Chapter 146: Why You Here?

Gaara was certain he was hallucinating when he saw a silver haired woman standing in front of his house. No. That was impossible. It could not be Esther. Aside from Gaara himself, only two people knew about this place. Uncle Yoshi and his father.

Even when Gaara stepped down from the jeep and took off his sunglasses, just to make sure the scorching sunlight was not playing tricks on his eyes, the figure was still there. The closer he walked, the more certain he became.

It was Esther.

Something inside him surged and broke its restraints all at once. His emotions spilled everywhere, wild and ungoverned. Yet beneath all of that chaos, Gaara could not deny the quiet gratitude blooming in his chest. She was here. Especially when only moments ago he had nearly made a choice he might never have been able to undo.

When his arms finally closed around her, relief flooded him, warm and overwhelming. He did not know how Esther had found her way to this place. He did not know who had brought her. But he was grateful, deeply grateful, that he could touch her again, that her warmth was real beneath his palms. Being near her made him feel alive.

“I am not dreaming, right?” he whispered. “You are really here. Right now.”

In his embrace, he felt her body jolt at his words. Esther tightened her arms around him, clinging as though afraid he might disappear, repeating over and over again, “I am sorry. I am so sorry. I am sorry, Gaara.”

Gaara’s lips trembled as her voice broke. He felt her shaking, felt how each apology made her hold him tighter, as if she were trying to anchor him to the earth, to keep him from slipping away.

When he finally loosened his grip, the first question that had been gnawing at him escaped his lips. “How did you get here, Esther?”

“My… your father.” Esther looked up at him, her face soaked with tears, her arms trying to wrap around him once more. Gaara gently pushed her back, and hurt flickered clearly in her eyes. “My father?”

“I met him. He brought me here.”

“My father brought you here? He came?” Gaara’s eyes automatically searched the area, looking for his father’s car, but there was nothing. “Where is he?”

Esther turned as well, confusion spreading across her face as she realized the man was gone. “He was just there,” she said softly, pointing toward the porch.

Gaara stepped back, creating distance. For a moment, Esther thought he was about to leave her behind. Instead, he reached for her hand and gently led her into the house. In that moment, warmth bloomed quietly in her chest.

After the intensity of their reunion had settled, Gaara carried a backpack he assumed belonged to Esther and placed it in the guest room. He searched the house and its surroundings for his father, but Jorge Maxwell was nowhere to be found. Accepting that the search was pointless, Gaara returned inside and found Esther in the kitchen, filling a glass with tap water and drinking it greedily.

Sensing his gaze, Esther turned to face him. “I am absolutely sure I met your father, Gaara. We got separated after getting off the plane, but we met again when I could not rent a car at the airport. He offered to drive me here after I mentioned your name,” she explained while filling a second glass.

“Did he say anything to you?” Gaara asked.

Esther flinched slightly. “Ah… no. He did not say anything.”

Gaara crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, silently daring her to repeat that lie. Under his gaze, Esther crumbled almost instantly.

“Alright,” she said at last, surrendering. “Your father went to visit your mother’s grave. Because today is…”

“The anniversary of her death,” Gaara cut in calmly. He exhaled slowly. “And then?”

Esther stepped closer, her voice softening with care. “Your father loves you very much, Gaara. I could see it in his eyes. He was sincere.”

“How could you think that?” Gaara scoffed quietly. “He barely ever makes time for me. Once a month is already a miracle.”

Only God and his father knew what truly lived inside that man’s mind. Yet Gaara could not deny the truth he kept buried. Aside from Esther, the person he wanted to see the most right now was his father.

But as always, rather than facing Gaara, that man chose to disappear. Gaara let out a tired breath, his shoulders sagging.

Esther moved closer, but before her hand could reach him, Gaara straightened abruptly. His eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unyielding.

“And you?” he asked. “Why are you here? What do you want from me?”

Awkwardly, Esther stepped back, leaning against the sink. “There is something I need to tell you, Gaara.”

Gaara raised one eyebrow. “Then say it.”

“Are you still angry with me?”

Gaara frowned, his expression answering before his mouth did. Did she really fly all this way just to ask something so obvious? He chose a short answer. “Of course.”

Esther felt something crack inside her. What else had she expected? It was the most honest answer he could give. So why had she even asked?

“Of course I am still angry, Esther,” Gaara continued quietly. “But I am still glad you are here. I…” Whatever he was about to say, he swallowed it instead and walked toward the living room.

Esther followed him. When he suddenly stopped, she reached out and touched his back.

With all the sincerity she had left, she pleaded again, “Gaara, please forgive me.”

And then, before she could stop herself, she began to tell him everything.

“As long as I can remember, Vinson was a hateful person. A troublemaker who loved ruining my peace. I never dared to ask him why. I was afraid. I was always afraid of him.”

Gaara said nothing. But he did not walk away.

“I never thought of fighting back. All I wanted was to graduate as fast as possible, to leave campus behind. I thought if I did that, Vinson would disappear from my life.”

She paused, her breath trembling. “You were the one thing I never anticipated, Gaara. You must remember the moment Vinson came to your house and caught us… kissing.” She inhaled slowly. “I did not blame him for thinking he would win the game he created. You could not possibly have feelings for me.”

Gaara turned around then. Esther smiled at him instinctively. Gaara did not return it.

“What I mean is Vinson never intended to hurt you,” Esther said softly. “He only wanted to hurt me.” Even she could hardly believe the words leaving her mouth.

“Esther, what is wrong with you?” Gaara snapped. “You said you hated him. You said he wanted to hurt you. So why are you defending him now?”