Chapter 59: I’m Back
Charles said plainly, “If she agrees, will.”
“My little Arianna has been brought up in happiness since she was born. You cannot let her down in the future.”
“You can rest assured that I will love her deeply.”
When their day finally ended, Arianna walked Charles to the parking lot and said, “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Don’t worry. It was a piece of cake.” Charles said gently, “You should get back now. Don’t let him wait for too long. But you can take me out for dinner when you are available.”
After meeting Arianna’s ‘boyfriend’, Mr. Sanchez was very happy. Even though he was asleep most of the time, he woke up and murmured, “Is Charles coming to see you today?”
“He is on a business trip. He has to go away a lot.” Arianna answered calmly.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
The old man asked again in two days, “Is Charles back? Why aren’t you calling each other?”
Arianna didn’t want to make things more complicated, and she didn’t want to ask Charles for another favor. But she could see the doubt in the old man’s eyes, so she was struggling to resist contacting Charles again.
When she finally made up her mind, her determination was useless. Franco Sanchez fell into a deep sleep for twenty-four hours and still would not wake up.
Dr. Lynch said, “I’m sorry, Miss Jenkins.”
Arianna asked calmly, “How long does he have?”
****
When Arianna got a call from Travis Cooper, she was reading the unfinished pages of One Hundred Years of Solitude to her grandfather at his bedside. The room was quiet. Only the soft buzz of the medical machines and her low, gentle vocal sounds could be heard.
After her grandfather had fallen into his deep coma, Arianna became a walking corpse. All she did was eat, breathe, and sleep. She didn’t think about anything.
Suddenly, her phone rang, and she was dragged back to earth.
To her surprise, the caller was Travis Cooper. He said, “I’m back. Is it okay if we have dinner tonight?”
Arianna was stunned because this was not his usual dialogue. Moreover, he used the word ‘if’ rather than stating his request. It seemed like he was giving her room for choice.
Subconsciously, Arianna glanced at the calendar on the wall and looked at her grandfather, who was sleeping peacefully. It has been two and a half months since their last meeting. She had lost her sense of time recently.
She instinctively wanted to decline his request. Arianna was reluctant to leave her grandfather even for a moment. She was afraid that she would never see him alive again if she left, even though the doctor said this coma would last for some time. After hesitating for a while, she agreed.
“Ryan will pick you up at seven tonight. See you then.” Travis hung up without saying any unnecessary words.
Arianna smeared the foundation across her face before applying lipstick. She put on a soft-colored dress and tied her hair back before sprinkling herself in perfume.
She had been indoors most of the time lately. Her skin looked dull, and her lips were pale. Even her hair seemed to carry the scent of disinfectant.
It had been a long time since she was so dedicated to her appearance. But when she thought of Travis as her indirect helper, she believed a little respect for him was due. However, she did know all the consequences here related to him, and she would never forgive him for that.
Although she could’ve avoided this date, somehow, she still insisted on the appointment. Perhaps she knew that her relationship with Travis would end the day her grandfather passed away, which was soon approaching.
So, now she would rather continue this tainted relationship with him to pretend that her grandfather was not inching toward death.
Ryan Cooper greeted her seriously when he saw her. He drove the car with an expressionless face as usual. The look of compassion she saw last time was long gone. Arianna thought it was normal, though. He wasn’t being compassionate to her; it was because she was mentioning Travis.
The car slowly descended down the mountain road and gradually left the mental illness research center. Arianna kept looking back at the buildings until they finally disappeared out of her view. She felt like she was returning to the world from heaven but was also worried that she could not find her way back.
She thought Ryan was taking her to a hotel or one of Travis’s residences, but he stopped at the foot of the mountain and opened the car door for her.
There was a black car parked three meters away from them. Arianna got out of the car and saw that the front and rear doors of the black car were opened. The stranger driving the black car watched Travis climb out of the back seat and open the door himself for Arianna. He made a gesture of invitation.
She did not expect Travis to be waiting for her in such a close place. Arianna looked back at Ryan in surprise. Instantly, Ryan understood and said with a low voice, “I’m staying here. If anything happens to Mr. Sanchez, I will inform you immediately.”
Arianna could not turn and thank him. His kindness washed warmth across her heart. She lowered her head and walked quickly past Travis, and slid into the back seat of the black car.
They drove along a road without lights or pedestrians in a quiet manner. No one spoke in the dark space of the car. There were only two beams of light ahead of the vehicle, illuminating the road.
After a long time, the car still did not reach its destination. Finally, there came a sound of friction from the back seat. Arianna turned and focused her eyes. She could see Travis lighting a cigarette.
He instantly noticed her watching him. Travis turned to her while smoking and silently handed the cigarette case to her, holding the flame of the lighter with his other hand.
Arianna quickly pulled out a cigarette in the weak light of the fire. Travis leaned over and lit it for her. He then put the flame out, causing the small space to fall into darkness once again.
The smell of smoke was becoming heavier and heavier. Arianna felt very sorry for the driver. She opened the window halfway to try to clear the air. But outside the car, it was raining. A few big drops of rain landed on her face. She quickly closed the window. The raindrops slid down the corners of her eyes, looking like tears.