Abigail sat down and told him, ‘Let’s be serious, Zachary.”
Zachary sat opposite her in turn, his eyes fixed on her. “I was being serious.”
“Then tell me. Are you visiting Lulu to see her baby or were you just lying to me?” Abigail asked, looking him in the eye.
Zachary did a double take, though he had to admit that he had been feeling troubled because he was not allowed to acknowledge his own child.
It was as regretful as it was painful, and he certainly was upset that Abigail stopped him.
Naturally, he understood that Abigail was doing this for Lulu’s sake, but did he not have the right to be informed and to the child’s custody?
“I was lying a little,’ he replied.
Even if he was upset and disappointed about it, he had no genuine intention of ruining Lulu’s life now.
“I admit that Martin is good and has done better than I have,” Zachary said, knowing that it was his own fault things ended badly between him and Lulu.
If only he had the strength to protect her from harm and from breaking her heart, she would not have given up on him and accepted another man.
Zachary had actually come to understand his mistake in the past, but the point was that there was now a link between them.
He definitely would not show up around Lulu if not for his baby.
Sighing, he asked, ‘What are you trying to say?”
“There’s this saying that liking a person is self-indulgent, whereas love is self-restraint,” Abigail replied. “Which of these do you feel toward Lulu?” Zachary frowned, unable to answer just then.
However, that was because he disagreed with Abigail’s statement.
Why did he have to restrain himself for love? Why was he not allowed to indulge himself?
“What do you think about it?” he asked Abigail in return.
“I think it’s right,” Abigail said bluntly.
“I can’t agree.” Zachary shook his head-even if he would not disturb Lulu now, he would not accept that statement either.
Abigail stared warily at him then. “So what are you going to do? Go to Lulu?”
“No,” Zachary said.
Abigail sighed in relief. “So?”
“I just wanted to ask…’ Zachary appeared pensive for a moment, but he soon said, “Forget it.”
Abigail frowned. “Just spit it already!’
“Nope,” Zachary replied and returned to his room, locking himself inside and refusing to open it no matter how many times Abigail knocked.
His reaction left her utterly curious—what was he trying to say?!
That question alone left her worried.
There was also that weird look he just gave her-the one that said ‘I know, but I’m not going to tell you’.
It left her restless!
She called Zachary’s phone and could hear it ringing inside, but he refused to answer it.
As such, she texted him instead.
[What were you trying to say?]
Zachary did not reply, so she pressed on: [Do you know something I don’t that you’re not telling me?]
[What were you trying to say just now?]
She stared at the screen, hesitating for a moment before typing what she was thinking.
[Does it have something to do with Diarmuid?]
Zachary replied right then and with two texts in quick succession!
[Getting flustered, aren’t we?]
[Oh, you’re smart.]
Abigail was speechless and really wanted to ask if he was crazy right then.
Still, his response left her pensive.
[What is it about Diarmuid that I don’t know?]
Zachary refused to answer, leaving Abigail unable to stay composed at all.
He knew Diarmuid much earlier than she did, and she scarcely knew a thing about his past.
What was Zachary trying to say?
[Explain yourself, Zachary Slate! What were you trying to say?!]
Zachary simply lay in bed, lifting a brow when his phone jingled with a notification, but he did not check it.
He knew that Abigail was flustered-and certainly had the capacity for it.
As it turned out, no one could stay unaffected when something like that happened to them.
He certainly did not believe in empathy—one had to experience the same anguish as the person to really know how it felt, and those who had never gone through it would never understand it.
Meanwhile, his phone kept jingling, and he finally picked it up for a look.
[Zachary Slate!]
[Zachary Slate!!!]
He was being spammed with his own name.
Chuckling, he slowly got to his feet and answered the door.
Abigail was actually stunned, since she did not expect him to suddenly open it.
But after the initial surprise, she was glaring fixedly at him.
Zachary grinned. “Want to come in?”
Nonetheless, Abigail asked bluntly, “What were you going to say?”
“Nothing,” Zachary replied flatly.
While she was left stumped, he poured her a glass of water. “Here. You need to cool off-you’re still injured, y’know!’
Abigail took it and entered his room, not at all cagey as she planted herself on the couch beside the window. “Tell me.”
Zachary leaned on the door and said, ‘You were saying that liking a person is self-indulgent, whereas love is self-restraint. And you believe that to be right?”
Abigail nodded. “Yes.”
“Then let me ask you this—which of those two is how Diarmuid feels about you?” Zachary asked, studying her just then.
Abigail promptly looked up, her brow wrinkling as she asked, “That’s what you wanted to say?”
Zachary nodded—he knew all too well how things were between her and Diarmuid when they first met.
Likewise, Abigail would be aware whether Diarmuid had been self-indulgent or restrained around her.
It was not as if Zachary wanted to drive a wedge between her and Diarmuid, but they were discussing the question as it was.
Back then, Diarmuid was certainly not merely being self-indulgent when it came to her.
And according to what she said, Diarmuid only liked her and was not in love.
Abigail rose to her feet and walked up to Zachary, holding his gaze.
Just as he thought she would say something to him, she stayed silent and simply left.
Zachary asked, ‘Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“What should I say?” Abigail asked flatly.
“…Is Diarmuid in love with you? Or does he only like you?”
Abigail simply grinned. “What do you think?”
Zachary was speechless for a moment before asking, “You don’t care if he loves you?”
Abigail shook her head. “Nope.”
Zachary was speechless for another moment. “You’re just pretending, aren’t you?”
Abigail shrugged. ‘Why should I?”
“That question is complicated, and you’re the one who mentioned it first. If you agree that liking is self-indulgent, whereas love is self-restraint, that means Diarmuid had only liked you before, never loved you.”
Pausing, he asked, “You told me all that just to have me admit that I love Lulu and would restrain myself, let her go, and be happy?”
Abigail listened to him quietly-that certainly was really her point.
Zachary stared at her then. “I can admit that I love Lulu, but what about you and Diarmuid?”
Abigail remained composed in spite of Zachary’s sharp glare and suddenly smiled.
“Look, I was just trying to convince you not to bother Lulu.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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