Bringing the car to a stop, Niamh stared from afar as Kendrick stood by the sea. She was surprised to find Kendrick smoking. She would never forget that cigarette!
Lana was the one who gave Kendrick those cigarettes in the first place, and it was the slow-acting poison that was in them that almost killed Kendrick in the end. Why was he still smoking it?
Niamh felt her heart leap in fear as she rushed toward Kendrick to grab his hand. “What are you doing, Kendrick? Why are you still smoking this?”
Kendrick’s geep gaze locked onto Niamh’s worried-filled ones. He did not reply, only raising his hand to take another drag.
Niamh’s heart grew frantic at the action.
“Kendrick Waldburg!”
She snatched the cigarette from his hand and crushed it in her palms, extinguishing its burning end.
Kendrick felt a dull pain in his heart as he reached out to grab Niamh’s hand. Unfurling her palm, he was met with a stark red burn from the cigarette bud in the center of her fair palm.
He wanted to clean her hand, but Niamh withdrew.
Kendrick only reached out for it again, dusting the ashes from her palm. Leaning down, he traced the tip of his tongue on the burn and lightly licked the wound.
Niamh was taken aback by his actions.
His touch seemed to have sparked something in her heart as warmth flashed through her chest.
Kendrick caressed the wound seriously, in a way that spoke the genuineness of his sentiments. Then, he placed a soft peck on the reddened skin as his heart hurt at the thought of her in pain.
A bitter feeling sparked in Niamh’s chest. “I thought you didn’t want to touch me anymore. Why are you doing this?”
She watched Kendrick’s actions pause at the question.
Staring at the silent man, she continued to speak, “You already saw the pictures when you were in your office this morning, huh? That’s why you moved away when I just wanted to help you fix your button. You think I’m dirty now, don’t you?” Niamh asked calmly, then it struck her.
“I get it now. I finally get it now.”
She smiled with a sigh as the corners of her eyes grew wet against her wishes.
“It’s because I’ve spent the past year as Ryan’s wife, isn’t it? That’s why you’ve started to avoid me when you came back and found out that I’ve been with Ryan. You think I’m dirty now.”
Niamh felt her heart burn with indescribable pain as she came to such a conclusion.
Kendrick did not reply as if he was silently agreeing.
Niamh’s heart chilled as if it was being blown cold by the sea breeze. The chill extinguished the glee and hope that had ignited within her with his return.
She scoffed self-deprecatingly while her gaze remained caring and nostalgic as she stared at him.
“Stop smoking, Kendrick. They might not be the cigarettes Lana gave you, but smoking itself is bad for the body. I don’t want anything to happen to you anymore. I just want you to be safe and happy.”
She persuaded, her eyes still fixed on the silent man.
“I don’t blame you, I get it. Perhaps we were never meant to be lovers, to be husband and wife.” She smiled and sighed in regret. “If you can’t bring yourself to accept me, then let’s end it here. For good.”
Niamh hardened her heart and pulled her arm back as she turned to walk back toward her car.
The sea breeze blew, pushing the tears that brimmed her eyes down her cheeks.
‘You’ve returned to my world, Kendrick, only to leave again.
‘Just where did we go wrong? I just want to love you, is that so difficult?’
Niamh swallowed hard.
She thought that the distance between them was growing, yet it had only been a few steps when the man suddenly strode after her to pull her into his embrace from behind.
“Don’t go, Nia.”
He lifted his arm to wrap it around her neck as the other wrapped itself around her waist. His heavy desire and love for her were exploding within him.
“You told me that you’ll love me no matter how I’ve changed. I feel the same, Nia. As long as you’re still my Nia, I will never let go until my dying breath.”
Niamh’s tears trickled down the corner of her eyes, dripping onto the back of Kendrick’s hand.
The searing droplets seeped through his skin and into his heart as it set him aflame.
Kendrick tucked his head into the crook of Niamh’s neck. At that moment, he resembled more like a child burying himself in Niamh’s scent. It was as if she held the medicine to his wounds.
It was almost like she was that medicine.
She was the light and hope that kept him going.
Niamh took a deep breath and bit her lip to hide the pain. “You don’t need to force yourself, Kendrick. I know that you can’t accept what happened between Ryan and me.”
“You may be right, but I can’t lose you either. Losing you would hurt more.” Kendrick hugged her tighter.
Niamh felt the ache in her heart grow.
She could feel how much Kendrick still loved her, but she also knew that what happened between her and Ryan still burned in Kendrick’s mind.
“I know you were set up, Nia. I know you didn’t intend for this to happen. I trust you, Nia. That’s why I went to look for Ryan first instead of telling you.”
I trust you.
Niamh’s cold chest warmed at Kendrick’s words.
Her heart clenched as she turned to throw herself into the man’s arms. Looping her arms around his neck, she held on tight.
“Kendrick.”
“Nia.”
Kendrick tightened his embrace as his heart twinged. He lovingly called out to her by her ear.
“I’m sorry, Kendrick. I was too careless.”
“It’s not your fault.” Kendrick consoled. Away from her gaze, a cold glint sparked across his frosty eyes. “I know someone set you up. I don’t blame you for it.
“In my heart, my Nia is always perfect and beautiful.” Kendrick’s gaze reverted to its gentle look once more.
“Kendrick…”
“Shh, it’s alright. Don’t cry anymore, okay? It hurts to see you cry.”
He leaned down as he spoke and kissed the tears from her face away.
With every peck, his lips made their way to hers as his heart raced uncontrollably…
When she returned, Niamh decided that she would investigate the situation as well.
She was going to find out just who was setting her up and why they wanted to come between her and Kendrick.
However, there were no leads when she went to check the hotel cameras. Someone seemed to have come and erased everything just before she arrived.
It felt off.
While Kendrick may not blame her, Niamh knew that this would always be a sore subject to him. Why would it not when she herself could not seem to move on from it either?
Returning to the small villa that he had built for her, Niamh found Kendrick’s shoes by the entrance.
He was back already.
Niamh walked in. She was about to go upstairs when she suddenly heard Kendrick’s voice from the bathroom.
“I’ve already died once. Do you think I care? Don’t tell me how to do things. Our relationship, if anything, is just business.”
Niamh felt her heart clench at the reminder of his ‘death’.
Yet what kind of ‘business’ was Kendrick talking about?
Niamh turned around and walked toward the bathroom door.
Kendrick’s raspy baritone voice sounded. “She’s my limit. Back off or there won’t be a negotiation at all.”
Niamh had a subconscious feeling that the person Kendrick was talking about was her.
Niamh did not want to eavesdrop on his phone call, but she could not seem to ignore the conversation.
Just then, the bathroom door opened.
Niamh looked up to meet Kendrick’s bottomless gaze. “Who were you calling, Kendrick? Did something happen?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just work.” He brushed it off with a faint smile.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.