Chapter 783
Chapter 783:
“You—” Bonita hesitated before mumbling, “I confessed my feelings to you, and you turned me down. After that, you were so distant… I thought you despised me.”
Neal let out a low laugh. “That’s what you thought? I didn’t accept your love confession because I barely knew you at the time. Why would I say yes to someone I didn’t know? As for later… you misread the situation. I’ve always been like that with women. It wasn’t about you.”
Now that the truth lay bare between them, Bonita felt an odd mix of relief and embarrassment.
Like a seedling finally pushing through the soil, stretching toward the sun, reality had emerged—unyielding, undeniable.
A dull ache in her stomach pulled her from her thoughts. Maybe the anesthesia was wearing off. She winced. Neal’s sharp gaze landed on her. “What is it?”
“Just a little pain,” she murmured.
His concern morphed into something more biting. “Why did you act recklessly? We had a plan. You were supposed to shout for help when Beckett made a move on you. But no, you chose to jump in and take the hit first.”
“I did it to make sure things ended quickly!” Bonita shot back, her voice firm. “Otherwise, he could have hurt you again. I couldn’t let that happen!” Her brilliant eyes, full of sincerity and clarity, communicated urgently.
No matter how Beckett had treated her in the past, she could tolerate it. She had always been a doormat, enduring the harm he directed at her.
But when it came to Neal, she couldn’t turn a blind eye.
He was her North Star, the one constant in her ever-spinning world.
She had always shunned confrontation with Beckett, enduring all his assaults without complaining. But now, avoiding him was no longer an option.
She had someone she wanted to protect.
𝓞𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮 → 𝓰ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒𝓬𝓸𝓶
Neal’s gaze locked onto hers, the intensity of it making it impossible for Bonita to ignore him.
After a long pause, he smirked. “You’re full of surprises. Not the timid, weepy girl I thought I knew.”
Bonita pressed her lips together, uncertain whether that was a compliment or an observation.
The silence stretched between them, thick and unspoken. She glanced at the clock—3 a.m.—but sleep felt like a distant possibility.
She wished time would pause, just for a while. Though she looked a mess, there was something sweet in the moment.
“Do you want to rest?” she asked softly. “There’s a free bed. You could nap.”
Neal shook his head. “You sleep. Don’t mind me. I’ll be right here. Call me if you need anything.”
Bonita didn’t need anything, but she couldn’t sleep either.
She watched the minute hand tick forward before speaking again. “Are you awake?”
.
.
.