“Hurry up and leave! You’re such a jinx!”
“Yeah! Get lost!”
“This is not a place where you belong.”
Rachel stumbled out of the nursing home in an attempt to protect her dignity. Even though she had turned to leave, she could still hear the cursing they were throwing her way. For a moment, she was tempted to return a few insults, but she was aware that she was in no position to do so.
As a matter of fact, she had always known where Larry was. Evelyn had shared that information with her. She had initially planned to use it in exchange for her own safety. However, after some contemplation, she decided to avenge her daughter instead.
Therefore, she could only wander on the streets, relying on the leftovers of the nearby restaurants to keep herself fed. At times, there would be people who would find her pitiful and throw some bread on the floor for her to eat.
Rachel found it incredibly filthy at first. But in the end, when she was about to faint from hunger, she went back in search of her only source of food and gobbled it up despite it having been stepped on multiple times.
It was what she needed to do if she wanted to live.
Finnick instantly felt relieved when he returned home and saw Vivian sitting at the dining table, having her meal. He took off his shirt as he walked toward her and took a seat next to her. Staring intently at her, he seemed to realize her hostility had largely decreased. Although she was still aloof, Finnick was contented with her condition.
There was nothing else he could have asked for other than to remain by her side. That way, he was confident he could win her back. If she could love him so dearly once, she definitely could do so again.
“Where did you go today, Vivian?” he asked, his head slightly tilted. He scooped some of her favorite dishes and placed them on her plate. Vivian glanced at him blandly before lowering her head to resume eating her food.
“Do you not feel like saying? Or is there something you don’t wish for me to know?” He was aware she didn’t want to be bothered by him. But he was like a rebellious adolescent. The more she didn’t want him to, the more he would.
Who knows? Perhaps if I annoy her enough, she may stop harboring a grudge and start speaking to me? He began to get excited at the thought of it and started telling her about a bunch of work-related matters. As expected, she got annoyed soon enough.
“I went to see Rachel William and Shane Teslar,” she replied, wanting to shut him up. Having gotten what he wanted, Finnick smirked. “Mm. Then you must be exhausted, honey. Eat more.”
Hearing him call her by the endearment, she froze for a second. She took another glance at him before she carried on eating.
Seeing her reaction and how she had eaten the food he scooped for her, he was like a dog with two tails. He continued scooping more food for her without another word. It was only during bedtime when Vivian initiated a conversation.
“Let go,” she ordered. Finnick had wanted to cuddle her to sleep. However, as soon as his hands touched her waist, she spoke. He looked into her eyes for a bit, shaking his head in refusal.
“Are you letting go or not?” Her voice turned colder. But Finnick was an experienced businessman. How could that possibly scare him? He shamelessly shook his head and hugged her even tighter.
Facing the unabashed Finnick, Vivian was helpless. She chose to ignore him, turning to her side before she fell into a deep sleep.
After all that had happened, Vivian had been suffering from insomnia for quite some time. But that night, perhaps because of his warm embrace, she finally managed to have a restful sleep for once. The next day when Vivian awoke, she found herself still in Finnick’s arms.
She fluttered her eyes open and noticed he was still asleep. It was the only time she could put down her guard and truly stare at him to her heart’s content. When she gave it a thought, Finnick hadn’t really done anything wrong. He merely chose her instead. But somehow, she couldn’t find it in herself to forgive the man. That was the biggest hurdle in her heart.
