Chapter 85: Can You Just Love Me?

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Can You Just Love Me?

~Reynold’s POV~

He carried me carefully up the staircase, making sure not to jostle my injured ankle. Once we reached the top, he continued down the dark hallway toward our bedroom, holding me securely against him.

When we reached the bedroom, Frederick walked straight to the bed and carefully lowered me onto the edge of the mattress.

"Stay here," he said.

He turned and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, he returned with a first-aid box and a cold pack before pulling an armchair closer to the edge of the bed.

"Come here," he said.

I shifted carefully toward him, and Frederick sat down in the chair directly in front of me.

"Stretch your leg out."

I slowly extended my injured leg, resting it across his lap.

Frederick gently took hold of my ankle and began examining it. His fingers moved carefully around the swollen area, checking for any obvious signs of a serious injury.

"Does this hurt?"

I shook my head. "Not too much."

He pressed lightly around the ankle again, watching my face closely. "And here?"

I flinched slightly. "That hurts a little."

Frederick frowned slightly as he reached for the cold pack. He wrapped it in a thin towel before gently placing it against my ankle.

"Keep this on for a while," he said. "It should help with the swelling."

I nodded, watching him quietly.

A few minutes later, Frederick removed the cold pack and opened the first-aid box. He took out a tube of soothing gel and gently applied a small amount around the sore area, careful not to press too hard.

When he finished, he lowered my leg gently back onto the bed and reached for his phone.

"I’m calling the doctor."

I immediately reached out and caught his wrist.

"No."

Frederick looked at me.

"I’m fine," I said softly. "It doesn’t hurt that much."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You couldn’t even stand on it downstairs."

"I can rest for a while. I’ll be fine."

He stared at me for a moment before lowering his phone. "Fine. But if the pain gets worse or the swelling increases, I’m calling him whether you like it or not."

I gave a small nod.

He placed the phone on the bedside table and turned his full attention back to me. For a quiet moment, neither of us said anything.

I lowered my head, nervously staring at my fingers, suddenly unsure of what to say or do next.

Then Frederick spoke. "You know, Reynold... you test my patience more than anyone ever has." His thumb gently traced my cheekbone before lifting my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Look at me."

I looked straight into his eyes.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You said you wanted me to love you, and instead of asking me, you ran off to a stranger to teach you how to make me love you. What were you even thinking?"

I pouted instinctively and rolled my eyes at the hint of jealousy in his voice. "You’re not very friendly. Alden is much friendlier."

Frederick raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "Reynold, I am friendly. I’m funny too. When I first met you, I was always playful. But you were so intimidated and shy that you never seemed to enjoy it, so I backed off and stopped."

"I never asked you to stop!" I protested defensively.

"Well, you never looked like you enjoyed it," he countered.

"I like it now," I mumbled, my cheeks heating up.

Frederick let out a soft sigh. "Reynold... sometimes I honestly wonder what you even want. When I’m right here with you, you act like my presence is suffocating you. But the moment I pull back or give you some space, you start overthinking everything and spiraling. What is actually wrong with you?"

I looked up at him through my lashes, biting my lip. "I never said you should leave."

"No, but you don’t always act like you want me to stay, either," he pointed out quietly.

I shrank back slightly, muttering, "It’s because you get so grumpy sometimes... just like an old papa."

Frederick let out a sharp laugh and shook his head. "Come off it, Reynold. I’m a hot cake. You’re crying like this because you know you can’t live without me, aren’t you?"

I smiled faintly at his teasing, but when the pain of everything that had happened came rushing back, the playfulness quickly faded from my expression.

"Can you... please just love me?" I asked.

Frederick’s expression softened. "When did I ever say I didn’t love you?"

"You literally said I don’t deserve your love," I whispered, the old hurt resurfacing.

"And you should have asked me why I said that instead of sitting there and drowning in your own misery," Frederick replied gently. "I’m more than willing to open up to you, if only you knew how to start a conversation. But your first instinct is always to jump to conclusions. You thought I wanted Eva back. You thought when I said you weren’t worthy of my love, I was talking about your status or your background. You were completely wrong."

I stared at him, feeling small and hopelessly naive.

"I’m... I’m just not good at these things. Can you please tell me?"

Frederick sighed, holding my gaze.

"Two nights ago, after you swore up and down that you loved me, what did you do the very next morning? You sneaked off, bypassed my driver, and let another man drive you to campus. Even when I’m quiet or giving you space, you know damn well I’ll do anything to make you comfortable. I told you to let my driver take you. But instead, you chose to ride in another man’s car."

I swallowed hard and lowered my gaze in shame. "I’m sorry..."

"Imagine if the roles were reversed," Frederick continued. "Imagine if I told you I truly loved you, then spent every day hanging out with different people, keeping secrets from you, and expecting you to accept it. Would you really believe I loved you?"

I slowly shook my head. "No..."

"My actions already show you how much I care about you," Frederick said, reaching out to gently cup my jaw. "But you make it difficult for us to move forward because you refuse to listen. One minute, you’re swearing you love me, and the next, you’re doing something reckless that makes me question everything. Can you just be a little more stable for once, Reynold? Can you trust what we have, even if it’s only a contract?"

I’m sorry," I choked out, a fresh tear slipping down my cheek.

"I don’t need you to just say sorry," Frederick said softly, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "I need you to grow up, be mature, and be a man of your word."

I looked up at him, my heart fluttering with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.

"How... how do I do that?"

A genuine smile broke across Frederick’s face, his eyes softening with affection.

"Yes... that’s what I want to hear. Ask me when you don’t understand something. Talk to me instead of running off to other people and letting them get close to what belongs to me. You have me, Reynold. You don’t need to go looking elsewhere for answers."

I looked up at him. "Then tell me... what do I need to do for you to love me? What do I need to change to become the person you want me to be?"

Frederick shook his head gently.

"You don’t need to change who you are, Reynold. You just need to stop believing that everyone is better than you. If you want us to be together, you need to focus on us. When you give me your word, keep it. Don’t promise me something today only to break it the moment you change your mind. Listen to me, and above all, never lie to me."

"If there’s something you want to do or somewhere you want to go...