She possessed a different, unconventional kind of beauty, like a bewitching siren from a painting. One couldn't look for too long, lest they lose their heart and soul.
Although they had only met once before and spent just a few hours together, he could still tell that she had changed a lot compared to four years ago.
'For someone who had always yearned for the sun to suddenly wrap herself in darkness, there had to be a reason—something that could have so easily shattered her.'
Zane Jennings stared at her back as she descended the mountain, his gaze growing deeper, more conflicted. His heart skipped a beat as he suddenly understood something.
He had no attachment to Brindleton, yet he came every year on the first day of autumn.
It wasn't for any other reason. It was only because of his one-sided pact with her. He had never missed a single time, coming to Brindleton again and again with immense patience, waiting for her to show up.
He had never been so persistent about anything before. This was a first.
'Perhaps it was never for any other reason. It was simply because he wanted to see her.'
'Is it love?'
'Love at first sight?'
Erin Lowell turned back, facing the wind. The loose strands of hair tucked into her hood were a mess. "Hurry up. A wild animal's going to come out and bite you."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Zane Jennings chuckled and started walking to catch up. "If there's one, I'll fight one. If there are two, I'll fight a pair. I'll make sure they don't get a single bite of you."
When the taxi stopped in front of the hotel, it was already nine at night. Zane Jennings had taken some time at the hospital to change his gauze dressing. Erin Lowell was leaning against the window, fast asleep, her breathing shallow.
Listening to her, Zane Jennings felt a tightness in his chest, and his throat was unbearably dry.
The taxi waited for five minutes. The third time the driver looked back, Zane pulled out a few US Dollar bills and handed them over without a word. The driver, a man in his forties, understood everything. He smiled and tactfully got out of the car.
After the driver left, Zane Jennings leaned back against the seat without looking at her. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and held it between his lips, clenching it with his teeth but not lighting it.
Moonlight danced on the fallen leaves outside, where all was quiet.
After a moment, Zane Jennings couldn't resist. His gaze, which had been fixed outside the window, drifted back to her face.
She was wearing an all-black jacket, the hood half-covering her head, which made her skin look even paler. With her eyes closed and her brow slightly furrowed, she looked quiet and frail.
Zane Jennings bit down on the cigarette between his lips. As if possessed, he raised his hand, wanting to smooth the frown from her brow. The moment his fingers touched her skin...
Erin Lowell's eyes snapped open, a flash of viciousness in them.
Still leaning back against the seat, she glanced up slightly, her gaze fixed on the hand in front of her forehead. The ferocity vanished. "What do you think you're doing?"
Zane Jennings froze for a second, the cigarette falling from his lips. "What do you think?" He brought two fingers together and flicked her gently on the forehead. "Sleeping like a log. You have zero situational awareness."
'If he had really lost control and tried something, she would have been a lamb to the slaughter.'
He straightened up, putting some distance between them, and clenched his fist, finding his palm slick with sweat.
Erin Lowell let out a quiet breath and looked down, straightening her rumpled clothes, feigning composure. "I'm a light sleeper. I'd know if you got close."
'Oh, really?'
Zane Jennings raised an eyebrow and leaned in, draping his right arm over the back of her seat. "Then tell me, what did I do to you just now while you were asleep?"
Her head was still bowed, and he had closed the distance between them. The air she breathed was filled with the scent of him. The tips of her ears quietly turned red. "What... what did you do?"
'She had always been a light sleeper. Normally, the slightest sound would wake her, but just now, she had truly been fast asleep.'
'If he really had done something... she might not have known at all.'
"Guess," he murmured, leaning even closer with a wicked smile. His smoky voice coiled around her ear, plucking at her heartstrings like a delicate chord.
He kept getting closer, showing no intention of stopping. Erin Lowell raised a hand to press against his chest. "Can't you talk without being so close?"
Hearing this, Zane Jennings froze for a few seconds before the corner of his mouth curved into a smile, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
She pushed him away with a bit of force, her brow furrowed. "Stop being a creep."
"I wasn't being a creep." He had finally found her again, finally had a chance to hold on to her; he planned on leaving a good impression. "I didn't do anything to you. You trusted me so much, I couldn't possibly betray that trust."
Erin Lowell breathed a sigh of relief.
She reached for the car door handle, but her hand froze the moment it made contact. She turned back, her expression sincere. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this today."
"No need to apologize, and don't blame yourself." Zane Jennings was turned sideways, his gaze fixed completely on her. "I'm happy to be dragged into anything by you."
His voice was crisp and clean, with that smoky quality to it. Each word was like a cool breeze brushing past her ear, making her heartstrings tremble.
Erin Lowell's eyelashes fluttered. She didn't know how to respond. After a moment's thought, she said, "You're a really good person."
"..." Zane Jennings felt a little helpless. This 'plot' was deviating from his intended script. "Don't give me the 'nice guy' card again. I'm really not a good person."
"Oh."
"..."
Erin Lowell went to open the car door.
Zane Jennings stopped her, lightly tugging on the corner of her jacket. He didn't dare use too much force, as if testing the waters. "Once you get your passport, you'll go back home?"
His voice was quiet, laced with a hint of reluctance.
Erin Lowell looked at his face, meeting his gaze. It was deep, like an impenetrable net trying to ensnare her. "I think so."
His brow was smooth, but upon closer look, one could see an emotion different from his usual demeanor. Perhaps because of the break in his left eyebrow, he looked a little fierce.
The hem of her jacket was still clutched in his hand. Erin Lowell tugged at it but couldn't pull it free. He only gripped it tighter.
"Erin Lowell."
He called her name, his voice intentionally softened, but it was still pleasant to the ear.
The sound of his voice came from right above her. Erin Lowell, who had been about to try pulling her jacket free again, lifted her head. She met his eyes at close range, and for a moment, she was lost in a daze.
Everything around them was a blur, the world hazy and indistinct. In the distance, a single streetlight cast a dim glow. The only thing she could see clearly was him.
Erin Lowell gave a sharp tug, pulling her jacket free. "Is there anything else?"
Zane Jennings's hand froze in mid-air, motionless.
He drew his hand back, then bent down to pick up the cigarette that had fallen to the floor. He clutched it in his hand. "Will I be able to see you again?"
"Maybe." She paused for two seconds before giving an ambiguous reply. "My passport is still at the police station, isn't it?"
'That wasn't the kind of meeting he wanted.'
"This might sound a little strange, but I have to say it. I want to be able to keep seeing you from now on."
Perhaps sensing the atmosphere had grown too strange, he lifted his bandaged wrist, his eyes smiling. "After all, seeing you reminds me that I did something pretty badass—I saw an injustice and stepped in to help. A hero saving the damsel in distress."
Erin Lowell was at a loss for words. "..."
She pressed her lips together, pulling her hand back from the door handle and putting it in her pocket. She fumbled around and pulled out a few colorful candies she had bought from a small shop at the foot of the mountain earlier.
She took a handful, not knowing exactly how many, and gestured for him to hold out his hand.
Without a word, Zane Jennings tossed aside the cigarette he had just picked up and immediately held out his hand.