CHAPTER 97

“Can I sleep here, too?” I asked him.

Levi turned to me. His expression’s still guarded. I don’t know what he really really thinks about me and what happened.

I averted my eyes. I don’t want to think about that in the meantime. If he hates me so much because of what happened, I will understand him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

“Y-yes, I missed sleeping here…” I answered him.

"Sleep beside her," he ordered.

I didn't say a word and turned around on the bed to go to the other side of Ria. Levi lay there. He was just staring at Ria who was fast asleep now because maybe she was tired.

He kissed Ria on the forehead once. I could feel my tears welling up as I looked at the two of them. I squeezed into bed. Levi closed his eyes while holding Asteria's small hand.

That night, the two of them slept soundly as I periodically woke up due to the heavy feeling.

Their noses are exactly the same. They also have the same color and shape of their lips, their blue eyes, the shape of their face… my Asteria’s features resembled Levi’s. I could only imagine Levi’s reaction the first time he saw Ria.

I missed a lot in this world. I gave up my passion for writing when he came into my life and focused on him. I turned my world around on him so much that when he hurt me for the first time, I immediately let go — followed by the deaths of Arturo and Mama — the reason why I left. Ria is the only one left for me. Ever since he came into my life, I have promised myself I will never be afraid of anything… but I’ve failed when I let Noah touch me. I failed when I felt violated by him and I didn’t tell Levi as if I don’t trust him enough to believe in me. And I regret that.

Maybe this time, I would gladly give up all those things again but I’ve decided on this one. I will never give Levi up to anyone. I will never let him go. I can feel and see until now how much he has loved me ever since then and now Ria has come into our lives.

I woke up early the next day. At five o'clock, I got up to cook breakfast. Quiet and only the sound of the aircon can be heard. I stared at the two wrapped in white blankets. Even with my eyes closed, Ria looked very much like Levi so I smiled and picked up my cellphone. My heart warmed after I took a picture of them both. My little family…

I looked at them for a while before finally leaving the room.

When I had finished cooking and was currently washing the things I had used, I heard the bedroom door open. Sometime later, Levi suddenly appeared next to me so I backed away.

“I forgot to mention it to you yesterday. The police arrested Noah after he got out of the hospital,” Levi said to me coldly.

We decided to stay in my condo while we were still building our house — which his parents didn't want because they wanted to be with my daughter often — but later agreed.

I just watched it as he washed. He didn't talk to me yesterday so I don't know how to approach him now.

“Do you want to come with me? I will go to the precinct later,” he added when he finished there.

"Will you let me?" I asked him instead.

Its gaze focused on me. “Why? Do you have something to say to him?” His voice was deep on that question.

I bit my lower lip and avoided looking at him.

“Stop giving me that look. If you want to talk to me about what happened and hate me because I didn’t tell you, then do it. Just don’t look at me like that…” I continued to say to him.

All I really hate when he hates me is the way he looks at me. It gives me anxiety that I really don’t want to feel.

I almost took off my apron and then looked at him again.

“I-I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry if I didn’t trust you enough to tell you everything. I know how stupid it was and I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you but I’m scared. I don’t want to add to the weight I feel when you don’t believe so I chose… not to tell you,” I explained to him. My voice trembled so I avoided looking at him.

“It was because Noah is your best friend and I’m afraid—”

“He’s not my best friend, Lumiere. I already told you that as far as I remember,” he interrupted me, I could still feel the cold in his voice.

I nodded narrowly.

"And you didn't listen," he continued.

"Yes, I didn't and I'm sorry," I told him angrily.

Sometime later, he suddenly took my hands and guided me to sit in the high chair there. He leaned over me and faced me. He even rubbed his eyes before placing his right arm on the kitchen counter.

"He was my best friend before I found out everything and before he almost took out my life just because of what he did," he began so I just focused my gaze on him.

I know what he’s going to say and this time, I’ll just listen to him. He really should be the only one, Rae.

“Adianna killed herself in front of me. She jumped off the bridge after she confessed what Noah did to her. She was pregnant at that time which she didn’t plan but Noah forced her. He raped her, the reason why she committed suicide.”

My mouth dropped open because of what I heard. I remember what Noah told me that night. That fits Levi’s story today but he said differently about it. He blames Levi for why his ex-fiancé committed suicide.