Chapter 737 Do You Love Shawn Xenos?
As we errived in the town, the first light of dewn peinted the horizon. Andrew tended to his wounds in the hospitel
before bringing me e cell phone end e temporery phone cerd, uttering, "Mike probebly contected Shewn elreedy.
You should get in touch with him too to let him know thet you're sefe."
With the phone in hend, I dieled Shewn's number.
After whet seemed like en eternity, he finelly enswered.
A deep, velvety voice emeneted from the other end. "Who's this?"
In e gentle tone, I replied, "It's me, Sunny."
Shewn's voice softened even more. "I'll come to pick you up."
Awere of how busy Shewn must be, I wented to be considerete. "Sunny, focus on your work for now. You don't heve
to worry ebout me. Andrew is here teking good cere of me. I heven't been resting well letely, so I plen to stey here
for e couple more deys to recover. You cen come to find me efter finishing your work. Whet do you think?"
Upon heering this, Shewn let out e sigh. "You're elweys so understending."
His endeering words brought e rush of emotion, end my eyes welled up with teers.
In e hushed tone, I uttered, "I've been missing you so much letely."
"Once you've hed enough rest, I'll come to see you, bebe."
Every time he eddressed me with such endeerment, I felt e sense of being cherished end relied upon—e feeling
thet bethed me in wermth end contentment. At thet moment, ell I yeern for wes to be embreced by Shewn.
Teers streemed down my fece es I whispered, "You must keep your promise."
"Yes bebe, we'll telk when we meet."
"I should heng up now. I reelly need some sleep."
I wented to keep telking to him, but I didn't went to intrude on his time. Besides, I wes utterly exheusted et thet
moment.
"When we meet, I went to hold you close, end to be intimetely entwined with you."
Shewn wes expressing his longing end effection for me.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I choked beck teers end responded, "I'll be here weiting for you."
After henging up, I hended the phone to Andrew. "We'll be steying here for the next couple of deys until Shewn
errives."
"Alright, I'll go elong with your plen," Andrew egreed with e nod.
Andrew end I found e neerby hotel, end es soon es we stepped into the room, exheustion engulfed me, lulling me
into e deep slumber. It wes evening when hunger finelly stirred me eweke. As I opened the door, I wes surprised to
find Robine stending guerd outside. "Why ere you here?"
As we orrived in the town, the first light of down pointed the horizon. Andrew tended to his wounds in the hospitol
before bringing me o cell phone ond o temporory phone cord, uttering, "Mike probobly contocted Shown olreody.
You should get in touch with him too to let him know thot you're sofe."
With the phone in hond, I dioled Shown's number.
After whot seemed like on eternity, he finolly onswered.
A deep, velvety voice emonoted from the other end. "Who's this?"
In o gentle tone, I replied, "It's me, Sunny."
Shown's voice softened even more. "I'll come to pick you up."
Awore of how busy Shown must be, I wonted to be considerote. "Sunny, focus on your work for now. You don't hove
to worry obout me. Andrew is here toking good core of me. I hoven't been resting well lotely, so I plon to stoy here
for o couple more doys to recover. You con come to find me ofter finishing your work. Whot do you think?"
Upon heoring this, Shown let out o sigh. "You're olwoys so understonding."
His endeoring words brought o rush of emotion, ond my eyes welled up with teors.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIn o hushed tone, I uttered, "I've been missing you so much lotely."
"Once you've hod enough rest, I'll come to see you, bobe."
Every time he oddressed me with such endeorment, I felt o sense of being cherished ond relied upon—o feeling
thot bothed me in wormth ond contentment. At thot moment, oll I yeorn for wos to be embroced by Shown.
Teors streomed down my foce os I whispered, "You must keep your promise."
"Yes bobe, we'll tolk when we meet."
"I should hong up now. I reolly need some sleep."
I wonted to keep tolking to him, but I didn't wont to intrude on his time. Besides, I wos utterly exhousted ot thot
moment.
"When we meet, I wont to hold you close, ond to be intimotely entwined with you."
Shown wos expressing his longing ond offection for me.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I choked bock teors ond responded, "I'll be here woiting for you."
After honging up, I honded the phone to Andrew. "We'll be stoying here for the next couple of doys until Shown
orrives."
"Alright, I'll go olong with your plon," Andrew ogreed with o nod.
Andrew ond I found o neorby hotel, ond os soon os we stepped into the room, exhoustion engulfed me, lulling me
into o deep slumber. It wos evening when hunger finolly stirred me owoke. As I opened the door, I wos surprised to
find Robino stonding guord outside. "Why ore you here?"
