CHAPTER 144
After finally getting the chance to speak with him, Arianna couldn't just sit there in silence.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked,
“The nurse said you visited me every day while I was unconscious. Is that true?”
“Yes,” Xander replied briefly.
“Was it because I saved you?”
“Yes,” he confirmed.
Although Xander answered her questions, Arianna felt he did so out of gratitude, not genuine affection. She feared that once she fully recovered, he would distance himself from her again.
Maybe it was her brush with death that gave her courage, but she boldly asked,
“Since I risked my life to save you, shouldn’t you be devoted to me?”
Xander seemed taken aback by her audacious statement. His dark eyes locked onto hers, a curious light flickering in their depths.
Arianna felt the intensity of his gaze and her cheeks flushed crimson. She quickly tried to backtrack, her voice trembling slightly as she stammered,
“I know you don’t like me. I was just kidding.”
She lowered her eyes, unable to bear the weight of his stare, and fidgeted nervously with the edge of her blanket, her heart pounding in her chest.
She had saved him on impulse, without expecting anything in return.
Xander didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down, his eyes never leaving her face. He studied her intently, his expression unreadable, before finally breaking the silence.
“It was your birthday that day. Did you make a wish?”
Arianna was taken aback by Xander's sudden question, her mind racing to catch up. She quickly realized he was referring to the day she had saved him.
Her surprise was evident in her wide eyes and slightly parted lips, as she tried to comprehend the shift in their conversation. The memory of that chaotic day flashed before her eyes, making her heart skip a beat.
Though she didn’t understand why he was asking, she replied honestly, “I didn’t get the chance to. My birthday was weeks ago.”
After the operation, she had been in a coma for over a week.
Xander reached into his pocket and pulled out an elegant matchbook. He struck a match, and a small flame flickered to life between them.
With a gentle intensity in his eyes and a voice that carried a surprising warmth, he said,
“Make a wish.”
Arianna’s heart fluttered. She was overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness and sincerity in Xander’s gesture. For a moment, she saw a side of him that was barely visible, a vulnerability that mirrored her own. Her mind raced, trying to process the shift in their interaction.
Xander, on the other hand, felt an unusual mixture of curiosity and admiration as he looked at Arianna. The girl who had once seemed like a mere distraction had now become a significant part of his life, and he couldn’t deny the connection that was forming between them.
Arianna closed her eyes and made a wish, feeling the warmth of the flame and Xander’s gaze on her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself smiling, a newfound hope sparking within her.
Arianna had made the same birthday wish for four years straight, so she blurted it out without thinking,
"I hope to become Xander’s girlfriend!"
Realizing her bold declaration, she immediately felt a wave of embarrassment. Before she could backtrack or come up with something to say, Xander’s deep, mellifluous voice broke the silence.
“Okay,” he said simply.
Arianna was stunned, wondering if she had misheard.
“Xander did you… What did you just say?”
Xander held the still-burning match closer to her lips and said,
“Blow.”
Arianna’s heart raced as she leaned forward and gently blew out the flame, feeling a mix of disbelief and excitement at the unexpected turn of events.
“I said…” Xander's thin lips parted slightly, each word enunciated with deliberate clarity, “…your wish has come true.”
After a brief pause, his lips curved into a slight smile. He lowered his voice, adding a magnetic quality to his tone, and his deep black eyes fixed on her as he said,
“I’ll be in your care from now on, sweetheart.”
As those words lingered in her ears, Arianna’s vision blurred, making her feel as though she was still dreaming. How else could she explain hearing such words, ones she had only ever imagined in her wildest dreams?
Arianna muttered to herself, “Am I dreaming?”
Xander, unsure whether to be amused or exasperated by her daftness, replied with a half-smile,
“You’re only dreaming if you think you are.”
Arianna was left speechless. When she saw Xander about to stand up and leave, she panicked. Throwing caution to the wind, she reached out and grabbed his hand.
His fingers were slender and carried a slight warmth. The instant she touched him, her heartbeat raced—it felt like it was going to leap out of her chest.
She could finally be sure that this was real… and not just a dream.
Afraid that he would disappear, Arianna said hurriedly, “No, it’s not a dream. Xander, you… You can’t go back on your word!”
Xander lowered his eyes and looked at her hands grasping his fingers.
Arianna realized that her actions were too hasty and remembered that Xander was a bit of a clean freak. He didn’t like others to approach him or even touch him, so she smiled embarrassedly and retracted her hand.
The next second, however, his palms enveloped her hand.
Arianna was stunned. Her eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively held her breath.
The young man stood by the hospital bed and gently held her hand. His palms were big and warm, enveloping hers firmly. He looked at her and said,
“I won’t go back on my words, Arianna.”
His tone was as calm as ever, but Arianna felt a wave of sweetness wash over her heart.
He was the ‘baby husband’ she had chosen during her one-year-old catch—the very same boy she fell in love with at first sight when she was 14, and the man she had been pursuing for four years, almost ready to give up. At long last, her wish had come true, and she was now his girlfriend!
Arianna couldn't help but grin from ear to ear and said sweetly, “Well nice to meet you boyfriend.”
