Chapter 24%
Third Person POV
For several days after that night, Magnus disappeared completely. Chelsea’s life slowly settled into peace again.
That peace lasted until about a week later, when she got off work and found Magnus sitting at her doorstep.
He looked rough, slumped against the wall in a half–unbuttoned suit, the collar loose and revealing just a glimpse of his collarbone. He
was a mess.
The moment he saw her approaching, something flickered in his eyes–a spark of hope.!!
Stumbling to his feet, he rushed toward her and pulled her into his arms.8
“Chelsea… you’re home.” His voice was hoarse, trembling with emotion. He clung to her tightly, like she might disappear if he let go. “Magnus? What are you doing here?” she asked, startled. “Have you been drinking?”
The smell of alcohol hit her, sharp and heavy. She instinctively frowned.
“Yeah… I’ve been drinking. A lot. Way too much, he muttered, holding her even tighter. “I missed you so much, Chelsea.
“I tried,” he whispered. “I really tried to forget you. All week, I’ve been working like crazy, throwing myself into anything and everything just to keep my mind off you
“But it didn’t work,” he said, his voice breaking. “I failed… ”
Before he could say more, Chelsea suddenly felt something warm trickling down her neck–it was his tears, soaking through her shirt! “Magnus she began, but he quickly cut her off.
“Please, let me finish. I tried numbing myself with alcohol: I thought if I drank enough, I’d forget you. But the more I drank, the more i missed you. I can’t do it, Chelsea. I can’t live without you. Please just give me another chance. Let’s start over. We can do it right this time.”
He reached into his bag and pulled out something she hadn’t seen in a long time–their wedding ring. Then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee.
“Chelsea, I mean it–I can’t live without you.”
For a moment, Chelsea froze.
She truly believed that was the beginning of forever. But now
She remembered the day she married him, how happy and hopeful she was. She she knew… that day had only marked the start of heartbreak.
Without saying a word, she pulled Magnus up from the ground and walked him out toward the street.
“If you walk across that road,” she said, pointing to the center of the dark, empty street, “I’ll forgive you.”
At first glance, the road looked completely still. No cars, no people. But just as her finger landed on the crosswalk, a huge truck came barreling toward them, its headlights cutting through the dark.8
Magnus looked at her, then at the oncoming truck. And suddenly, he smiled.
If that’s what it took for Chelsea to forgive him, then so be it. Without hesitation, he lifted one foot and stepped onto the road
A deafening hom shattered the silence.
He closed his eyes, smiling as he welcomed the “future” he believed he deserved !!
But then, his whole body lurched backward.
He hit the ground hard, yanked away from the road just in time.
“Magnus, are you insane? Chelsea shouted, breathing heavily as she landed beside him.
She stared at him in disbelief, her heart pounding. He really would’ve done it–just for her words.
If she hadn’t pulled him back in time, he’d probably be in the hospital… or worse.
Magnus met her eyes. She looked terrified–mally, genuinely afraid for him.!!
Without another word, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly
“I knew it he whispered, eyes closed in contentment. “You still care. You still don’t want to lose me.“! And with that, he buried his face in her neck, breathing her in like she was the only air left in the world.
3.21 PME
다
Third Person POVI
‘Don’t get the wrong idea. I just didn’t want to have someone’s death on my conscience.”
With that, Chelsea shoved Magnus away and turned to leave. But before she could take a step, he caught her hand.
“Chelsea, you promised. You said if I stepped out there, you’d forgive me. I did it. I walked out. So now, please… keep your word.”
His grip tightened just slightly, and just like that, Chelsea stumbled forward into his arms once again.
“Magnus, let me go.., Magnus, you
She tried to wriggle free, but then she heard a snore.
The sudden sound right by her ear froze her in place.
‘Did he fall asleep? Seriously?! He fell asleep holding me? she thought inwardly in disbelief.
Looking down at the man now peacefully passed out in her arms, Chelsea could only sigh and shake her head.
She ended up dragging his dead weight back to the villa and somehow got him into bed. By then, she was both exhausted and sleepy herself. After a quick shower, she collapsed into her own bed and drifted off.8
Chelsea had assumed that once Magnus sobered up, he’d go back to wherever he came from. But to her surprise, once he woke up, it was like he’d turned into a clingy shadow. Wherever she went, he followed.
He started showing up on time to pick her up from work, dragging her out on weekends, holding umbrellas for her when it rained, even picking the cilantro out of her food at dinner. In the momings, he’d jog with her, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world. Bit by bit, he inserted himself into every moment of her day–except when she was at work. Even when she went out with Alaric, Magnus would find a way to appear out of nowhere, deliberately interrupting and spoiling the mood.
Chelsea had tried shutting him down more than once, but every time, Magnus would bring up that night–the night she saved him. It was the one thing she couldn’t argue with, the one thing that always left her speechless.
