Alex felt the frequency of his heart being messed up. He regretted bringing that up. She didn't need to know about that, especially not right now. He was determined from the very beginning that he would never let Abigail discover or know anything about his secrets. In fact, telling her the truth had never been an option. Telling anyone who didn't already know had never been an option. But now, he started to feel guilty that he was hiding such a secret from her and that feeling of not wanting to hide anything from her was haunting him.

  When Abi pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, Alex felt his heart skip a beat. He never thought about doing this before, telling her anything because it was too much of a burden for anyone to bear but now it seemed like having feelings for someone, falling in love, was making him waver and he felt utterly torn.

  But then, Abi suddenly smiled at him, held his face and bumped her forehead gently on his.

  "It's okay, Alex," she uttered, surprising him. "I do want to know everything about you but if it is hard for you to talk about it, don't force yourself. Maybe you can tell me tomorrow or next week or next month… I don't mind waiting. Tell me when you're ready, okay?"

  Alex averted his gaze away from her shining eyes. "You would marry me even without knowing anything?" his voice was almost a whisper and his gorgeous face looked grave.

  Abi tilted her head as she pressed her lips together. And then, she straightened up and her eyes flashed back at him.

  "I don't care about your past, Alex."

  "But this is not only about my past, Abigail. It's about who I really am." He looked at her anxiously. There was something in his voice that made Abi's heart squeeze tightly. She wasn't sure but it seemed to be sadness and anguish and pain. Things she had seen in his eyes, many times before.

  "No matter who you are, you're still the Alex that I have come to love. You are still the person I have come to know, the person who granted me my many wishes, the person who loves me even in this condition, the person I want to spend the rest of my days with. That is the Alex that is sitting next to me." She nodded slightly as her fingers caressed his perfect face, her eyes brimming with intensity. "I will marry you whether you tell me anything or not, Alex."

  Alex half bit his lips. He closed his eyes to hide the spasm of fear within him because he suddenly had the urge to just spill everything to her and leave the future up to fate and her.

  He moved his hand and covered his eyes. His Abigail, being so considerate… His Abigail, not wanting to pry anything out from his mouth… His sweet Abigail being willing to marry him even without knowing a thing… was making him feel even more guilty.

  When he put down his hand and looked at her, she smiled at him with encouragement. "It's okay," she uttered and she hugged him again. "I don't want you looking like you're at war with yourself, Alex. Please don't think too much about it, okay?"

  Hearing her, Alex let out a sigh and he didn't even realize how stiff his body had become until she made him relax with her understanding words. But she was right, he must stop thinking about it for now, and think about the good things instead, the things to look forward to like their wedding tomorrow. He couldn't risk ruining everything, not now that he had finally found her… that he would finally marry her.

  Hugging her back tightly, Alex kissed her hair, silently thanking her. He really didn't know what to do if she had insisted on knowing the truth at that moment and his heart trembled thinking about the possibility that the wedding might not happen once she knew the truth. He never doubted her words and her love but he was afraid that something might happen if the truth came out and that was something he would never let happen.

  "I'm going to have you come home with me, Abigail," he told her, finally changing the topic.

  "Back home?"

  "Yes."

  Abi smiled. She was excited to go back to Alex's house.

  "We'll just wait for a while until everything is ready. Preparations have been made in the house since last night and I'll have Zeke and the doctors to live there with us as well until your surgery," he explained and Abi could only nod.

  …


  In the garage, Kai was giving a helmet to Kelly. But the mischievous Kelly wasn't taking it and just raised a brow at him instead.

  Kai could only sigh in surrender and carefully put the helmet on her, not wanting to wait.

  "My pretty boy, are you finally falling in love with me? Huh?" she asked, her eyes narrowed as she leaned in on him.

  Kai just creased his brows. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Geez… don't be like that baby boy," she lifted her hand and pinched his chin, causing Kai to step back involuntarily.

  Kelly chuckled with his reaction as he shook his head. "Please, stop doing that," Kai told her, looking frustrated.

  "Oh c'mon, just admit it. You were jealous a while ago. I know it. Else, why would you pull me away like that?" She was smirking at him, looking triumphant, as if she had just won a fierce battle. However, Kai simply moved and strapped the helmet on her.

  "I did that because Xavier is…" he paused.

  "Xavier is what?"

  "He's not good for you."

  Kelly's laughter echoed in the garage but Kai ignored her and he climbed on the bike.

  Kelly moved in front of him, flipped the visor of his helmet up and made him look at her. She did the same on hers as she bumped their helmets together.