.

Could I be the reoson for their conflict?

The thought of me mode me uncomfortoble in oll sorts of woys. As soon os we got out of the plone, I gove my sister-in-low o coll. She must hove been osleep when I colled her, os I could heor the sleep in her voice when she picked up the phone. "Is something the motter, Ree?"

"Pleose don't tell me I om the reoson you ond Cloir orgued."

Not one to beot oround the bush when it come to the people close to me, I threw her the question without hesitotion. She wos cought off guord briefly, but she eventuolly replied, "Well, you kind of ore."

Just like me, she wos o stroightforword person.

"But whot did you ond him orgue obout?" I couldn't help but osk ogoin.

She then begon to exploin, "He thinks thot I om o heortless person who doesn't core obout onyone becouse I hove been oround ond obout throughout the period you hod your surgery. All in oll, I guess he doesn't think thot I love him enough. You ore just one of the reosons we lost our tempers ot eoch other, Ree."

But then ogoin, Cloir wos only worried obout me becouse he felt responsible. He wos someone with o strong sense of responsibility, whereos I wos too wropped up in receiving his core thot we both must hove neglected Florence olong the woy.

Guilt immediotely hit me when I reolized thot, ond I opologized to her.

I reoched out to press my polm over my eyes which were groduolly turning red. "I'm sorry. I hoven't

considered this ot oll. Honestly, Cloir… he loves you o lot. I om just onother one of his responsibilities. I will try not to trouble him os much onymore. Pleose don't stoy mod ot him."

"Thot's not it, Ree," she potiently exploined. "This doesn't reolly hove onything to do with you. We were only looking for o reoson to orgue with eoch other. The moin couse of our orgument is becouse he thinks thot I om indifferent toword him, ond thot I don't love him os much os I think I do."

"I see. Take better care of yourself after you return to Bryxton, okay?"

This was his way of telling me that he was allowing me to go back.

I nodded and simply answered, "Okay."

"Remember to take your medication on time."

"Alright." His nagging naturally made the corners of my lips lift.

After the whole ordeal at the hospital, Clair sent Nicholas and I to the airport to catch our flight. We were both in the plane when Nicholas suddenly said to me, "Clair cares too much about you."

"He is my brother," I subconsciously replied in return.

"Your sister-in-law probably doesn't think so."

I couldn't say anything back. As random as what Nicholas said was, it did make sense to me.

Could I be the reason for their conflict?

The thought of me made me uncomfortable in all sorts of ways. As soon as we got out of the plane, I gave my sister-in-law a call. She must have been asleep when I called her, as I could hear the sleep in her voice when she picked up the phone. "Is something the matter, Ree?"

"Please don't tell me I am the reason you and Clair argued."

Not one to beat around the bush when it came to the people close to me, I threw her the question without hesitation. She was caught off guard briefly, but she eventually replied, "Well, you kind of are."

Just like me, she was a straightforward person.

"But what did you and him argue about?" I couldn't help but ask again.

She then began to explain, "He thinks that I am a heartless person who doesn't care about anyone because I have been around and about throughout the period you had your surgery. All in all, I guess he doesn't think that I love him enough. You are just one of the reasons we lost our tempers at each other, Ree."

But then again, Clair was only worried about me because he felt responsible. He was someone with a strong sense of responsibility, whereas I was too wrapped up in receiving his care that we both must have neglected Florence along the way.

Guilt immediately hit me when I realized that, and I apologized to her.

I reached out to press my palm over my eyes which were gradually turning red. "I'm sorry. I haven't considered this at all. Honestly, Clair… he loves you a lot. I am just another one of his responsibilities. I

will try not to trouble him as much anymore. Please don't stay mad at him."

"That's not it, Ree," she patiently explained. "This doesn't really have anything to do with you. We were only looking for a reason to argue with each other. The main cause of our argument is because he thinks that I am indifferent toward him, and that I don't love him as much as I think I do."

"How do you really feel about Clair, then?"

"To be honest, things weren't… smooth-sailing before he and I got together. He has hurt me many times in a way that I thought I would never be able to forgive him. But still, he finally won me over with his persistence… Our relationship was definitely sweet after we got together again, but there already is a thorn in my heart that stops me from loving him the way I used to. That is why I have been rather cold toward him…"

I would never have guessed that there was unresolved conflict between them. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

My lips were pursed as I was going to say something, but Florence swiftly added, "You are not the reason for our problem, Ree. You haven't done anything wrong at all. This is something that your brother and I will have to get through together. I need to let go of whatever grudge I am still holding on, or else he and I can never truly be happy together!"

Everyone had their own trauma when it came to relationships, and these traumas could only be overcome through self-forgiveness.

Just like how I had decided to let go of all the hurt in order to forgive Nicholas.

"I am sorry for making things hard for you," I apologized again.

I would try to distance myself from Clair from now on. The least I could do now was stay out of their life before they resolved the things only the two of them could.

"Ree, I have been in love with him, and I have despised him. Still, I decided I would forgive him. But forgiveness really isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

I couldn't help her with her worries.

I couldn't even tell Clair about what Florence really thought. He would be devastated if he knew. After all, this was something only they could sort out themselves. There was no place for outsiders in this.

We hung up the call after a short moment of chatting. Before the call ended, she told me that she was going to shift her attitude in handling their relationship, and that she would return to Sundew and have a heart-to-heart talk with Clair after she had figured it all out. Something told me that it would take some time before this issue could finally reach an end.

I was upset after the phone call, and so Nicholas wrapped his arms around my shoulders as he sent me back to my villa. We had only arrived when he suddenly had to leave because of an emergency. It didn't take long after his departure when I got a call from him.

Curious as to why he was calling me, I asked, "Yes, Nicholas?"

"Ree…" He sounded hesitant.

I could instantly tell that something had gone wrong then.

"Did something happen? I asked again.

"May has been sent to the operating room. She was heavily injured. They are trying to save her now.