My Darling, My Dearest

Jonathan shook his head with a smile.

After a while, as Tracy was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard her husband calling out her name.

She opened her eyes and frowned. "What's wrong?"

There was long silence before he finally spoke again. "Jack and Rachel are incredibly

troublesome."

It turned out that he was also concerned for them. Tracy's heart rose uneasily as her sleepiness dissipated.

The old man sighed. "Well, we can just agree to let them divorce if they truly wouldn't get along with each other." Her eyes widened. "What? Are you sure?"

"What else can I do?" Jonathan shrugged helplessly. "He isn't young anymore. He might as well do what he likes."

The woman gaped at him. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish blubbering for water.

"Besides, Rachel is already a grown woman." He smiled. "We're using him to make up for her loss, but look at the way he treats her.

Don't you think it's just plain torture? Doesn't she deserve better?"

Tracy pursed her lips and tilted her head. "Do you know something?"

"What? No." He shrugged. "I just thought about it now. Let them handle their own matters. They're not children anymore."

"That's true." Tracy sighed. It was much easier to tell Jack what to do when he was much younger.

In the hospital, Rachel moved under her sheets. "I can't sleep," she uttered.

Hearing her words, Jack couldn't bear to lie down anymore. He sat up and looked around, only to see her lying quietly.

Her eyes were as black as night.

As the rain splattered against the window pane, Jack pushed aside his quilt and got out of bed. He quickly fetched her a cup of warm water. Rachel shook her head, implying that she didn't want to drink it later. He set it on the bedside table.

"What's wrong?"

After a moment's silence, her fingers fidgeted. She hesitated at first before replying, "Every time I close my eyes, I feel scared."

Jack's heart ached at her words. He quickly sat on the edge of the bed and reached out his hand. He smoothed over the messy strands of her hair.

"I can't sleep either. What are you thinking about? Talk to me."

Rachel tilted her head. "You can't sleep either?"

Something flashed in his eyes. His gaze quickly fell on her lips.

Instead of answering her, he said, "Your lips are a little dry."

"What?"

Jack took out a cotton bud from one of the hospital's drawers. Without missing a beat, he poured it with water and dabbed it against her lips.

"There's no need. I want some water," Rachel said.

Jack quickly placed the cotton bud on the table and helped her up.

She leaned against the headboard and let his arm support her head. She took a sip of water.

Once she was done, he put away the glass, but he didn't withdraw his arm from her back. The man also sat on the bed and tried to make little room for himself. However, seeing as the hospital bed didn't suit his tall height, he had to curl one of his legs just because he was afraid that he might press against Rachel.

There were still unhealed wounds around her body, so he was very cautious in moving her.

When he lifted her up, she couldn't help but lean against his hold. In such a way, his warm hands gave her comfort that she had never felt in a while.

"Why do you have to sit beside me? Didn't you hear what the nurse had said?"

she teased.

He smiled. "Of course I did." He moved closer to her.

"That's why I'm here while no one's around to scold me." He landed a kiss on her forehead.

Rachel couldn't help but be surprised by his affectionate words.

"Does your wound still hurt?"

She raised her hand to touch the bandage wrapped around her head. She smiled bitterly. "It's not that painful anymore."

Seeing as the doctors need to sew up the wound on her head, they needed to shave strands of her hair off. At the thought, she snorted. She must look ugly now.

When she woke up that day, Jack's words were interrupted by the nurse.

She had forgotten what he had told her.

Nervousness rose in her heart.

She tried to recall what had happened back in the rubble, but she found that her mind couldn't connect things together. It was partly due to her exhaustion. Her body still hadn't recovered from the plight. Then, her thoughts shifted to what Jack had said and did. Her fingertips grew cold as she pulled the hem of her clothes. She wanted to ask him, wanted to clear all the misconceptions in the air, but he misunderstood her.

He thought that she was just uneasy from not being able to fall asleep.

"Why can't you fall asleep?" he asked, gazing down at her.

His gaze was filled with tenderness. Shocked by the sudden show of affection, she tried to withdraw her hand, but he didn't let her go.

She gave up soon after.

"What's wrong? You look troubled."

She scrunched up her eyebrows as she tried to remember what Jack had said to her in the day. 'Was he trying to ask for my forgiveness then?' she wondered.

"As soon as I close my eyes, I feel like I'm being buried under the house again."

Without the sleeping pills, she couldn't go back to sleep peacefully.

Whenever she closed her eyes, the fear of being suppressed under the rubble appeared in her mind over and over again.

She would open her eyes immediately as her heartbeat raced in her chest.

The rain outside added more to her fear. Whenever she turned her head, she could smell the soil underneath her, as if trying to suffocate her to her deathbed.

Even the lamp couldn't soothe her anxiety.

"Give me a minute."

Perplexed, Rachel watched him as he let go of her hand and stand up.

He gazed at the bed. The bed wasn't that narrow, so he didn't need to lie on top of her.

In fact, it was enough for them to lie side by side.

Jack quickly carried her body to adjust her position on the bed. His movement was so gentle that she couldn't help but cuddle up in his arms. She could hear his heartbeat as her head was pressed against his chest.

He made room for himself to snuggle in.

When Rachel realized what he was going to do, she smiled.

He stretched his arm and wrapped it around her waist.

Seeing as she was still suffering from her injuries, he needed to be extremely gentle.

Soon enough, she was already lying on his arm.

His familiar scent wafted into her nostrils as she sighed. Somehow, his strong arms had granted her the relief she never thought she needed.

"I'll protect you," he whispered.

"I regret it so much..."

"Regret what?" she asked curiously.

Jack smiled and didn't reply. Instead, he held her tightly. "Close your eyes."

Rachel couldn't help but feel safe in his arms. However, she still couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was because she had slept too much the past few days.

He patted her from time to time like a parent coaxing a child. "Jack?'1

"Yes?'1

His voice was like a brush grazing across her ears.

"Can we talk?" she murmured.

"Of course, what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Anything you like."

"Okay. You can say anything you want."

She thought for a while before asking, "How long have I been stuck there?"

Rachel assumed that it must've been for a long time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have passed out from the lack of oxygen.

As she was being buried, she could still hear Holley's voice. She had watched her as she was being buried.

If she had left in time to look for help, Rachel wouldn't have been buried for such a long time.

Jack held her tighter.

He didn't reply immediately. Instead, he gazed at the rain outside with dark and brooding eyes. Seeing that he was silent, she poked him on the stomach. "What's wrong? Don't you know?"

"Nearly twenty hours." At the thought of it, his heart filled up with sadness.

It was a twenty-hour game of life and death. If the worst had prevailed, then Rachel wouldn't have been here in his arms.

Her jaw dropped. "What? Didn't they search for me?"

Jack pursed his lips. "They didn't know you were missing."

"What?" Rachel blurted out in astonishment. "How could they not know?"

"Things were such a mess in the area. Everyone was busy doing their own thing. I heard that they thought you were just busy healing other patients, so they didn't really mind your absence.

Author's note

Goose BBSS

Translator: Scarlett5555