Chapter 20
The medical personnel exchanged looks, not daring to do anything. One started, “Mr. Yarrow,
T
you-
“I owe Noelle this. I need to pay her back,” Hector said firmly.
Noelle watched as a thick needle was inserted into his vein. The blood soon started filling a blood bag, and the sight frightened her. Her fingers trembled, and she almost stopped breathing. She fell back against the door and collapsed on the floor, crying, “Stop! Hector, stop this!”
He smiled gently. “Noelle, I owe you and Ian this. I promised I’d pay you back. I love you, Noelle. Can you love me again?”
His gaze became unfocused as his blood trickled into the blood bag. Everyone else’s figures turned hazy, but he could still see Noelle clearly. She was the only thing he could focus on–he saw her tears of fright.
Hector passed out and slumped on the blood–drawing chair. Noelle shrank back against the door, suddenly realizing that Hector’s love, which she’d desired in the past, now meant nothing to her.
Hector had a dream. In it, he’d had his heart broken after Lindsey had dumped him at the airport. When he’d gotten home, Noelle, who’d always watched him from a corner, carefully brought him a mug of hot chocolate.
Her cheeks were slightly red, and she’d seemed a little scared of him. “Mr. Yarrow, I made this myself. I hope it’ll put you in a good mood.”
This time, he didn’t push the mug away. He smiled and accepted it before thanking her earnestly. “Thanks.”
Later, he discovered that Noelle knew all his likes and habits. It seemed she’d started paying attention to him long ago.
One day, Hector told Noelle how he felt about her. “Thank you for sticking by me and helping me out of my funk, Noelle. I love you, and I’ll give you everything I have.”
She’d blushed and wrapped her arms around him, “Nothing else matters, Hector. I’m happy enough with just you.”
They had a grand wedding and an adorable boy, whom they named Ian. Ian’s nose looked like Hector’s, but his eyes looked like Noelle’s.
“Mr. Yarrow? Mr. Yarrow!”
A doctor woke Hector from his wonderful dream. He rubbed his temples, a small smile still playing on his lips. Then, reality crashed into him and shattered his happiness.
Unlike in his dream, he hadn’t spent time with Noelle. He hadn’t loved her or given her a wedding. He hadn’t given her anything, period. All he’d done was repeatedly hurt her for a woman who didn’t love him at all.
He asked hoarsely, “Where’s Noelle?”
“You’ve been out for two days, Mr. Yarrow. Ms. Jensen left long ago. She dropped by a while ago, though. She might not have gone far,” the doctor
answered.
“Noelle! Noelle!” Hector yanked the IV needle from his hand and tried to overcome the dizziness that came with major blood loss as he staggered out of the ward to get to Noelle.
He found her seated in the corridor with her hair cascading down her shoulders. She was smiling, and she looked beautiful as the sun shone down on her.
Hector’s heart raced as he made to approach her. Then, he heard her laugh while listening to someone over the phone. “Ian keeps clinging to you? That’s good. What? Christian, you….”
She blushed before continuing in a small voice. “Alright, alright. I’ll say it. I… I miss you,
too.”
Hector froze, his heart twisting so painfully that he couldn’t breathe. Once upon a time, Noelle would’ve looked at him like that and told him she missed him. Yet all he’d done was ignore and neglect her before leaving to go to Lindsey.
He stormed over to her and snatched her phone. “Who are you talking to?”
“What the hell? Give that back to me, Hector!” Noelle reached for it, looking angry.
Hector checked the caller ID–Christian. He ended the call and threw the phone onto Noelle’s lap. He rasped, “Who is he to you? How can you miss him?” She didn’t look at him. She checked her phone and tucked it away before sneering. “He’s my boyfriend. Isn’t it natural for me to miss him since I’m his girlfriend?”
Hector’s eyes turned red. She continued, “And who are you to me? My ex–husband? My nemesis?”
He turned ashen and said shakily, “Noelle, please… Don’t be like this, okay?”
Noelle remained unmoving. She didn’t even look at him. In her memories, he’d always been handsome and proud. When had he ever looked so broken and unkempt?
He’d shattered himself in a plea for her to look at him again, but hadn’t she done the same? She’d dreamed about putting his heart back together after Lindsey had broken it, but he’d broken hers instead.
“Let me go, Hector. I won’t forgive you, no matter what you do,” Noelle said icily. “It’s not because you hurt me, but because you hurt lan”
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. He lowered his head and mumbled, “Don’t go, please. I can end my life if that’s what you want. Just don’t leave me.”
He tried hard to smile, but it made him look worse than if he were to cry. “Come on. I prepared a surprise for you.”
Chapter 21
