Reborn, I Stopped Begging for Love, Then They Cried With Regret Chapter 09

Reborn, I Stopped Begging for Love, Then They Cried With Regret Chapter 09

I bit down on the edge of the blanket, trying not to make a sound as cold sweat covered my forehead.

The door opened quietly, and Mom came in carrying a warm washcloth. She sat beside me and laid

it across my forehead.

“Does it hurt badly?”

I kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want her to see how weak I was.

“It’s not too bad.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she awkwardly massaged my temples.

“I never really took care of you before, so I’m probably not very good at this. Just bear with me.”

The warmth against my forehead slowly eased some of the tension in my body.

“You don’t have to stay with me. Go get some sleep.”

Mom kept massaging my temples, her voice catching.

“I can’t sleep. Just let me stay with you.”

I didn’t argue again.

With her hands moving gently against my temples, I slowly drifted off.

A few days later, we reached the coast farther south.

The night breeze carried the scent of salt off the ocean and finally broke the heat that had lingered

all day.

Tessa and Evan unloaded a pile of fireworks from the trunk and carried them down to the beach.

Tessa handed me a handful of sparklers.

“Here. I’ll light one for you.”

She brought the lighter close, and the sparkler burst to life in a spray of brilliant sparks.

I held it out in front of me, watching the light scatter through the darkness. It was almost too bright

to look at.

Evan set off several larger fireworks on the beach.

A series of booms shook the air as bursts of color spread across the night sky.

Grant stood a short distance away with his arm around Mom’s shoulders, watching us.

The glow from the fireworks brought a little color back to my pale face.

I watched the sparkler in my hand slowly burn itself out.

“It’s beautiful.”

Tessa immediately shoved two more into my hand.

“Then keep going. We brought plenty!”

She grabbed my wrist.

“Come on. Let’s draw circles with them for the camera!”

She pulled me in circles across the sand, the sparks leaving long trails of light in the air.

Evan raised the camera and pressed the shutter.

I looked at Tessa’s flushed face after all that running around and found myself amused.

The corners of my mouth lifted into a slight smile-the first one since I had come back.

Evan caught it at exactly the right moment.

He brought the camera over and showed me the picture.

“You have a nice smile.”

I stared at the girl smiling back at me from the screen.

She almost looked like a stranger.

“Thank you.”

Mom came over and draped a light jacket around my shoulders.

“It gets chilly by the water at night. Don’t get sick.”

I pulled the jacket closer around myself. It was still warm.

“Okay.”

After we left the coast, we flew overseas.

A local summer festival was underway when we arrived.

Red lanterns lined both sides of the streets, and the stalls were packed with snacks and masks.

I wore a traditional yukata and walked slowly through the crowd.

Tessa pulled me to a stop at a goldfish-scooping booth.

“I want that red one!”

She held the delicate paper scoop just above the water and carefully moved it toward the fish./

The paper tore before she could catch it. The goldfish darted away, splashing water across her face!

I took a fresh scoop, waited for the right moment, and gently slipped it beneath one of the fish.

A plump goldfish dropped neatly into the bowl.

The vendor grinned and gave me a thumbs-up.

“Nice one!”

Grant bought several candied apples and brought them over.

“Try one.”

I took a bite. The candy shell cracked under my teeth, and the apple inside was sweet.

I looked at the crowded streets around me and let the noise, color, and sheer liveliness of it all sink

After the festival, we returned to the hotel.

A violent wave of dizziness suddenly hit me.

My vision went black.

Then I lost consciousness.