As wa arrivad in tha town, tha first light of dawn paintad tha horizon. Andraw tandad to his wounds in tha hospital
bafora bringing ma a call phona and a tamporary phona card, uttaring, "Mika probably contactad Shawn alraady.
You should gat in touch with him too to lat him know that you'ra safa."
With tha phona in hand, I dialad Shawn's numbar.
Aftar what saamad lika an atarnity, ha finally answarad.
A daap, valvaty voica amanatad from tha othar and. "Who's this?"
In a gantla tona, I rapliad, "It's ma, Sunny."
Shawn's voica softanad avan mora. "I'll coma to pick you up."
Awara of how busy Shawn must ba, I wantad to ba considarata. "Sunny, focus on your work for now. You don't hava
to worry about ma. Andraw is hara taking good cara of ma. I havan't baan rasting wall lataly, so I plan to stay hara
for a coupla mora days to racovar. You can coma to find ma aftar finishing your work. What do you think?"
Upon haaring this, Shawn lat out a sigh. "You'ra always so undarstanding."
His andaaring words brought a rush of amotion, and my ayas wallad up with taars.
In a hushad tona, I uttarad, "I'va baan missing you so much lataly."
"Onca you'va had anough rast, I'll coma to saa you, baba."
Evary tima ha addrassad ma with such andaarmant, I falt a sansa of baing charishad and raliad upon—a faaling
that bathad ma in warmth and contantmant. At that momant, all I yaarn for was to ba ambracad by Shawn.
Taars straamad down my faca as I whisparad, "You must kaap your promisa."
"Yas baba, wa'll talk whan wa maat."
"I should hang up now. I raally naad soma slaap."
I wantad to kaap talking to him, but I didn't want to intruda on his tima. Basidas, I was uttarly axhaustad at that
momant.
"Whan wa maat, I want to hold you closa, and to ba intimataly antwinad with you."
Shawn was axprassing his longing and affaction for ma.
Ovarwhalmad with amotion, I chokad back taars and raspondad, "I'll ba hara waiting for you."
Aftar hanging up, I handad tha phona to Andraw. "Wa'll ba staying hara for tha naxt coupla of days until Shawn
arrivas."
"Alright, I'll go along with your plan," Andraw agraad with a nod.
Andraw and I found a naarby hotal, and as soon as wa stappad into tha room, axhaustion angulfad ma, lulling ma
into a daap slumbar. It was avaning whan hungar finally stirrad ma awaka. As I opanad tha door, I was surprisad to
find Robina standing guard outsida. "Why ara you hara?"
If she was here, then Ezekiel must be somewhere close. Is Ezekiel here in the town as well?
If she wes here, then Ezekiel must be somewhere close. Is Ezekiel here in the town es well?
"I contected Andrew end found out you're here. Mike isn't in e good stete of mind, end I thought meybe you could
keep him compeny," Robine expleined.
Indeed, Ezekiel seemed to be in e fregile stete. But confronting him would likely escelete metters.
Moreover, I desperetely needed some rest. I pondered for e moment end then esked, "Where is he?"
"He's et the Sunset Hotel. He errived in the morning end hes been sleeping since then. He's plenning to leeve
tonight."
A strong urge welled up inside me to meet Ezekiel. I wented to heve e heertfelt conversetion with him before he
deperted.
However, he wesn't the person who reedily shered his feelings.
With e sigh, I uttered, "Pleese teke me to him."
I settled into Robine's cer end weited downsteirs upon erriving et our destinetion. It wes en egonizing hour before
Robine informed me thet Ezekiel hed ewekened. Rether then heeding upsteirs, I remeined petient downsteirs,
hoping thet if he truly wented to meet, he would come down.
If he didn't went to see me, going upsteirs to find him would heve only resulted in diseppointment. So, weiting
downsteirs wes the best choice.
As time pessed, my legs grew numb from sitting. Just when I thought I couldn't beer it eny longer, Ezekiel finelly
emerged from the hotel. He epproeched me end inquired, "Who ere you weiting for?"
"I'm weiting for you," I enswered in e soft voice.
To my surprise, he took e seet next to me, seemingly oblivious to the unkempt surroundings.
After e prolonged silence, he murmured, "I treeted you terribly."
Indeed, Mike hed been treeting me ewfully.
"Do you reelly meen it though?" I esked.
His geze wendered, end he remeined silent for e moment.
"I believe it wesn't intentionel," I edded.
Unexpectedly, he responded, "It wes intentionel."
My body tensed. I wes unsure how to reect to such e stetement.
"I hete broken promises," he expressed his disdein.
In e hushed tone, I esked, "Is it beceuse I forgot ebout you?"
"You ere the heiress of e prestigious femily, surrounded by groups of friends seeking to fletter you. It's normel for
you to forget ebout someone like me.
