Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Winter's POV

I was sitting on a bench outside the hospital when someone suddenly sat next to me. I didn't mind it since I thought it was just a stranger, but then she suddenly spoke.

"Why don't you go inside and go to Matthew's room?"

It was Belle.

I didn't turn my head towards her.

"You have a relationship with each other, right?"

She suddenly laughed as if I said something funny. "How I wish. How I wish what you just said is true. I wish he really sees me as someone more than just a woman he always wants to look after."

"Don't try to lie to me just because you want to make me feel better."

"Winter, why do I even want you to feel better? I don't even care about you and your feelings."

That's when I finally looked at her. "I've seen you kissing on that cruise ship dinner. A-And just a while ago, I saw you hugging each other. And not just that, Matthew said your name for so many times while he was with me. Now, tell me you don't have a relationship with each other."

"You know what, Winter? I kind of want to slap you across your face right now. I was the one who initiated that kiss and not him. And what you saw a while ago? He hugged me, you know why? Because he feels sorry for me that he couldn't love me back." she laughed sarcastically. "Why am I even saying these things to you? I should just let it the way you're thinking about iit,so you'd think Matthew likes me instead of you. You know what's the worst of all? It's when the man you love loved you too, but then lost it when he found someone new."

I wasn't able to speak immediately because of what she had just told me. I only got to look at her face when she stood up and faced me. "You won now, Winter. But I swear, if you ever hurt him, I won't hesitate to take back what's once been mine."

After that, she already left me alone there.

I didn't know what to do. I just sat there while thinking about what Belle said to me.

Matthew....loves me?

***

No one was speaking between Matthew, and I while we were on our way home. I was the one driving since he couldn't because of his left arm.

How can I even talk to him after what I just found out?

"Uh..Winter, have you seen Belle a while ago? She didn't tell me she was going home already."

"I don't know. Maybe she had something urgent to attend to. Why don't you just call her?"

He didn't speak. He just leaned on the seat and closed his eyes. So, what Belle has said to me a while ago was really the truth. The reason Matthew can't even call her right now because he just broke her heart?

"Starting from now, I mean, for at least a week, whenever you want to go somewhere, you'll just have to tell me."

"Uhmm..." he just said with his eyes still closed.

I guess I'll just let him for a while. I played some piano songs for him to fall asleep easily as I continue driving home. I couldn't even stop myself from glancing at his face now and then.

"Is Elisse already asleep?" I asked the maids as we arrived home.

"Yes, Miss Winter. She even insisted on waiting for you, but we told her she has to go to school early tomorrow."

I nodded my head as I looked at Matthew beside me. "Want to have dinner together?"

"Sure."

For our dinner together, I decided to have it in the mansion's garden. I asked the maids to put a small round table and take out a bottle of red wine.

"Is there an important occasion?" Matthew asked me while confusingly staring at the table arrangements.

I sat down and reached for the wine and poured each of our glasses. "Well, there are things we should be celebrating about. First, because we're both alive. Second, nothing bad happened to the company. And third..."

"What's third?" he asked.

I took a sip of my wine before looking into his eyes again. "The third would be... because we're official now."

He almost choked on the wine that he was drinking. "O-Official? What do you mean by that?"

"I-I love you, and you love me too. That only means our relationship is official now, right?"

"H-Huh? Wait---

I glared at him. "Why do you look so surprised?! Why would you save me from those men if you don't love me? Why would you care about me so much? Why would you put your life to risk because of me? And why would you...why would you kiss me that night when I was crying inside the library room?"

Matthew was just staring at me while I was saying those words. "Where did you get all of that idea? And how did you immediately come to that conclusion with those evidences?"

"Y-You! How can you do this to me?!" I stood up with my eyes filled with tears. "I knew it! You were just playing with my feelings all along! Why did I even believe that woman? You don't have feelings for me since the very start. Itwas just me all along..."

"Look at you, drawing out conclusions again without even hearing me out."

He then stood up, and the second thing I knew he was already standing beside me. He forced me to look at him and wiped the tears from my eyes, using his fingers. "I wanted to be the one to say it first. I never expected you to say it before I could even confess my feelings."

"W-What?"

"Fine. You're right. I love you." he said with a smile on his face.

My eyes widened in surprise. I never expected to hear those words from him.