Lie a Little Longer

When Atlas arrived, he saw Naomi lying alone on the hospital bed, her eyes gazing out the window, lost in thought. Her profile was serene and gentle.

The man clenched his hands tightly. This scene felt like something from a past life.

"Naomi!"

His voice was unsteady, because even now, he couldn’t figure out why Naomi, who had vowed never to have anything to do with him again, had suddenly called him.

Hearing the voice, Naomi instinctively turned her head. For some reason, the voice felt both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

When she saw who it was, her lips trembled, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes, on the verge of falling. She looked pitiful as she whimpered, "Babe, sobs, it hurts so much."

Atlas's deep eyes locked onto the woman lying not far away. He neither stepped forward nor spoke, standing there motionless.

Seeing that her husband wasn’t coming over to comfort her, Naomi's tears finally spilled over. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"What did you just call me?" His voice was gritted, his gaze like a whirlpool pulling Naomi in.

"Babe, what’s wrong with you? I'm injured, and you're still not coming over to comfort me?"

At that moment, Naomi looked like a wounded child, reaching out for a hug from her lover. Atlas stared at the woman who was extending her hands toward him. Regardless of his inner turmoil, he slowly walked over—but instead of embracing her, he simply sat down at the edge of the hospital bed.

"Naomi, what’s wrong with you?"

Atlas wasn’t a fool; he could tell something was off about her.

Naomi, however, assumed he was asking about the accident. "I don’t know. I just woke up and forgot what happened before the crash."

"You forgot?"

Atlas looked into her doe-like eyes. "Do you still remember who I am?"

His heartbeat pounded wildly, as if it were about to burst from his chest. Even he wasn’t sure what answer he was hoping for.

"Of course, I remember you! No matter what I forget, I’d never forget my Atty!"

The girl giggled, her voice light and sweet, her eyes full of Atlas.

For some reason, her husband suddenly looked like an idiot. What was going on? She was the one who had been in an accident, so why did it seem like he had lost his mind?

Before, her husband had always been… always been what? She suddenly realized she couldn't quite recall how he used to be when they were together. But she remembered him clearly as a child—her Atlas had always been very smart.

Atlas exuded an intimidating aura, but upon closer look, there was a faint redness at the corner of his eyes. "Naomi, say it again."

"Atty!"

Naomi responded immediately.

Seeing the unease in his expression, her heart clenched. "Atty, what’s wrong? Are you scared that something will happen to me? Don’t worry, I’ll always be with you."

Her soft voice and absolute trust finally shattered Atlas’s composure.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he had just recovered a lost treasure. Though the force of his embrace was slightly uncomfortable, Naomi remained obedient in his arms, her small hands gently patting his back, as if reassuring him that she was here.

After a long while, Atlas slowly stood up and carefully placed Naomi back onto the bed. "Rest for now. I’ll go ask the doctor."

Naomi felt uneasy. "Atty, can you give me a kiss? You haven't kissed me since you arrived."

Atlas’ body instantly stiffened.

Looking at the small hand clutching his sleeve, he slowly leaned down and finally placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, without any hesitation, he immediately left the room.

Naomi, who had expected a deep kiss: “…”

Is her husband… incapable?

She realized she had no memories of being intimate with him at all.

Little did she know, outside the room, Atlas stood frozen at the door, unable to say a word.

The doctor looked at the elegant yet intimidating man and didn’t dare to slack off. "Miss Swift previously had a car accident that caused some blood clots in her brain. While this time she wasn’t seriously injured, her head was still impacted. Based on what you've told me, she’s experiencing memory confusion."

The doctor swallowed nervously under Atlas’s blank gaze. "Memory confusion won’t affect her physical health. The best approach is to let things happen naturally. She likely suffered emotional trauma before the accident, leading to selective amnesia—she only remembers what and who she likes."

Atlas murmured, "Who she likes…?"

...

When Atlas returned, Naomi had already fallen asleep in the hospital bed.

He slowly sat by the bedside, gazing at the woman he had longed for day and night. The nickname ‘Atty’—how long had it been since he last heard it?

A nurse quietly entered the room, pausing at the sight before her. A soft smile crossed her lips—Mr. Knox truly loved Miss Swift.

"Sir, this is Miss Swift's bag."

Atlas took it, gesturing for the nurse to lower her voice. She nodded and quietly exited the room.

He intended to place the bag on the table, but as he moved, it slipped from his grasp. The contents nearly scattered onto the floor, but he caught them just in time.

His first instinct was to check if the sleeping woman had stirred. Seeing that she remained undisturbed, he let out a breath of relief.

Then, his gaze landed on the item in his hand. A flicker of emotion flashed through his dark eyes, shifting between light and shadow. After a pause, he slipped it into his pocket.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, Naomi woke up—driven by hunger.

“You’re awake. I had someone bring you a bowl of vegetable broth and soft mashed potatoes with a slice of warm rye bread.”

She spotted the insulated food container on the bedside table and beamed. "Thank you, baby!"

The man’s posture stiffened for a brief moment before he casually remarked, "Didn’t you call me 'Atty'?"

Naomi opened her mouth to respond, but Atlas calmly added, "I just think it sounds more intimate."

…

Isn’t 'baby' even more intimate?

Naomi couldn't quite follow his logic, but she played along. "Alright, Atty."

Sure enough, she saw his expression relax, a hint of happiness surfacing.

"Can we go home this afternoon? I don’t want to stay in the hospital any longer." Naomi disliked the sterile scent of disinfectant.

Atlas gazed at the woman clinging to him and calling him 'baby.' His brows furrowed slightly, but deep inside, he thought—

‘Naomi, if this is just a trick to fool me, then lie to me a little longer.’

Naomi blinked, and in a moment of impulse, pressed a kiss against his Adam’s apple. "Atty, let's go home. I don’t like hospitals."

Atlas gently wiped a breadcrumb from the corner of her lips. “Alright.”

***