Chapter 165: Sighs
Brad hit me up and said we should meet at the stairwell.
When Mindy and I got there, Brad and Louis were already chatting.
Louis had put on a bit of weight since the hospital, but he was still super skinny. I could see his shoulder blades right through his clothes.
Brad stood next to him, looking all tall and imposing, like a giant redwood.
Louis was impressive, but to me, Brad was just perfect.
"Will you always treat her right?" Louis asked Brad, staring him down.
"Of course, she's my precious treasure."
"Brad, you're way more reliable than Daniel. I feel good leaving her with you."
"She's not some object for you to leave with me. Whether you're cool with it or not doesn't matter. I'll do anything for her, but that's just 'cause it's her, and I'm down for it."
Louis clenched his fists and stayed quiet for a long time.
I glanced at Mindy. She had her head down, with a forced, sad smile, but she still stood tall and strong.
Seeing her fake being strong made my heart ache.
Such a good Mindy, such a good Louis, yet love always seems to let them down.
"Mindy, don't be sad. Things will get better."
Mindy smiled, looked up at me, her eyes filled with self-mockery. "Jane, look at how pathetic I am. I've been hurt by love, and now my rival is comforting me. Unlike you, always cherished by others, always so happy."
She grabbed my scarf to wipe her eyes, and I snatched it back angrily, "Don't get snot on it, that's gross."
Our loud conversation caught their attention, and they walked over together.
Brad took my hand, while Mindy linked arms with Louis.
Louis's body stiffened for a moment. He seemed to want to pull his arm away but then thought better of it and let her hold on.
Mindy winked at me with delight, as if she had gained some great advantage, and was overjoyed the whole way. She kept talking to Louis about this and that, and Louis responded with a faint smile and occasional replies.
To me, his responses seemed indifferent and perfunctory, but Mindy was as satisfied as a kid with candy, filled with happiness.
Somehow, the next morning I woke up with a sore throat and a dizzy head. I thought I had caught a cold.
This illness came out of nowhere.
Brad video-called me and was startled by my haggard appearance. Somehow, he managed to get into the girls' dormitory again and came to my room.
"Come in. I thought she had overeaten, but I realized this morning she had a fever." Mindy teased.
Half-awake, I was furious. How could Mindy say such a thing? She was definitely taking revenge on me. If I weren't so weak, I would have pinned her down and given her a good lesson.
Mindy opened the door, and Brad acknowledged her with a nod, carrying two large bags straight to me.
He put the bags on the desk, reached out to feel my forehead, and his voice filled with worry. "You're burning up. Sweetheart, get up. I'll take you to the hospital."
"I don't want to go to the hospital." I weakly refused, barely opening my eyes.
I've hated hospitals since I was a kid. The smell of disinfectant was like a nightmare to me. To avoid going, I tried my best not to get sick.
But, man, I'd been to the hospital way too many times in recent years, always for serious stuff. The fear from those trips still haunted me, making me dig my heels in now.
Brad grabbed my sweater and tried to coax me into getting dressed and up. I scooted to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers over myself, refusing to budge.
"Sweetheart, please, if you're sick, you need to go to the hospital. If it's pneumonia, it'll be terrible, and you'll need to be hospitalized. Be good, get up."
No matter how much Brad coaxed, I wasn't having it. Brad's eyes were blazing with frustration, which made Mindy jealous and look like she wanted to eat me alive.
I was betting on Brad's love for me, that he wouldn't force me.
In the end, I won. Brad had no choice but to wrap me up and place me at the head of the bed. He carefully read the instructions for the medicine he bought, and handed me warm water, watching as I reluctantly swallowed the handful of pills.
My stubbornness made Mindy grit her teeth. If it weren't for Brad, she might have given me a good lesson.
I didn't care how mad she was. After swallowing the pills, I stuck two fingers out from under the covers, making a victory sign at her, declaring my triumph, which made her even more furious.
When Mindy came back upstairs with the breakfast Brad had ordered, I was leaning weakly against Brad, with a light blue fever patch on my forehead. She was totally amused by me. "You're just catching a cold, do you have to be so weak? Showing off how your boyfriend spoils you so early in the morning. Fine, I can't watch this anymore, I'm leaving."
She put the breakfast on the table, grabbed her bag, and left.
I knew she was actually upset.
Though her words were dismissive, her eyes were full of envy.
Being cherished like a treasure by the boy you love is probably the happiest thing for any girl.
Someday later, when Mindy and Louis had an argument, I comforted her, and she brought up this incident. She said, "Jane, you don't know, the way Brad looks at you, with such tenderness and love, I'm so envious. If Louis treated me even half as well, I'd be over the moon."
She said, "Jane, I don't expect him to cherish me like Brad cherishes you. Just a little response would be enough, even if it's just bringing me a cup of coffee when I need it, or handing me a tissue when I'm sad, I'd be so moved. But there's nothing. He's like a block of ice, impossible to warm up."
At that time, I couldn't help but sigh, marveling at how love can change a person so completely.
Just like Mindy, who was rich, beautiful, and talented, but became so humble because she loved someone who didn't love her.
Just like Zoe, who wanted Daniel to save her but couldn't forget her teenage lover, entangling with John. Even though she said it was because Daniel couldn't forget me, who didn't understand that she was just unwilling to give up John?
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