Chapter 2 The Gloves

The next second, Lexi's concerned voice came from outside the door. "Doctor, how's Ryder doing?"

The doctor hesitated, but I cut in. "I'm okay."

She came over to me, looking completely at ease. "I knew it. I've taken such good care of you. Even surgery barely affected you."

She looked so relaxed, as if tricking me into donating part of my liver had never happened.

She really had taken good care of me once. If I so much as sneezed, she would worry so much she could not sleep.

However, for Lachlan, she could now force me to give up part of my liver without a second thought. She reached over and closed the window. "How many times have I told you? Why did you leave the window open so wide? Lachlan just had surgery. He can't be sitting in a draft."

So, that was who she was worried about.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Lachlan walked in, his eyes red, carrying an armful of things. He piled everything onto my bed.

"I'm sorry, Ryder. I didn't know the liver was yours. If I'd known, I'd rather have died than gone through with the surgery.

"These are all gifts Lexi gave me. Take whatever you want. Consider it my way of thanking you."

There were property deeds, car keys, various treasures from auctions, and even a pair of gloves Lexi had knitted herself.

It was less a thank-you than a deliberate display.

Lexi nodded in satisfaction. "He apologized so sincerely. You can't still be mad at him."

I had no interest in playing along with Lachlan's little act. I just waved my hand. "No. Take them back."

His eyes immediately reddened. Lexi shot me an unhappy look and squeezed my left arm hard.

The wound there had not healed yet. Pain shot through me, and I flinched.

I gave a bitter smile and pointed at the gloves Lexi had knitted. "Fine. I'll take those."

Lexi had tried again and again before finally making a pair that was decent enough to wear. I had thought she was making them for me, and I had been excited for days.

It turned out that they were for Lachlan.

With my life coming to an end, my vulnerability and resentment suddenly felt so much sharper. And now, more than anything, I wanted those gloves Lexi had knitted herself.

The moment I pointed at them, Lachlan's expression shifted. He lowered his head and began to choke back tears.

Lexi frowned. "You could've picked anything. Why did you have to choose those?"

"I want those."

Maybe I just wanted proof that I still had a place in Lexi's heart. Whatever the reason, I stubbornly held on to my request.

She frowned deeper. "Can't you be reasonable? Lachlan is going to be your stand-in and save your life someday. You donated your liver to him in advance, so consider it repayment. He doesn't owe you anything. Why do you have to take something he loves?"

In her eyes, Lachlan had not even done anything, yet somehow he was already doing me a favor. I had given up part of my liver, and she still saw it as repayment.

Ridiculous.

I nodded. "Then, I don't want any of it."

The gloves were not mine. And neither was the woman I loved anymore.

Lachlan lifted his tear-filled eyes. "You can't blame Ryder for looking down on me. He has no shortage of nice things. I'm just his stand-in. Of course he wouldn't want any of this."

Lexi looked at him with undisguised tenderness. "Don't say that about yourself. There's an auction at 1 p.m. I'll take you there and buy you something better."

With that, she started to leave with Lachlan.

At the door, she suddenly seemed to remember something. She turned back, draped a coat over my shoulders, and kissed my forehead. "Ryder, it's not that I don't want to take you. You're already injured, and you just had surgery yesterday. I'd feel awful if you pushed yourself."