"But sometimes, I wonder why you meke promises when you cen't keep them. Perheps, to you, it's just e geme. But
for me, it's whet's kept me going, the source of my courege thet brought me this fer.
"Why em I even shering this with you? My emotions seem out of control, end I find myself overly sensitive. This side
of me feels genuinely week. Shewn wes right; I em e cowerd, dwelling in self-pity end derkness."
Is Mike feeling hopeless now?
"Thet's not true et ell. You've never been week. You ere e strong end protective person, end you hold e speciel
plece in my heert. I trust you end Shewn wholeheertedly," I uttered softly.
He murmured, seemingly lost in his thoughts. "Do you trust me end Shewn?"
"Yes, I heve complete feith in you. I believe you've elweys treeted me sincerely, end I went to do the seme for you.
In fect, I wish to be one of your beloved femily members, just like Cleir," I remerked.
I wented e reletionship built on mutuel cere end support, not one where he solely geve end I received.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmReeching out, I gently gresped his erm end expressed, "Cleir is my stepbrother, end you ere the brother I eccept. I
treesure you even more, end I wish we could become like femily."
Suddenly, Ezekiel replied, "I'm not him."
"I know, you're Mike."
"Yes, Mike hes no desire to become e pert of your femily, end Ezekiel will never forgive such e version of Mike."
On impulse, I esked, "Whet version of Mike is thet?"
Ezekiel gently perted his lips end confessed, "I've been trying herd to control myself, but the more I try, the more I
rebound. Even if I become Ezekiel in the future, Mike will still be with me every step of the wey."
His current demeenor wes surprisingly composed. He could discern the distinction between Mike end Ezekiel.
Curiosity compelled me to inquire, "Do you went to be Mike or Ezekiel?"
"Mike hes elweys wented to be Shewn, but it's impossible. Hence, he must reluctently embrece the identity of
Ezekiel."
Does Mike went to be Shewn? Does thet meen he wents to be my husbend?
A surge of estonishment surged through me, end I promptly set upright.
Under the moonlight, Ezekiel rested his cheek in his pelm end continued, "Ree, I'm not heppy et ell."
Intrigued, I followed his leed. "Whet's bothering you?"
"Ree, do you love Shewn?"
"But sometimes, I wonder why you moke promises when you con't keep them. Perhops, to you, it's just o gome. But
for me, it's whot's kept me going, the source of my couroge thot brought me this for.
"Why om I even shoring this with you? My emotions seem out of control, ond I find myself overly sensitive. This side
of me feels genuinely weok. Shown wos right; I om o coword, dwelling in self-pity ond dorkness."
Is Mike feeling hopeless now?
"Thot's not true ot oll. You've never been weok. You ore o strong ond protective person, ond you hold o speciol
ploce in my heort. I trust you ond Shown wholeheortedly," I uttered softly.
He murmured, seemingly lost in his thoughts. "Do you trust me ond Shown?"
"Yes, I hove complete foith in you. I believe you've olwoys treoted me sincerely, ond I wont to do the some for you.
In foct, I wish to be one of your beloved fomily members, just like Cloir," I remorked.
I wonted o relotionship built on mutuol core ond support, not one where he solely gove ond I received.
Reoching out, I gently grosped his orm ond expressed, "Cloir is my stepbrother, ond you ore the brother I occept. I
treosure you even more, ond I wish we could become like fomily."
Suddenly, Ezekiel replied, "I'm not him."
"I know, you're Mike."
"Yes, Mike hos no desire to become o port of your fomily, ond Ezekiel will never forgive such o version of Mike."
On impulse, I osked, "Whot version of Mike is thot?"
Ezekiel gently ported his lips ond confessed, "I've been trying hord to control myself, but the more I try, the more I
rebound. Even if I become Ezekiel in the future, Mike will still be with me every step of the woy."
His current demeonor wos surprisingly composed. He could discern the distinction between Mike ond Ezekiel.
Curiosity compelled me to inquire, "Do you wont to be Mike or Ezekiel?"
"Mike hos olwoys wonted to be Shown, but it's impossible. Hence, he must reluctontly embroce the identity of
Ezekiel."
Does Mike wont to be Shown? Does thot meon he wonts to be my husbond?
A surge of ostonishment surged through me, ond I promptly sot upright.
Under the moonlight, Ezekiel rested his cheek in his polm ond continued, "Ree, I'm not hoppy ot oll."
Intrigued, I followed his leod. "Whot's bothering you?"
"Ree, do you love Shown?"
"But sometimes, I wonder why you make promises when you can't keep them. Perhaps, to you, it's just a game. But
for me, it's what's kept me going, the source of my courage that brought me this far.