His Destructive, Toxic Love

Liking someone makes you crave physical closeness. He took her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world and led her towards the bedroom.

Eliza had no idea what he was up to and pulled away, uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

"The rain's coming down hard outside; stay with me and watch it for a bit."

"What's so special about the rain?"

He ignored her reluctance.

Holding her hand, they made their way to the master bedroom's balcony.

The rain was heavy, splashing against the cobblestone floor, creating ripples and a mist among the greenery.

"Look at this rain, it's so beautiful."

He stood behind her, bracing his hands on the balcony and enclosing her in his arms. His warm breath brushed against Eliza's ear, making her shrink her neck uncomfortably. "Oak Falls gets a lot of rain, almost half the year. It's not very convenient and doesn't seem all that beautiful."

Her voice had a tinge of sadness.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

He understood the struggles of a woman raising a child on her own, the challenges of life. It made him even more compassionate towards her.

"Come back to Falconridge with me. I promise, you won't have to suffer anymore."

Such heartfelt words would move many women. But Eliza was different.

She looked into the misty rain, her lips barely moving. "You don't know me or my past. Why do you think you can make me happy?"

"I do want to know your past." He knew they would face this question sooner or later. "For instance, what kind of person was your ex-husband?" Eliza's eyes flickered slightly. Casper was asking her what kind of person the old Casper was. It sounded almost ironic.

"He had a terrible temper. He didn't

love me. I forced him into marriage with a contract, and during those years, he found every way to

torment me, to hate me, yet he net

wouldn't let me go. What kind of

person does that make him?"

Her rhetorical question made him frown. He found it hard to believe that such men existed in the world. If you don't love, why marry in the first place? And if married, why torment? "How could you have fallen for someone like that?"

"Maybe because he wasn't bad-looking."

She admitted that in her youth, she was swayed by appearances. Or maybe it was the feeling of that first eye contact that was too beautiful giving her the courage to want share a life with him. She overestimated herself, thinking she could warm even a stone. Reality slapped her hard; his heart never warmed, and hers turned cold.

He sighed, somewhat understanding yet not entirely. "And then, what happened? You got divorced?"

"He died."

That was all she could say. In truth, her marriage certificate with Casper was still valid. If she changed her name back to Eliza, then technically, their relationship still existed. "Then you should let go of the past, right?"

"I suppose." She no longer hated him, just felt there was no need to start over. "Even if he hadn't died, I wouldn't have worked out between us. There's no need to stumble over the same stone twice, right?" He nodded. It was an acknowledgment of her perspective.

"Then consider me."

"I won't." She leaned on the balcony, lost in the rain outside. "Casper, go find your true love. Don't get tangled up with me anymore. Let's just let each other be."

"I really like you, probably since

waking up in the hospital..." He

wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his chin resting in the crook of her shoulder, his voice full of affection. "...you might not accept me now, and that's okay. I'll keep pursuing you until you see my heart."