"I should be the one to ask you that. It's late. What are you doing here? Nathan, Rainer, and god knows who else in JA City have been looking for you!"
Carla demanded, her voice trembling. She didn't know if it was from excitement or surprise that he was here. Either way, she took a step back as if the thought of him near her would break her even more.
Terence walked up to her, glancing at her reddened face. The wind blew harder, but his face continued to be passive. "Haven't you already divorced me? What do you care?"
"I..."
Carla stuttered out, shocked by the coldness of his voice. "Even though we have divorced, you're still my daughter's father. I can't just leave you alone here. What if Sally asks about this? About you?"
"That's easy. You could go find another father for her."
He was now standing under the street lamp, leaning over the pole. The darkness enveloped around him, as if he molded right into the winter night. His voice brought shivers down her spine.
"Of course. I'll do just that,"
Carla said through gritted teeth as she grabbed his hand. "Let's go back. Sally's been looking for you."
All of a sudden.
Terence grabbed a hold of her, another hand running down her hair. "Carla." His voice changed. It was softer now, more vulnerable. "If...If I hadn't slept with Susan that night, would we... will you feel better?"
Carla paused, feeling his freezing hands on her. 'How long has he been standing here for?'
"I saw it with my own eyes. What else can you prove?"
She scowled, pushing him away.
"Sometimes what we see may not always be true. Something else may have happened, okay?" Terence looked at her seriously.
He would've already accepted it if he could remember what truly did happen that night and accepted that Carla would never deserve him under these circumstances. But that was the point.
He couldn't remember. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't find himself picturing what had happened during that one and a half hour he had entered that room.
Terence just couldn't believe what Susan had said, what he had just done.
"If you could prove that, then, I'll give you another chance. If you could prove it,"
warned Carla, biting her lips.
If he was that insistent, then maybe...nothing really happened. In that instant, Carla found herself placing a little bit of trust on him.
"Now, could we please go back to the apartment?" Carla pulled him to the electric scooter, pushing the extra helmet into his chest before wearing her own.
When sh
in the bowl.
"There's more in the pot. Help yourself."
Carla knew that the small bowl was not enough, especially since he hadn't had a good meal in days, so she put it in herself to cook a little bit more.
Terence nodded and took the bowl to the kitchen.
As he entered, he couldn't help but observe the well-arranged space, wondering how much effort Carla must've put to get everything together. He saw the large pot in the kitchen, filling himself up with the contents.
Though he was starving, he still behaved decently while eating. He still held his chopsticks upright as he continued, wiping out any excess that seemed to have fallen on the bottom of his lips. Being born in a family like his, she knew that he'd never abandon etiquette and grace even if he had gone rogue for a lifetime.
Once he was done, Terence stacked the bowls and plates as he headed back to the kitchen to clean up. It was the least he could do.
"You don't need to do it. Really, just leave them there."
Carla protested. He was her guest.
Terence ignored her as if he hadn't heard them in the first place. He only left once he was done cleaning.
"I'm leaving now,"
he said as he walked towards the door.
"Wait, where's your car?"
Carla asked, remembering how he had met her using his car yesterday.
"It ran out of gas so I left it out on the roadside." He shrugged, wearing his jacket.
Before he could leave, Carla ran up to him. "Wait, all the hotels nearby must be booked, and it's freezing out. You could stay here for tonight and let Nathan and Rainer pick you up tomorrow."
Carla didn't expect that Terence would answer her so quickly without hesitation, "Okay."