Chapter 173


    propped my chin up on my hand and smiled at Cinder. “But, Cinder, I’m so sad.”


    Cinder looked at me with an expression full ofpassion and sympathy, and I realized I might be


    crying.


    Cinder cupped my face in her hand, sighed slightly, and pulled me into a hug. She rubbed my back


    gently.


    She smelled so good, and I buried my face in her shoulder. I closed my eyes, struggling to exin why


    I was feeling so uncertain. “You know… I’ve never had a healthy family, and… Aaron’s family history is


    reallyplicated, too. I don’t know how to deal with such a serious rtionship.”


    Cinder patted me on the back. “Olive, if you’re too worried about the future, just don’t think about it.


    Just enjoy the moment, at least you’re in love right now.


    Were we in love?


    I was confused for a moment. After the tension and awkwardness between me and Aaron this evening,


    I’d started to feel like we wouldn’t make it, and that feeling terrified me.


    I took a deep breath and sat up, pulling away from Cinder’s embrace. “Forget it, I don’t want to think


    about any of this. I’d much rather drink my feelings away.”


    I picked up the wine bottle from the table, refilled my ss, and started drinking again without restraint.


    The alcohol made my brain feel warm and fuzzy, which was exactly what I wanted. I just wanted to be


    drunk enough to numb myself and pretend to be knocked out.


    At least there was a benefit to me spilling my guts to Cinder. Now she felt bad for me, so she wouldn’t


    stop me from drinking.


    didn’t know how long I sat there, refilling my ss again and again, but eventually Cinder reached out


    and s*atched the ss from my hand again. “Olive, you really have to stop drinking, you’re going to


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    make yourself sick if you keep this up.”


    I tried to s*atch the ss back from her, but Cinder looked like she was split into three.


    I blinked, confused, as I tried to grab at Cinder’s clothes with my outstretched hand. “Hey, where’d you


    go?”


    “You’re drunk.” Cinder set the wine ss down on the table and grabbed my iling arm. “I’m taking


    you back to your room to rest.”


    Back to my room? Oh, no.


    I yanked my arm out of Cinder’s grip. “I’m not going, I don’t want to see…”


    Before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly heard a deep voice from behind me. “How much has she


    had to drink?”


    “Oh, good, you’re here, Aaron.” Cinder looked relieved as she pushed my unsteady frame into Aaron’s


    arms. She pointed toward the empty bottles of wine on the table. “Those are all Olive’s work.”


    I dragged my heavy eyelids open with difficulty and, to my surprise, saw that Cinder was still smiling.


    She waved her hand at Aaron. “I’ll leave this drunk to you. Make sure you take good care of her.”


    I was wrapped up in a pair of strong, powerful arms. Feeling Aaron’ s breath on my neck, my instincts


    told me to run away.


    In the next second, my whole body was lifted off the ground. Aaron picked me up in a princess carry,


    gave Cinder a slight nod, and turned to head upstairs.


    My head was spinning, and my mind told my arm to push Aaron away, but my hands subconsciously


    clutched at his sleeve.


    His heart was racing, and he held me so tightly like he never wanted to separate from me. I felt a little


    sad, and I turned my head away ufortably, trying to hide my distress from Aaron.


    Aaron didn’t speak, but he pursed his lips and carried me back to our room in silence.


    When we got back to our room, I didn’t even feel like taking a shower. Iy down on the bed and closed


    my eyes. But I’d had too much wine, and I couldn’t fall asleep at all. My mouth was dry, and my head


    was pounding so hard, I felt like it was about to explode.


    Suddenly I felt my body gently lifted into a sitting position. Before I could open my eyes, a firm hand


    brought a cool ss to my lips. “Here, have some milk.”


    I wanted to say no, but I instinctively swallowed the milk as Aaron carefully tilted it into my mouth.


    After I’d finished the water, Aaron held my shoulders and pulled me into his arms. “Olive, let’s talk,


    okay?”


    I looked down at Aaron’s hands sped around me and frowned, reluctant to answer. Just the thought


    of Aaron’s wavering smile when I turned down his proposal made my heart twist like a knife.


    “Why are you upset? And why’d you drink so much?” Aaron didn’t let me off the h*ok after I tried to


    avoid his question. He gently held my face and looked into my eyes, his voice h*a*se. “Is it because of


    what happened today?”


    I could feel the burning heat of his gaze on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and decided to y dead


    until he left me alone.


    “Olive, everything that happened today was my fault. If you aren’t ready, I’ll give you some time and


    propose againter, when you’re ready to think about a future with me, okay?” There was a hint of


    desperation in his voice now, but I still couldn’t bring myself to respond.


    Because I didn’t know how to answer his question. The problem was that Aaron wanted to take our


    rtionship further, and I just wanted to stay where we were. These kinds of differences would make it


    impossible for us tost.


    My eyshes trembled slightly, but I still held tight to my resolve and kept my mouth shut. I didn’t know


    how to answer Aaron.


    The time dragged past slowly until we’d been sitting there for what felt like hours.


    Aaron smiled dejectedly. “Okay, I won’t pressure you anymore. Let’ s go to sleep.”


    He kissed my forehead, wiped my face and hands with a towel, and finally put his arms around me and


    fell asleep.


    Iy quietly in Aaron’s embrace, almost overwhelmed by guilt and the messy, tangled knot of emotions


    in my chest.