Lily did not even realized when she got back to her apartment. As to how she got in? She didn’t remember. All she knew was that her heart was extremely hollow.
Lily then let out a deep sigh and stared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror that revealed her state of mind: serene. It was as if she did not just help George Arison kidnap his own wife or destroy the son whom he didn’t love.
And to be honest, Lily felt nothing. There was no sadness, guilt, joy or resentment. She then smiled at herself and watched as her face lit up, her eyes turning into crescents. But seeing her forced smile in the mirror somehow made her irritated. She slapped the mirror with her palm before heading to the shower.
She tried to focus on her mind on her next plans but somehow she was still disturbed by her train of thoughts earlier.
Zhuo Jingren.
Lily immediately closed her eyes and let the water coming down from the shower head to wet her body. She told herself that she needed to think of something else instead of Zhuo Jingren. She then thought about Sofia and Liam and shook her head. This was another dysfunctional family. It was a display of the cruelty that human beings are capable of.
George hated Sofia for killing his lover. His hate intensified when she tricked him to bed just so that she could get pregnant. He also hated his son for looking so much like Sofia. How could a father plot against his own son like that? Lily only chuckled at her own thoughts. Wasn’t she also in the same shoes as Liam seven years ago?
Then she suddenly thought of Zhuo Jingren, particularly his smile. Why was she thinking of him again? Could it be that she missed him? Maybe the sex, Lily immediately concluded.
Zhuo Jingren and her might be married but she knew that she doesn’t love him. Maybe she liked the feeling of being pampered and being taken care of by him. But love? Lily was not just not someone who would fall head over heels with a man simply because he was nice to her. No, Lily had secrets and skeletons in the closet of her own. She felt that she was not in love.
Maybe she did care for him and would sometimes miss him but she always thought that what she was just simply touched by his actions. It was gratefulness, yes, it was only natural for her to be grateful, especially after all that he had done for her. She also respected him as a person and as her husband.
‘But what is this strange feeling she is feeling? Why does thinking like this hurt her? This is not logical at all.’
Lily let out a curse before she decided to just eat her mind and continue with her shower. After thoroughly cleaning herself, Lily dried her body with a towel, put on her bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom. She plopped herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. Then she removed her bathrobe and hug the blanket tightly, taking in the floral scent of her freshly changed bed sheets.
Unknowingly, she drifted off to sleep. She was really tired.
…..
“It’s only been a day and you already seemed to have lost some weight.” A low voice seemed to echo inside Lily’s head. That voice, she would recognize it anywhere. She furrowed her brows, annoyed that she was dreaming of Zhuo Jingren.
“You promised to call me. You said we could Skype to see each other.” The voice once again echoed.
“Go away,” she muttered before turning over, exposing her legs from under the blanket in the process.
“And you dare to sleep naked without me. Tell me Lily… what should I do to punish you?” Lily’s eyes flew wide open. She was not dreaming! She stared at Zhuo Jingren’s face that was close – too close.
The two gazed into each other’s eyes without saying anything. Then Zhuo Jingren leaned in a little closer and their foreheads touched. They could even hear each other’s breathing because of their close proximity.
Then his lips brushed against hers, teasing her. “I miss you,” he whispered as Lily continue to stare into his eyes which were now flooded with emotions. Was it was lust? Longing? She didn’t know.
Without a word, Lily snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. For some reason, she felt relieved. Did she miss him? Yes, she did.
The kiss started off gentle, with both of them being careful with each other, which Lily found a little amusing. Then she felt him cupping her face before their kiss came to a stop. He gave her a smile and said, “I miss you.” This was the second time he said this.
Lily stared at Zhuo Jingren, her eyes which were clouded with different emotions were studying his face. Then she smiled at him and said, “I miss you too.” As those words left her lips, a realization hit her. She missed him. She missed his kisses, his silly smiling face, his gentle gaze, in fact, everything about him. “I miss you too,” she said once again, a little scared that this was only a dream.
Then Zhuo Jingren leaned in for another kiss. It was soft and warm. It felt different from the kiss they shared after the dance, or when they had sex. It was not intense nor did it send electric shocks on her skin. It was unhurried but full of yearning.
Lily felt an emotional connection to Zhuo Jingren in this kiss and it made her eyes water. Her emotions started to run rampant. Then she asked herself why? Why was she being this emotional? Was it because of the results of the investigation that she had George conduct? Was it because of what she did to Sofia?
Perhaps it was because at this moment, she realized that there was finally someone by her side whom she could share her burdens with ever since the death of her mother and her two grandmothers.
…
Editor: Swaning
