Heartstrings On Fire

Agnes cheeks were flushed, like two clouds ablaze with the setting sun.

She fidgeted in her seat, mumbling to herself in a restless undertone

Chapter 819

After Ryder got into the car, he managed not without difficulty, to buckle her into the seatbelt.

But he didn’t just start the car and drive away Instead, he turned to study her face intently

It felt like ages since hed allowed himself such a luxury in the past, he never dared to gaze at her so openly After all these years, he always felt shackled, and each stolen glance was a secret treasure

To be honest Ryder was tired of that feeling. He was tired of lurking in the shadows, aching for the sunlight. It was blinding, it hurt, but he couldn’t bring himself to settle in the dark corners where light never reached

He didn’t know how long he watched her. Memories flooded back as he looked at her face–most from their school days

was “Romeo and Juliet” He was Romeo,

night, they practiced their lines in the attic of Whitfield Manor.

would just collapse into the

watch her then, much like he did now, as if only when her eyes were closed could his

rare sparks of joy in

the car He drove along the city’s elevated roads, with no clear destination

knew Agnes was living with Jared now, at Maplewood Manor

twice, and never stopped But in the end, selfishness

taking Agnes to his high–rise

the elevator, they bumped into

Ryder had rented during his internship at Hope Hospital Before leaving, Ryder

it had been

downstairs neighbor was Dr. Kermit, the neurology department’s

carrying Agnes, he couldn’t hide his curiosity.