Indifference

Torn

First Week

Yue wakes up on Dylan's bed for the first time since she came back and when she opens her eyes, he is not there. She looks around and finds that he is sleeping on the couch.

Argh! That's sneaky! Not fair!

She goes to the bathroom to wash her teeth – she would die before talking to him with morning breath – and then goes to the couch with an attitude.

It's 6 am and Dylan went to bed at 1 to avoid Yue, therefore, he will not be happy at all.

"Hey!"

Nothing.

"Hey!" Yue starts hitting him with her knee.

Nothing.

"Dylan! Wake up!" she shouts.

"Aaah! What, Shen Yue?"

"This is not part of the deal! Either you sleep with me on the bed or the month does not start!"

He huffs. "Alright! Now let me sleep!"

That day, Dylan leaves the bedroom at noon. He will try as hard as possible to avoid Yue. He knows his mom is right, although it is difficult to admit. He cannot even look at her in the eyes for too long, otherwise he would melt like ice-cream in summer.

The truth is, Dylan does not how to handle the situation, having her there all the time is extremely painful. He must be alert and aware all the time to avoid being caught off-guard. Therefore, he has become the cat that hides when an intruder visits its home.

Night comes and Yue goes to bed early; as much as she tries to stay awake for him, she cannot keep her eyes open after 11 pm. Dylan knows this, that is why he does not go to bed before midnight.

When he goes to sleep the first official night, he is nervous and anxious. Yue's voice wrinkles his heart, but her face and her body make him quiver. How can he survive one month like this? He is just a man, an unforgiving and resentful man for the time being, but a man indeed.

He does his best to stay on his corner of the bed, facing the nightstand, barely sleeping, sweating and jittery all night. This happens the first couple of nights, pure torture! He is terrified to turn around and see her because, if he does, instead of turning into a statue of salt, he will be come a pile of goo.

The third night, he caves. He is pulled, he craves to see the woman he loves, so he turns around and glimpses at her. Suddenly, his mind takes him back to the evenings when he kneeled on the floor to stare at her...

Oh, gosh, she's pretty, and cute, and peaceful, and perfect... Stop looking at her, Dylan! Turn around! But he cannot, he is mesmerized. This must be witchcraft!

Dylan falls asleep with a smile, staring at her sweet face. He is doomed from now on, he will fall asleep like that all the time. Her beauty has become his lullaby.

For the rest of the week, during the day, Dylan manages to stay away from her, because with daylight he feels somehow stronger, more determined to reject her or simply ignore her. The problem arises at night, that's when he loses his power. When the sun sets, she prevails.

On the other hand, Yue is killing him with kindness, and sassiness as well. She cooks and tries to be helpful around the house... Though she still forgets to do the laundry sometimes!

She has no idea that Dylan's heart is softening every night when he admires her tranquil slumber. Yet, she hopes.

When you love someone, you do not let go, and she is definitely not letting go anymore. Nature did not make her so stubborn for nothing!

Week 2 - Day 1

It's 1 am and Dylan is watching a Mozart concert. Since he stays up late most nights, he has been watching many cultural TV shows while Yue sleeps.

However, tonight Yue wakes up and hears the music coming from the living room. She quietly goes down the stairs and stands behind Dylan to watch the concert. She thinks he has not noticed her presence, but he has.

About 5 minutes later, she is deeply touched by the performance and she sighs.

Dylan feels weak and sad. He wants to hug her, sit her on his chest and cuddle her like he used to, his arms itch for her, but he still has not heard her say the reason why she has come back. He is afraid that she will leave as soon as his physical therapy is over, which will be very soon. Therefore, he simply says "You can sit", and she darts to the couch, happy as a clam that he has finally acknowledged her presence, but still sobbing.

"Please, don't cry... - he asks. – You know I can't bear to hear you cry..."

Yue gasps and peeps at him with the corner of her eye. Is this progress? Who knows? Is his heart still walled and fortified or is there finally a crack?

"I'm going to bed, - Yue mentions after half an hour, - and you should too. It's not good for you to stay up so late and you know it. Your body is still recovering."

Dylan avoids eye contact, but he knows she is right, and deep down he appreciates her concern. He turns off the TV and follows her to bed.

Yue is shocked. No protesting, no scoffing, no rebuffing... He is right behind her.

She gets in bed right away while he brushes his teeth. When he joins her, she is asleep, beautiful as always. She is wearing her deadly Minnie thingy and she did not cover herself with the blankets because it's a hot night.

He was checking her out while coming up from the living room, watching her gorgeous tushy wave from one side to the other with every step: left, right, left, right... What a symphony!

And now Dylan stares at her body again, her legs, her arms, her curves and all that deliciousness that he used to possess every night... Almost irresistible!

Why did you leave? Why did you have to break my heart? And what do you want now? Why are you here? he wonders.

Yue's hand is lying on the mattress in the middle of the bed and he is tempted to feel it. His hand reaches out with hesitation. Little by little, his fingers touch her palm, so smooth and warm, and then he interlocks her fingers. Chills.

If only you hadn't left... 

Week 2 - Day 4

Dylan is staring at Yue like every night. She is lying on her back, her head tilted, and she is covered by white sheets, looking like an angel. There is a soft curve on her lips, is she dreaming?

He smiles and remembers the nights she fell asleep wrapped in his arms, chuckling at a joke he had told her. He can still feel her on his body, shaking from the laughter and then slowly going quiet until she dozed off.

Did it mean anything to you? Did you miss me as much as I missed you while you were away? Did the solitude hurt you each night? Did the silence of not hearing my voice torment you? Did you wish you could rip your skin off so it wouldn't yearn for my touch?

As his mind drowns with doubts and questions, Dylan sees Yue's hair falling on her face when she turns sideways, and he cannot resist tucking it behind her ear. His hand lingers and caresses her cheek.

If only she told him how much she loves him, he would certainly forgive her now.

Note:

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but then I felt that Dylan's emotions deserved to have a space of their own. Otherwise, they would have drowned with all the words...

If you understand now what he feels and how he's torn, then mission accomplished!

See you soon!

Thanks for reading!

Chaos.