Chapter 30: Do You Like Me?
Rebecca woke up with a start.
The first thing she saw was Frederick's calm eyes.
She remembered how he had rushed to her side immediately.
She remembered how he didn't scold her over the phone but instead helped distract her.
Rebecca's eyes reddened. "Frederick, I'm sorry, I..."
"Rebecca!"
Frederick's voice was firm but gentle. "You didn't do anything wrong, so why are you apologizing?"
Rebecca was taken aback, not even noticing the tears that slipped down her cheeks.
Frederick, beside her, had already picked up a warm towel to wipe away her tears.
Seeing Rebecca's dazed look, clearly startled by his stern tone, Frederick took a deep breath and softened his voice. "Alright, tell me, what did you do wrong?"
"I shouldn't have told you I was at the dorm and then snuck off to the bar," Rebecca said nervously.
"And what else?" Frederick asked.
What else?
Besides the fact that she, Mrs. Windsor, had gone to see her ex-boyfriend without telling anyone, she couldn't think of anything else.
"I... I don't know," Rebecca admitted, looking up to see Frederick gently tending to the scrapes on her knees and palms.
Unable to read his expression, Rebecca felt uncertain. "I don't know, Frederick. You tell me. I'll change, I promise!"
Frederick set the towel aside.
Rebecca's heart tightened as she anxiously watched him.
Frederick's voice was serious. "Rebecca, I did say that at school, you're Rebecca, and outside, you're Mrs. Windsor. But even as Mrs. Windsor, you're still free."
"In your free time, you can do whatever you want. You don't need to report to me. You didn't do anything wrong, so there's no need to apologize. Understand?"
Rebecca stared at him, stunned. "So, you're not mad that I went to the bar at night?"
Thinking about the bar reminded her of that drink.
Frederick's face darkened.
Before Rebecca could promise never to go again, Frederick said in a low voice, "If you want to go, you can. Just remember to take a bodyguard next time."
"Who brings a bodyguard to a bar?" Rebecca's amused response lightened the mood in the car.
Looking down at her now-treated hands, she thought of the relief she felt when she saw his car headlights. "Frederick, thank you."
Thank you for helping me when I was at my lowest.
Thank you for solving my immediate crisis.
Thank you for being there when I needed you the most.
She had so much to say but didn't know where to start. After all, Frederick had made it clear that by signing that agreement, they were married.
And as a husband, in his eyes, these were things he should do.
"I should be thanking you," Frederick said.
Rebecca looked up, puzzled.
Frederick reached out and touched her face. "Rebecca, I'm happy that in your moment of danger, the first person you thought of was me."
His eyes were gentle, and if you looked closely, you could see a hint of a smile.
It was as if, despite her nearly falling into Dennis's trap and being harmed by those thugs, tonight was still a good night for him.
Just because she called him the moment she sensed something was wrong?
Once again, Rebecca felt the stark difference between how men and women think. She blinked and blurted out, "Frederick, do you... like me?"