Chapter 1798 Wait for New Year
Raeleigh looked contemplative. “How would I know?”
Jepherson turned it over in his mind. He then unbuttoned his clothes. Once the outerwear had been taken off, he started on what he wore inside, though the pullover was a little troublesome to take off.
Raeleigh scooted away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Hm.” Jepherson quickly took off all his clothes. As the room was very warm, it was fine even if he bared himself. Raeleigh continued to back away and hid herself underneath the blanket. Jepherson tore it away, removed her pants and proceeded to squeeze her in between the couch and himself. He then lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.
With her arm wrapped around him and Jepherson tangled with her with no questions asked, Raeleigh was unquestionably conflicted.
By the time Deanna came over and knocked on their door, Jepherson had just separated from her as Raeleigh was left panting.
He put his clothes back on, then helped Raeleigh out with hers. Only after they were properly dressed, did he go to open the door.
Deanna looked around for Raeleigh the moment she entered through the door.
“Where is Raeleigh? Why did it take you so long to open the door?”
Jepherson stood aside while he glanced at Jacky from the corner of his eye. “Did something happen so early in the morning?”
“It’s 10 o’clock.” Jacky deadpanned as he came in, the late hour being implied in his tone.
Jepherson closed the door and looked towards the living room. When he discovered that Raeleigh wasn’t there, the door to the bathroom downstairs had just closed. His face turned sullen. With a few quick strides – faster than Deanna’s – he knocked on the door, a signal for Raeleigh to open it. However, silence greeted him from inside.
“Did you both quarrel again?” Deanna asked from beside him with Jacky behind her.
“If there’s nothing else, you can go back first. I’m going to take a bath.”
Jepherson walked towards the entrance and opened the door with the obvious hint to send them away. Deanna didn’t get it though, and reassured him, “You can take your bath. I’ll wait outside here.”
“Leave.”
Jepherson’s complexion turned dark. Was it appropriate for him to take a shower while she waited outside?
“I have something to discuss with Raeleigh.” Deanna insisted.
Jepherson finally threw away all sense of courtesy and ordered them to leave.
It was only then that Jacky moved to drag Deanna out of the house. After they had left, Jepherson knocked on the door again and called for Raeleigh to open the door.
After an unknown amount of time, Jepherson unlocked the door and entered. He saw that Raeleigh was soaking in the bathtub and proceeded to scoop her out of it.
“You can’t soak yourself with your wound like this.” he chided as he carried her out, water being dripped all over the floor. Afterwards, he put her down and used a towel to carefully rub her dry.
After that, Raeleigh went to the couch and sat on it in her birthday suit, not even one stitch of clothing on her. Jepherson quickly took a woolen blanket and wrapped her up good before he turned and fed her ginger soup.
She drank the unpleasant ginger soup and sweated out at the same time. Once her sweat oozed out considerably from her pores, she brought her wrapped up self up the stairs to rest. From start to finish, she acted as if nothing had happened.
Jepherson tidied up the house. When it was already two in the afternoon, he had someone send some ingredients over as he needed to prepare a meal.
When Raeleigh woke up, the dishes were already ready. As it was only the two of them, not many dishes were prepared. With just two dishes plus some soup, it was enough.
Throughout the meal, Raeleigh ate with a poker face without even a single glance his way. On the other hand, Jepherson ate while he helped her pick out the fish bones.
Raeleigh wasn’t a picky eater. She ate whatever was set on the table, with no interest in what’s on the plate.
After their meal, Jepherson cleaned up while Raeleigh watched television and played some games from the couch. That was how that day was usually spent for the last two months as Jepherson waited on her hand and foot.
Raeleigh put down her phone and rubbed her eyes. She looked towards Jepherson who had just finished his cleanup.
“Why did you make the room shine so? You don’t have to tidy up everyday, once a week is enough.”
“Oh, you weren’t going to plant bean sprouts?” Jepherson muttered with a sulky look towards her. She was so troublesome. It wouldn’t surprise him if she had actually remarked it was dirty enough to plant a garden.
Raeleigh pondered in the meanwhile and asked, “It’s going to be New Years soon. Aren’t you going home?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“Isn’t this home?”
