The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Melody reached out instinctively and tried to smooth Lucas' furrowed brows. "You've been fretting over Grandma so much that it breaks my heart to see you like this. I'm sorry I can't share this burden with you." Lucas held Melody in a firm embrace, their faces barely inches apart. He buried himself in her arms and took a deep breath, saying, "Having you beside me is already a great enough help. Take good care of yourself. Don't fall ill or get hurt, okay?"

As much as she wanted to offer more words of comfort to Lucas, they seemed trapped within her heart.

"Okay."

Love was all about giving and taking. Despite the happiness Melody found at Lucas' side, Lucas could never forget the desolation she once endured when he first brought her home. All the pain she suffered in her previous family stemmed from her biological parents, which Lucas often felt guilty about. If he had fallen in love with her sooner, perhaps he could have rescued her quicker from that sea of suffering. Even though she had severed ties with her past family, the infamy she was forced to bear online remained. The clean break from the Sanders she wanted was proving to be a very arduous task. Lucas tightened his embrace and closed his eyes tightly. If he could shrink Melody to the size of a doll, he could carry her away whenever he pleased and spare himself the constant worry. Melody kept quiet. She understood that his helplessness stemmed from his love for her, which both moved her and left her saddened.

did not want to witness that, so the best thing she could do was heed Lucas' words and protect herself as best as she

did not affect her physically, but such hurtful words would nonetheless leave her heartbroken and at a loss. She could not fathom why those people would harbor such hatred towards her. It felt to her as if she had personally wronged them. Her conflicts with the Sander family were between herself and them. Those strangers had nothing to do with

was the love that she received from her fans and Lucas. She did

the hospital as the two of them clung silently

duty and attempted to reach

"Is this Miss Wendy?"