Chapter 170 Chapter 170
“You don’t have to, I can do it myself,” she replied. It made her feel odd to have a person she didn’t know cook for her in her own home. And she felt even stranger when she noticed what he was planning to make. Kimchi fried rice was one of her favorite dishes—and it couldn’t be a coincidence that he chose that of all things.
“The doctor specifically told me to make sure you don’t strain yourself,” he said firmly, continuing to fetch more ingredients from the drawers of the kitchen. “Just sit down and wait until I’m done.”
“But…”
“No,” he snapped, but he immediately regretted it when she flinched. “Listen, I just want the best for you. And cooking isn’t a big deal. I don’t mind.”
“Fine,” she mumbled, unsurely, and sat down at the table. She didn’t know what to make of him, and she continuously wondered why she had let him live with her. What kind of relationship had they shared? Were they a couple? She was hesitant to ask since she was scared of the answer she would receive.
Thorne had told her that she could trust him, but she wasn’t so sure about that. She wanted to see for herself what kind of person this Maxwell was, and so far, she hadn’t been able to gather much. His behavior was distant, and he hardly talked. Maybe he was always like this, or maybe it was because of her memory loss. She had seen a hint of sadness and disappointment in his expression earlier. It made her wonder what he thought of this situation they were in.
Eventually, he finished the food and placed it on a plate right in front of her. Thanking him, she grabbed her chopsticks and began to eat, noting that it tasted good. Before she knew it, she had gobbled down the entire dish. He studied her quietly, not saying a word the entire time.
She curled her fingers around the fabric of her sleeves, unsurely watching him. The question that had been flowing through her mind this entire time fell from her lips before she could stop herself. “Can I really trust you?” she asked quietly.
For a small fraction of a second, his eyes widened. A hint of pain flickered through them. “Yes,” he answered. “But that doesn’t mean you will, does it?” Resignation layered the tone of his voice. He turned away and left the room.
A foreign emotion manifested in her. It seemed to mirror his feelings, and it confused her. She felt a connection to him, but she didn’t know where it came from or why it was there. The burning curiosity within her mixed with caution. Valerie wanted to get to the bottom of this, to regain her stupid memories as fast as possible. He obviously meant something to her, she just didn’t know what. She clenched her jaw, glaring at the floor in exasperation. Waiting a few weeks for her memories to return was out of the question for her. She hated dealing with the constant puzzlement and the pitiful glances she had received from her friends. They made her feel like she was seriously ill.
She needed her memories back, and she would start by checking her phone for answers. Maybe she could trigger something in her mind. Grabbing her smartphone, she trudged to the living room and sat down cross-legged on the sofa.
First, she checked her social media accounts. She went on Instagram, where she scrolled through her feed, seeing pictures of Hope, Naomi, and several old friends from high school. However, there were also pictures of unfamiliar people among them.
One showed a man with black hair and a red scar over his eye hugging a smiling woman. It had been posted two days ago, and Valerie had already liked it, but didn’t remember doing so. She wondered who they were and how she had gotten to know them.
Sadly, Instagram provided her with no answers. It only roused more questions. Sighing, she went on to her photo folder. She found some pictures of what seemed like an amusement park—and to her astonishment, she saw a selfie with the man and the woman from Instagram as well as Maxwell. The latter was present in surprisingly many photos, some of them looking very random.
One time, he was sitting on the sofa, concentratedly playing a video game. Another time, he glared at the camera, looking pissed-off about something. His eyes were scarlet in that photo. Intrigued, she zoomed in to get a better look. How was it possible for his eyes to be this vibrantly red?
“Perhaps a trick of the light… or contact lenses,” she mumbled. This was all so strange and unexplainable to her. And the more peculiar it got, the more she wanted her memories back. So she continued looking through her photos until she stumbled upon a series of selfies that she had taken together with him. The woman she saw in those photos was like a stranger to her. She had a carefree smile on her lips, clinging to Maxwell’s waist in a very fond manner. He didn’t seem to dislike it; on the contrary. He was hugging her back, and he looked rather confident. Much different from how he was right now.
Valerie’s heart sank. The longer she glanced at the photos, the more her head began to ache. Dull pain invaded her mind. Groaning, she touched her temples.
“Stop playing around with your phone. You should rest so your headache doesn’t get worse,” Maxwell said sternly. He had appeared in the living room just now and watched her with an unreadable gaze.
She frowned in suspicion. “How did you know I have a headache?”
“I didn’t. It was just a guess,” he muttered, avoiding her eyes. “Now get up and head to bed. You need to rest.”
“Fine, I will. This thing is bothering me, though,” she grumbled, tugging at the bandage that covered her left hand and wrist. “I want to take it off.” It always got in the way, and she didn’t even know why she had to wear it.
He sent her an alarmed look. “No, leave it.”
“But why?”
“I think you’re not ready to see what’s… underneath it.”
“Now I want to see it even more.”