Chapter 71 Are You Thinking That Way?

Chapter 71 Are You Thinking That Way?

Rebecca's POV

After staying in the hospital for so long, I could finally go home.

I looked at Steven standing by the bed, helping me pack my things.

He was very thoughtful. Over these past few days, I'd gotten used to having him around.

Several times I tried to reach out and organize things myself, but he pulled me directly to the sofa and made me sit down.

His tone was calm but left no room for argument. "Even though you can be discharged, you're still a patient. You don't have much stuff. I'll handle the packing."

He kept me on the sofa and wouldn't let me move around. I looked up at his serious expression and could only nod.

He went back to the bed to continue packing while I sat quietly. The wind outside blew the curtains, and the room felt unexpectedly peaceful.

When my parents pushed open the hospital room door, he had already finished packing everything, neatly arranged on the bed.

As soon as Barbara saw him, her face lit up with a smile, and she gave him a tight hug.

Her voice carried genuine gratitude. "Thank you so much, Steven."

His expression was calm as he held the luggage in his hands. "Mrs. Rodriguez, you don't need to thank me. This is what I should do."

Johnny patted his shoulder and smoothly took a bag from his hands.

Johnny's tone was very sincere. "You're too modest. If you hadn't been by Rebecca's side during this time, we really wouldn't have known what to do."

Barbara also picked up some of the packed items from the bed. "Yes, having you here during this time put my mind at ease."

I followed behind them, unable to stop a slight smile from forming on my lips.

When the three of them stood together talking, to outsiders, they might look like family.

I didn't mind this illusion at all. To me, what he'd done had already gone far beyond what a friend should do. If someone said he counted as part of our family now, I wouldn't find it strange.

He got along well with my parents, even better than Everett did.

On the way home, even the air seemed fresher than in the hospital. Looking at the familiar furnishings at home, an indescribable feeling rose in my heart.

My hand glided across the bed—my parents had already changed the sheets to new ones.

Barbara walked to my side and gave me a big hug. "Alright, stop spacing out, Rebecca. He's about to leave. Go downstairs and see him off."

I nodded and quickly went downstairs. A question popped into my mind: why was he leaving so soon?

I almost jogged to the entrance, my breathing a bit uneven, but fortunately, he was still standing there.

He stood quietly by the door, talking with Johnny.

When Johnny saw me coming, his tone carried a hint of reproach. "Your body just got a bit better. Why are you running so fast?"

I stood there a bit embarrassed, with a somewhat clumsy smile on my face. "You're leaving?"

The sunlight fell on him, making his outline look softer.

His voice was steady as always. "Yeah, I should go."

I nodded. I wasn't very good at speaking up in situations like this, so I could only shift my gaze to my father.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, give Steven a hug and properly thank him for taking care of you during this time."

I looked up at him, seeking his opinion with my eyes. He was silent for a moment, then opened his arms.

My heart skipped lightly—this simple gesture made me feel caught, supported.

Don't let his usual quiet and seemingly cold demeanor fool you—after these days of contact, I knew very well he was a very gentle person.

I quickly stepped forward and gave him a solid hug, then stepped back and gave him a slight bow.

"Thank you for everything during this time."

He nodded, turned and left without any hesitation. I watched his retreating figure, my palms seeming to still hold the warmth from that brief moment.

Those few seconds when I hugged him, the sense of security from his solid arms and chest kept circling in my mind, leaving me unable to snap back to reality.

Johnny coughed lightly beside me. "Steven really is a good guy."

Barbara slowly walked down from upstairs. "Yes, Johnny, I agree."

She looked at me with a smile, her tone seeming both joking and probing. "Rebecca, could it be that Steven likes you?"

I froze completely when I heard this, my eyes widening reflexively. My brain almost short-circuited: What? How could they think Steven likes me?

I lowered my head. "He's a soldier. Protecting people is his duty, right?"

My parents exchanged glances.

Johnny pressed his lips together, his gaze falling back on me. "Is that really what you think?"

I nodded, feeling a bit confused. That's how I'd always understood it.

Barbara reached out and patted my shoulder. "Rebecca, being a soldier isn't just about saving people. There's a lot more to it..."

Johnny interrupted her. "Why are you telling her all this? The most important thing for her right now is to rest properly."

They escorted me back to my room like I was fragile, gently closing the door.

Everything in the room was almost the same as before I was hospitalized, just tidier than before.

My gaze fell on the computer on the desk. I walked over and reached out to touch the keyboard. When I looked up, I met my reflection in the vanity mirror.

In the mirror, the sutures on my temple were very visible. I lightly traced the wound with my fingertips. At least the pain wasn't as intense anymore.

I opened the computer and typed "Army" into the search box.

A flood of information poured out. The more I read, the more uneasy I felt. This path was much more dangerous than I'd imagined.

I clicked on several photos. The blood and wounds filling the screen made me close the computer after just two glances.

They were completely different from what I'd thought. They carried out many high-risk missions. They were trained to be people with extremely strong combat abilities.

And the so-called protecting people was just one part of their many missions.

Only now did I realize I'd been understanding it wrong all along. He wasn't simply a protector figure, but someone who could be pushed to the front lines at any moment.

So why had he been looking after me all this time? Why did he always appear at critical moments, giving me exactly the help I needed?

If these actions had no direct connection to his Army identity, then it meant he was choosing me in his own way.

I'd always thought it was his professional duty driving him to do this, but now it seemed I'd been thinking about everything too simply and had gotten the direction completely wrong.

The door was suddenly knocked on. I whipped my head toward the entrance, not yet fully pulled out of my earlier emotions.

I took two deep breaths, letting my breathing slowly steady, before telling whoever it was to come in.

Barbara walked in carrying a plate of fruit. When she saw me sitting at the desk, her eyes held mild reproach.

"Rebecca, why aren't you resting properly in bed?"

Seeing her, my tense emotions relaxed. I got up and took the fruit plate from her hands.

"Mom, I've already been lying in bed for over a week. Right now I just want to sit for a while."

After hearing this, she led me back to sit on the bed, carefully observing my expression.

She looked at me seriously. "Rebecca, your dad and I discussed it, and tonight we'd like to invite the Harris family over for dinner. What do you think?"