29 The dilemma

They avoided talking to each other after that. Christopher had not come out of the study while Abigail was busy cooking.

They were also silent during dinner.

Abigail glanced at him from time to time, hoping to strike up a conversation. She assumed he was still upset based on his cold and indifferent appearance. She was afraid her words would enrage him even more and cause him to leave. As a result, she decided to remain silent.

Christopher, on the other hand, was waiting for her to say something. Shouldn't she be questioning him about why he had not returned home these days?

But she was silent as if she didn't care at all. That could be why she stopped calling and texting him.

She had gone out and had fun with her old friend… her neighbor!

Christopher couldn't help but clench his teeth when he recalled how she had smiled at that man. He was curious about the neighbor who had earned her smile, which was supposed to be his alone.

He glanced at her. When he saw her eating with her head bowed, he didn't ask her anything.

She used to ask him if the food was good. She had always smiled at him. Sometimes, he had seen her staring at him.

Things had changed. Abigail was not even looking at him, let alone smiling at him. She would smile at her old friend.

'Her neighbor?'

Christopher's appetite had already gone. He wiped his hands and mouth and walked away.

Abigail stopped eating and looked at his plate. She had rarely seen him not finish his meal. She could tell he was upset.

She intended to talk to him about the job interview while she was cooking. Her bravery had worn thin by that point. She didn't want to upset him further and thought of talking to him later.

"Maybe tomorrow," she murmured.

She put the dishes in the sink and then warmed some milk. She poured the milk into a glass and went back to her room.

Christopher was reading a book, leaning against the headboard.

She moved over to him and said, "You haven't eaten properly. Please have some milk."

Christopher raised his head to look at her. He took the glass.

Abigail was relieved to see that he didn't refuse to take the milk. She quietly went to the closet.

Christopher looked at the glass, the corners of his lips curling slightly.

It was the Abigail he was familiar with.

He appreciated it when she showed concern for him. His displeasure with her began to fade. If she resumed her previous docile demeanor, he would also compromise with the things that were making him distressed. He would not run away from her.

Abigail came to bed. She looked sexy in her satin pink nightgown.

Christopher had never looked at her in such a way before. He was not sure why he couldn't take his eyes off her. His thoughts were racing.

He had been sharing the bed with her for the past two years and had never felt this way. Was it because of her new haircut? Or was it because he was insecure after seeing her with another man?

She said, "Good night," and lay down with her back to him.

Christopher kept staring at her back, confused. It was true that he undoubtedly disliked seeing her with that stranger. At the same time, he couldn't deny that he was becoming more attracted to her because of her new appearance.

For the first time in two years, he could feel his heart beating slightly faster than usual. It was similar to a teenager meeting his crush.

'Am I moving on?' he wondered mindfully.

Something had changed within him. Something pleasant was happening around him. It was too early to say anything, but he liked the change and the new feeling.

Christopher turned off the light and lay down, facing her back. He gently placed his hand on her arm and turned her toward him.

Abigail knew what he was going to do. It wasn't anything new for her. She closed her eyes, anticipating his kiss on her chest. She felt no movement from his side.

When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her. Her heart stopped for a split second before racing wildly the next.

Christopher reached out to push her hair away from her face, his fingers brushing against her cheek.

She shuddered slightly, goosebumps covering her nape and arms. She fluttered closed her eyes, only to open them again.

His eyes appeared to be deeper than usual.

Abigail wasn't sure if it was due to the dim lighting in the room. She was anticipating many things. Maybe her long-awaited wish would be granted tonight.

'Maybe…'

She shuddered once again when she felt his fingers running down her jaw.

His fingers paused right beside her lips, which were inviting him. He wished he could taste them. He inadvertently touched the corner of her lower lip.

It was only then that he came to his senses. His eyes flickered, and he drew his hand back instantly. He dumbfoundedly looked at her, perplexed as to what he had been trying to do.

What he couldn't do was be intimate with her. He had been avoiding it for all those days. How could he even think about it?

He had been still regretting what had happened six months ago. He couldn't do it again. Despite knowing everything, he got carried away as if he were under some kind of spell.

The rising desire undoubtedly bothered him. What surprised him was that he no longer felt guilty, as he had six months before.

A voice within asked him to make her his once again. The fine muscle under his eyes throbbed.

"Good night," he said and shifted his weight to the other side, his eyes wide.

His ears were burning.

'What is going on?' he wondered, befuddled. He couldn't stop his racing heart.

He was not supposed to feel that way about her, but he didn't feel bad at all. It gave him the impression that he was getting over his past.

His painful past... Some fragments of memory that he had kept close to his heart, refusing to let go.

'Am I really moving on? Or is it because of her hairstyle?'

When he was entangled in the dilemma of his thoughts, Abigail was depressed thinking that he did not love her at all.

Her excitement and joy had all vanished. Her heart pricked with sadness.

'How can I win your love?' she asked inwardly.