Olivia’s eyes took a while to regain clarity. Her chest rose and fell heavily, as if she had been utterly terrified by her nightmare. It took her some time to look around and realize that Eugene was right there, within arm’s reach, along with the familiar layout of the room. Her awareness gradually returned.
Eugene asked in a soft and gentle voice, “What happened? Did you have a nightmare?”
She took a deep breath and realized with lingering fear that it was just a dream. Unfortunately, any negative emotions she felt because of the nightmare clung to her like a second skin. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She was genuinely frightened. He hastily wiped away her tears. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
Olivia didn’t say anything. Instead, she simply tightly clung to Eugene’s neck with both hands while nestling in his arms like a cat lacking a sense of security. She was so grateful that he was still by her side.
Eugene knew that she had a nightmare, but he didn’t rush to ask her about it. His large palm gently stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. His tender and affectionate gestures quickly calmed her emotions.
She was not a fragile woman. She dealt with everything on her own. However, she appeared fragile and vulnerable as she nestled in his arms.
It was clear that she was simply accustomed to not relying on others. It was not that she genuinely wanted it that way. If he could provide her with a comforting embrace, she would be more than willing to lean on him and take a break, just like now.
Neither of them spoke for a time. As Olivia’s mood gradually stabilized, Eugene finally inquired, “What did you dream about just now?”
Her arms which were still clinging to his neck did not loosen. She did not look at him and her voice sounded muffled in his embrace as she mumbled, “I dreamt that Joseph asked you to hand me over to him. Instead of complying, you said that he would pay the price. In his anger, he shot and killed you.”
Eugene wanted to laugh. In fact, the corners of his lips had already curled up. Regardless of the content of the dream, the fact that he appeared in her dreams showed that she cared about him.
Nonetheless, his mood became heavy upon careful consideration. Why would she have such a dream? Was it because she was constantly worried about him?
He gently pressed his lips on her forehead. “How can I be so useless? Do you think just anyone is capable of hurting me?”
Olivia was still immersed in her sadness, but when she suddenly heard his low and magnetic voice, she couldn’t help but feel loved, and her lips gradually curved upward.
“In the dream, I tried my best to give you signals, hoping that you would pretend not to know or recognize me, but you still said that I was your girlfriend.”
Eugene smiled. “Fortunately, I appeared perfectly in your dream. What if you held a grudge against me like last time?”
When two people were together for a long time, they could often achieve a telepathic effect. For example, at this moment, both of them simultaneously thought of the so-called ‘last time.’
There was a time when Olivia had a dream. In the dream, she and Eugene’s mother fell into the water, and she asked him who he would save. In the dream, he chose to save his mother and even said that she could save George, so why couldn’t she climb up by herself?
This angered her, and she made a video call to him in the middle of the night. He was so exasperated that he wanted to defend himself. It was clearly something that happened in her dream, but she insisted on punishing him in reality.
Now, her dream reflected the changes in her heart. At that time, they had just started dating, and she didn’t fully trust him. Now, she had placed her full trust in him, wholly reassured that he wouldn’t betray her trust.
Olivia tightened her grip on his arm. “I don’t want you to be so perfect. If there’s a similar situation in the future, just pretend not to know me. Don’t do something stupid like in my dream.”
Eugene was speechless and he didn’t know what to say to her for a moment. After a while, he asked, “Are you suggesting that I betray you and live without you?”
