Howard looked at me, both heartbroken and furious as I sobbed uncontrollably. He swallowed his emotions, gently patted my shoulder, and said in a rare moment of tenderness, "Don't worry, I've got your back."
After a long time, I gradually calmed down. My eyes were puffy and swollen, though I didn't really notice. Through my teary gaze, I looked at Howard and complained, "Why did you get here so late? I thought she was really gonna kill me."
Seeing that I still had the strength to blame him, Howard finally breathed a sigh of relief and raised his hand to pat my head. "You're such an idiot. Just a little nightmare and it knocks you out cold. If I'm not around, how are you gonna handle danger?" Even though he sounded harsh and his words were full of blame, there was more concern and worry in his voice.
A warm feeling surged in my heart, as I knew that no matter what happened, he would protect me! I pouted, feeling full of dissatisfaction. "How can you not be here?"
I felt wronged, choking up, my voice trembling slightly. "Didn't you say before no matter when, as long as I needed you, you would be there?"
"There are always unexpected situations." He shrugged helplessly, trying to explain. "Like today, I just went to take a shower, and you almost got trapped in a nightmare."
It was then that I noticed Howard's hair was still wet, water droplets dripping from the ends, and he was only wrapped in a towel, revealing his tight muscles. His skin glistened under the light, looking particularly enticing.
"Another shower? How many times a day do you need to shower?" I looked several times before reluctantly looking away, unable to help but complain.
Howard seemed to have a cleanliness obsession, needing to shower before going out, after coming back, and sometimes even when there was nothing else to do. I even began to suspect that he had an almost obsessive pursuit of cleanliness.
Howard sat on the bed with his arms crossed, giving me a sidelong glance with a hint of teasing in his eyes. "How was I supposed to know you're this stupid?" His tone carried a bit of mockery. "If I hadn't smelled something off in the room, by the time I came out, you would have been a corpse."
It was then that I realized if it weren't for his alertness, I might have really been trapped in the nightmare. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but shiver, a deep sense of gratitude welling up in my heart. "I don't know what happened. I was just lying on the bed thinking, and the next second, I was suddenly trapped in a nightmare."
I recalled the suffocating fear in the dream, with Ivy looking like she wanted to tear me apart. Just thinking about it made me shudder all over again.
"Why did Ivy suddenly want to kill me?" I asked myself in confusion, my voice tinged with helplessness. "Besides not agreeing with her being with Matthew, I haven't done anything to wrong her, right?"
I felt like I was caught in a senseless conflict, with the other party being a ghost who could easily crush me.
'Howard has been the one dealing with her all along, so why did she come after me? Is it because I am easy to bully?' I wondered.
Howard sneered, his tone carrying a bit of disdain. "Her biggest gripe is already that you don't approve of her being with Matthew." He seemed to be explaining, yet also reminding me that in this world, sometimes a simple disagreement was enough for someone to attack you. And when facing a stronger opponent, without the ability to protect myself, I was pretty much a sitting duck.
A sense of crisis arose in my heart. "Howard, teach me some self-defense skills so I can protect myself."
"Do you want to learn from me? You must be looking for the wrong teacher." Howard said.
I thought about it too; he wasn't a practitioner, nor a ghost hunter, but a rumored demon with abilities granted by God.
I felt a bit deflated. "She can't beat you, so she wants to kill me to vent her emotions. I just don't want to be so passive next time."
Howard suddenly grabbed my hand and gently placed it on his chest. Then I felt the tattoo on my chest seem to heat up again.
I couldn't help but frown, looking at him in confusion.
He let go of my hand, his blue eyes carrying a hint of a smile. "If you encounter danger in the future, press the tattoo on your chest. If I can't get to you in time, it will protect you in my place."
I looked excited. "Really? Is it that effective?"
"Yes," Howard said calmly.
After the excitement, I suddenly thought, 'Tomorrow's the deadline. If Ivy can't make a decision by then, Howard's going to step in and break them up. That's why she's so desperate to mess with me now. She can't seriously think that taking me out of the picture will stop anyone from keeping her and Matthew apart, right?'
"What do you think her purpose is in doing this?" I asked.
Howard snorted, a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes. "No matter what, if she dared to mess with my people, I've got to hand it to her for having the guts."
"Do you think she might go after Matthew since she didn't kill me?" I asked with concern.
After all, Ivy's obsession had reached a terrifying level, willing to do anything to achieve her goal, even harming innocent me.
Howard didn't respond, clearly not wanting to deal with this matter. "I don't know. Matthew is not within my concern."
His indifference made me feel helpless, as the only one who could defeat Ivy was him.
"Come on, Howard, you're the only one who can beat her. If you don't help, Matthew is doomed." I quickly pleaded. I couldn't imagine how painful it would be if Matthew were really harmed by Ivy.
Matthew was an important person in my life, and I couldn't just watch him get hurt.
"Whether Matthew lives or dies, it's none of my business." His indifference made me feel desperate.
"But you know each other, right? You're friends, aren't you?" I said and blinked, thinking Howard didn't have many friends, but Matthew should be one.
Howard was dissatisfied with my words. "I have no friends, nor do I need any."
Seeing his unyielding attitude, I became anxious, shaking his arm. "Just consider it helping me, okay?" I begged, hoping he would help Matthew for my sake.
Howard's eyes turned sharp, and he said coldly, "Are you pleading for another man with me?" His tone was filled with jealousy, making me feel a bit helpless.
I tried to explain, "Absolutely not."