Chapter 440: Love You Until the Last Second
Harper's moves were totally on autopilot. In that split second, she used the same trick she pulled on Agnes to handle him.
Voicing the love worked the best when other method didn't.
But after the kiss, Francis still looked like he was carved from ice. She felt super awkward. Was he still pissed?
Just when she didn't what else she could pull to cool him off, Francis glanced at her, then suddenly bent down and yanked her into his arms.
Harper was a bit shocked. The next second, she wrapped her arms around him.
Then it hit her—when they fell, a rock had nailed his back. Without thinking, she tried to push Francis away to check his injury. But nope, he held her tight, not letting her budge.
Francis looked down and said, "You can keep pushing me away if you hate me."
Harper's arms froze, and she didn't move a muscle.
Francis leaned in, his deep voice whispering in her ear, "Harper, I love you."
The world went dead silent in that moment. Harper's hands shook, and she blurted out, "Why now?"
Francis' voice wavered as he said, "I was scared I wouldn't get another shot to tell you. I love you so much. Maybe my actions didn't show it enough."
Harper was stunned, lost for words. For some weird reason, she felt she owed him a response.
Harper said, "Thank you."
Francis wanted to say he didn't need her thanks, just her, her heart. But would that sound too needy?
His dark eyes locked on her, his voice rough as he said, "Harper, don't ever leave me again, okay?"
This always high-and-mighty Francis was now humbly begging her. Harper's heart ached. Honestly, from the moment he jumped down with her, she wasn't conflicted anymore.
Before, she kept telling herself Francis was bad news, not to be touched or approached. But the more she held back, the more her feelings went wild. After getting back to Dreamlandia, their misunderstandings cleared up one by one.
Harper knew deep down that Francis had always been silently helping her. Even when she hated his bossy attitude, he changed for her.
Since she couldn't shut up the voice in her head, she might as well go with the flow, stop questioning if she loved him or not, and try to accept and feel him.
It was another shot at being brave. Even if it ended badly, she wouldn't regret it.
Finally, Harper nodded gently, and said softly but firmly, "Okay, let's be together."
"What did you say?" Francis' dark eyes widened in disbelief. He suddenly put his finger to her mouth and said, "Bite me so I know this is true."
Francis looked like he just won the lottery. Harper's heart ached a bit, her eyes getting misty as she said, "Francis, don't let me down this time."
Francis' eyes sparkled with joy. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
The next second, he dipped his head, pulling her close, his thin lips kissing her beautiful cheeks gently and repeatedly.
After the kiss, he cupped Harper's face, his voice rough as he said, "I'll love you all my life, till the very last second."
Harper didn't like hearing stuff like that. They had just decided to be together. Talking about the end of life was a buzzkill.
She looked up at him and said, "Don't say that."
Francis smiled, said nothing more, and hugged her again.
Wet drops fell on Harper's neck. Harper's body trembled slightly. 'This emotional guy,' she thought to herself, knowing he was shedding tears, and hugged him tightly.
Until her arm brushed against the skin of his back, she remembered and stepped back slightly, asking nervously, "Francis, does your back hurt?"
She'd seen that rock nail him, no doubt about it. At that moment, Francis' face had gone ghostly white from the hit.
"It doesn't hurt," Francis said, his handsome face pale but still managing a smile. "Your smile is my best medicine."
Even though Francis' face was a mask, Harper wasn't buying it. She'd seen it clear as day. That rock was huge. No regular guy could just shrug that off.
Worried, she reached out to take off his shirt and said, "Let me see."
She'd just undone two buttons when Francis grabbed her hands and pressed them to his chest, laughing, "What's the rush? We're still out in the wild. Do you like it outside?"
Harper, still worried about his injury and not catching the implication in his words, tried to pull her hand back, anxiously saying, "So what if it's outside?"
Francis raised an eyebrow and said, "There are plenty of eyes out here. Aren't you afraid?"
Harper was stunned and grunted, "Huh?"
Francis curled his lips, whispering, "I could satisfy you outside your yard when we're back. I'll make sure you enjoy every moment with me outside."
Harper instantly realized they were not on the same page. Her face turned beet red, and she snapped, "Who wants that? It's you."
"Yeah, I do," Francis answered nonchalantly. "But the rescue team will be here soon."
When they fell, the bodyguards had already started searching. He'd just heard the sound of a helicopter, so it must be coming this way.
He pinched her cheek, his voice low and hoarse as he said, "I can't let any other man see my wife naked."
Harper's face turned completely red, and she looked away.
Francis saw her angry face, and his heart melted.
Of course, he knew what Harper was worried about. But now, even breathing made his face turn pale from the pain, reminding him that his back injury was serious. He didn't want Harper to worry, so he kept holding on. As long as the helicopter didn't arrive, he couldn't collapse.
In the wilderness, he really couldn't be at ease.
To ease the pain, Francis teased her, "Actually, a kiss from you would be more effective than anything."
Harper's face turned red with anger, and she squeaked, "Stop joking."
"I'm not joking." Francis leaned closer, his knuckles brushing her face, laughing, "Wanna try?"
Harper's ears turned red, and she bit her lip, feeling very conflicted.
At that moment, the sound of a helicopter engine came from not far above. Francis finally let her go and whispered, "I'll hold you to it."
Soon, they both got on the helicopter. Francis took a blanket, wrapped it around Harper, and then sat quietly.
Earlier, seeing him joking around, Harper thought the rock might not have hit him that badly. But before they even landed, Francis started showing symptoms of rapid breathing, weakness, and cold sweats.
At the town hospital, when the local doctor cut open Francis' shirt, Harper was stunned.
Francis' back was covered in bruises, with no intact flesh visible. The area around his shoulder blade was a large patch of black and purple bruises, looking like it was already necrotic.
Harper blinked, and large tears fell.
It was much worse than she had imagined. No wonder he had been standing so straight and sitting so stiffly on the plane. It was because he couldn't lie down.
Harper couldn't imagine it. While he was chatting and joking with her to ease her anxiety, what kind of pain was he enduring?
After Francis was given a painkiller, he fell into a coma.
The doctor took an X-ray and said, "Twelve ribs are broken. We don't have the facilities to treat this. He needs to be sent to a higher-level hospital immediately."
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