Mercy for Everyone but Me의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 20

In the days that followed, I pored over the case files, organizing documents day and night. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of work, but it was messy and tedious. Still, it was the only thing I could do for Adrian.Jason was equally swamped. Besides helping me, he had his own company to manage. Even so, he managed to get up early every morning, take Pudgy out for a walk, buy breakfast, and then drag me out of bed when he was back. I was genuinely impressed.Somehow, Jessica managed to get my number and invited me out for dinner.Glancing at my reflection in the mirror and seeing the dark circles under my eyes, I accepted her invitation without hesitation. There was no time like the present, after all. After hastily applying some makeup, I soon headed out.I went to the cafe downstairs from my office and placed my order. I'd intended to eat while waiting for Jessica. Yet before my food arrived, out of the corner of my eye, I caught someone pulling out the chair next to me and sit

The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. A lukewarm bottle of ginger ale sat on the bedside table.I wandered around the house barefoot. Jason and Pudgy were nowhere to be found. I figured Jason was probably out walking the dog.The sky was a pale gray, and the lawn a deep forest green. Dad always liked taking Adrian and me to visit Mom on misty days like this.As I entered the cemetery, my steps turned heavy. Four years had passed since Dad's death, and for all four years, I had avoided this place entirely.I remembered asking Dad when I was little why there was an empty space next to Mom's.I could no longer recall his expression then, but I remembered him holding my hand and telling me gently that that was his spot."Your mom is someone who gets lonely," he'd said. "When you grow up, I'm going to go and keep her company."Back then, I lifted my head naively and said cold-heartedly, "Hurry up and go then, Dad. Adrian can stay with me."Now, I knelt in front of t

When I woke up, the ward was entirely silent. It seemed as though everything that had happened had been nothing but a dream.I could tell Jason was getting busier by the day. Sometimes, he would come by around two or three in the morning, only to leave a few hours later around six o'clock. I knew he cherished the time we spent together, so I said nothing. All I could do was wait for him.That night, I simply couldn't stay awake any longer. As I drifted off into a hazy sleep, Jason entered the room. After washing up quietly, he didn't head over to the cot beside mine. Instead, he walked straight to my bed and pulled me into his arms.The scent of his shampoo lingered on him. As he held me close, I murmured drowsily, "What's wrong?"He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his hair tickling my skin. I reached up to touch his soft hair as he whispered hoarsely, "Just needed a minute."My heart ached. It felt like I was being stabbed by thousands of needles all at once. When my min

I didn't want to get tangled up in this nonsense with Sean any longer. A wave of fatigue washed over me. Someone approached me from behind, his hand covering mine on the doorframe.Jason stood protectively behind me as he spoke."Are you hungry? Dinner's ready."I hummed in acknowledgment, pulling my gaze away from Sean. When I turned away, I closed the door, sealing off the outside world entirely.I tugged on Jason's sleeve. "I'm so hungry," I said.Even someone as picky as me couldn't fault Jason's cooking. For the first time in my life, I ate two servings of pasta. I was so full that I could barely walk and had to be lifted off the chair.I curled up on the couch lazily. Jason kept me company, watching TV with me until the Christmas special neared its end. At the same time, fireworks crackled outside, celebrating the start of Christmas Day."Tired?" Jason asked me.I shook my head.Deep down, I sensed that this might be my last Christmas. As a child, I'd always fallen aslee

When Adrian reached out toward me, I instinctively leaned back. He noticed, gave me a small smile, and continued on anyway. He plucked out a withering leaf from my hair."That looked terrible," he commented.I froze, staring blankly at the leaf in his hands. I was suddenly unable to process anything for a moment.Adrian gave me a once-over before raising an eyebrow. "Did you grow taller?" he said."I'm 25 years old. Like hell I did," I replied.After a strange beat of silence, neither of us could hold back any longer. We burst out laughing.That day, we talked endlessly, though it was mostly about our silly childhood mishaps. I didn't deliberately avoid discussing the future. I knew without spelling it out that Adrian's future was bound to get brighter every day.I had endless things to say, but I got tired easily. Eventually, I could only listen as Adrian spoke slowly. My responses came sporadically."I'm working hard to get our life back, Cassie," Adrian said.I strained to