Raeleigh smiled after a thought but said nothing.
Jepherson leaned against her shoulder. “Is it to go back for the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve?”
Raeleigh thought for a moment. “Tomorrow is the last day of the year. You should go home.”
“What about you?”
She leaned back against him and said, “That is the sort of place that will swallow me whole and spit me out if I go.”
“What about Santiago? You won’t take a look at him either?”
“…”
Raeleigh’s heart softened. Therefore, the next morning, Raeleigh went to the Richards family with Jepherson. When she entered the door, she went straight to the Green Jade Garden without a single glance at the other areas.
There were some things that went ignored, not because they weren’t rare, but because they completely didn’t care.
No matter the place, there would be all sorts of life forms. When one eats, they eat according to their preferences. Why the need to care about others who are utterly unrelated?
Raeleigh went into Santiago’s room and sat down. She stared at Santiago’s clean face, then helped him cut his hair and nails. She also changed his clothes.
When Jenna heard that Raeleigh was there, she rushed over at once. The minute she entered the room, she directly pounced on Raeleigh and caught her in a tight embrace.
Raeleigh was nearly strangled by her bear hug whereas Jenna was so happy, all she could do was speak incoherently.
Beside them, Jepherson laughed in accompaniment to their joy.
“Raeleigh, please stay for dinner today.”
“Mm, I came back to see Santiago, might as well have a meal too.”
“I said before that you would definitely come back to see Santiago. Lately, he’s gotten thinner.”
Raeleigh could also see that.
“Maybe it’s because he didn’t have enough nutrition. Just need to increase his nutrition intake.” Raeleigh didn’t know how she would face the possibility that Santiago might not wake up. Could it be that he really didn’t plan to wake up at all?
Raeleigh stiffened at the thought. When Jenna ordered everyone to leave the room, even Jepherson, Raeleigh immediately knew what she had in mind. She took out her phone and showed Jenna a picture of Shaney. Jenna was filled with so much fondness that tears fell from her eyes, reluctant to loosen her grip on the phone.
Raeleigh sat beside her when Jenna looked towards her and asked, “Raeleigh, is it still dangerous now?”
Raeleigh looked back at her. “I can’t do that.”
Jenna lowered her head. She also knew that Marissa was Raeleigh’s sore spot. The fact that Marissa was kept in the dark was a good thing.
“I’ll see for a little while longer” Jenna gazed at Raeleigh as she said this, who then replied, “Go ahead and look at her. I’m not going away anytime soon.”
Just like that, Jenna sat in Santiago’s room as she looked through the pictures with Raeleigh by her side.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, someone came to call them to dinner. It was only then Raeleigh stood and headed out to accompany everyone for a meal.
The moment she saw Marissa after she stepped outside, Raeleigh didn’t bother to say anything to her. There’s nothing more that could be said.
Hands were washed, everyone sat down and began to tuck into their foods. This time, Marissa was especially quiet. Not a word had been said by her throughout.
After the family were done with their meal, Raeleigh went back to Santiago’s room and personally made some broth for him.
Usually, Raeleigh disapproved of feeding him liquid meals, but this kind of meal was fine once in a while.
After she had fed Santiago, Raeleigh sat around for a while and left after the reunion dinner. Jenna wanted her to stay for a night. Raeleigh said nothing about it and neither did Jepherson. In the end, they both went back that very night.
When they reached the door, they saw Jacky and Deanna waiting by the entrance of their home. One look at their guests and Raeleigh had an inkling as to what was going on.
“Come in.”
When the door was opened, four people walked in. Deanna immediately went to Raeleigh to inquire about her two sons. The other two people who were present were also curious to know but neither of them asked.
Raeleigh said, “This issue couldn’t be concluded the year before, but the children are all right. You can rest assured. When the time comes, I will let you know and the children can return.”
“But Raeleigh, I think the coast is clear now. Don’t you think so?”
Deanna had only the children in her mind now.
Raeleigh remained silent as she stared at Deanna. After a long while, she finally said, “Let’s wait for New Year’s.”