Tabitha's POV
Derek kept reminiscing about how we met, got to know each other, and fell in love.
I couldn't remember much, but I could still pick up on some hints from his words.
"I must've been crazy about you, right?" I asked.
Derek looked at me with gentle eyes and chuckled in agreement, "Yeah. Do you remember something now?"
I shook my head. "I just feel that since I was willing to give up my studies when I had a bright future ahead of me back then, I must've been head over heels for you."
Derek paused, a complex expression on his face.
Then, he stared out at the swirling snow and murmured, "Yeah. If it weren't because of love, why would you give up your dream? Tabitha, I swear I'll love you forever. I'd bet my life on it."
He tightened his embrace, making it hard for me to breathe. I had to push him away with all my strength.
Just then, I noticed my right wrist felt kinda stiff, and there was a scar on it. "My hand..."
Derek let go of me immediately and explained, "It got hurt before. But it's already healed."
I moved it around a bit and realized aside from being stiff, it was fine. Still feeling a bit weird, I wondered, "How did it happen? And who did this to me?"
"It was a very bad guy, but he's already been punished. Come on. Let's just forget about it, okay?"
I frowned at his words. It seemed he had been holding back a lot of stuff. Even though he was indeed nice to me, something felt off, and I always had some guard up against him.
He changed the subject, saying, "You like studying medicine, so I've arranged for you to further your studies."
Puzzled, I asked, "But didn't you say that I gave up everything just to become your Luna? Why are you suddenly cool with me continuing my studies now?"
In his deep eyes, I saw guilt and regret.
"Because you weren't as happy as I had imagined these past few years. I'm sorry, Tabitha. From now on, you can do whatever you want, and I'll support you no matter what, okay?" he piped up in a hoarse voice,
I was a bit hesitant but still nodded. "Okay."
Since I had just come around, my mind was still kind of foggy. I had zero memories of the past or any clue about the future.
Thus, I had no choice but to nod along with Derek's plan.
Since he loved me so much, I guessed he wouldn't do me harm.
Besides, judging from the fancy decor of this house, I could tell he was loaded. There was no reason that a rich hunk like him would bear ill intentions toward me, who lost her parents and went bankrupt.
Continuing my education wasn't exactly a bad deal, anyway.
I felt that he was being considerate yet cautious in front of me because he was trying to make me feel better after the death of our pups.
Even though tons of questions were swirling in my head, I decided to set them aside for now. After all, there was no need to rush, right?
"Well..."
I poked his chest, asking, "What did I use to call you?"
Derek swallowed hard, replying, "When you were in a good mood, you'd call me 'honey.' When you were in a bad mood, you'd call me a jerk. And..."
He paused, so I looked at him with curiosity.
The next second, he leaned into my ear and lowered his voice intentionally, cooing, "When we were in bed, you liked to call me 'babe.'"
My face heated up immediately, and I lightly punched his chest. "Shut up!"
He then took my hand and pecked on my lips. "Tabitha, I..."
Before he could finish his words, his phone rang. After glancing at the screen, he let go of my hand and said, "Sorry. But I need to take this."
I thought to myself, 'He's so mysterious.
'But for now, he's really nice to me.
'Well, I still gotta be cautious, though. I can't let my guard down too easily.'