Chapter 3
Sunny showed up at the Yeats Manor day after day, saying she'd finished all her core classes and could stay with Ryan until he got better.
[So sweet! Our little Sunny is swamped at school all day, but she still comes by at night to look after Ryan.]
[Ryan, just look at our Sunny girl. She loves you more than she loves herself.]
[The second female lead is seriously getting on my nerves. Author, just write her out already. I'm this close to dropping this novel.]
The comments were cursing me out every single day, but I never took it out on Sunny.
Honestly, she was way easier to take care of than Ryan.
One day, Sunny came over to the Yeats Manor with a huge bag of art supplies.
"Yana, I want garlic shrimp for dinner today," Sunny said.
I smiled and nodded.
Seemed like I'd become her maid.
Ryan was sprawled out on the couch playing video games, while Sunny sat down beside him, hugging her big bag of art supplies.
"Ryan, I remember you used to love painting. It took me a while to gather all these art supplies for you. I even asked someone to help me get the palette knife from abroad," Sunny said.
"Ryan, you haven't painted in so long. Could you paint something for me today?" she added.
Ryan paused his game, picked up the art supplies, and looked them over. "Wow, you really put your heart into this."
Sunny's eyes lit up. "I'd do anything for you. So you have to—"
Before she could finish, Ryan grabbed the drawing board and hurled it out the window.
"I hate painting, and I hate people who don't know when to back off. Don't come here anymore," Ryan said coldly.
Sunny burst into tears. "You always say you hate painting, but I know you actually love it deep down. Almost every childhood photo of you is in the studio."
"Ryan, are you really just going to give up? Can you honestly say you're not letting your younger self down?" she cried.
"None of your damn business," Ryan said coldly. He strode past the couch and walked out the door. "If you show up again, I'm leaving."
Sunny was crying her eyes out on the couch, and I was feeling just as helpless in the kitchen.
Was I still supposed to cook the shrimp or not?
[Why am I totally shipping this? When Sunny started crying, I bet Ryan's heart was aching so bad he had to run out.]
[For real! Plus, he just realized Sunny gets him better than he gets himself. Bet he's feeling super guilty right now.]
[Girl, just kiss him already! Forget painting, Ryan would do whatever you tell him to.]
I stared at the barrage of live comments, left completely speechless. Was there even a single normal person left in this world?
*****
By evening, Sunny left in tears.
Ryan came back too, locked himself in his room, and wouldn't open the door no matter how much I knocked.
I could tell something was seriously off.
"Ryan, open the door, or I'm plastering your abs all over the neighborhood," I threatened.
The door finally opened. He was gripping a palette knife in one hand, and his other arm was a mess of cuts.
I was so scared that tears started streaming down my face.
If I'd been even a second later, my million-dollar bonus would've been gone for good.
Seeing me cry, he gave a helpless, wry smile. "Yana, you're such a pain."
As I tried to bandage his arm, the blood just wouldn't stop.
"Are you really not going to the hospital? Maybe you should eat something to help with the blood loss," I said.
He looked at me like I was hopeless. "Aren't you even going to ask if it hurts?"
"Oh, does it hurt?" I asked.
Ryan turned his face away. "You're so stupid."
"Do you think I'm useless?" he suddenly blurted out.
"I've been painting for ten years, but I still hate it. Just the smell of paint makes me sick," he muttered. "Am I a total failure?"
Ryan's eyes were on the verge of tears.
I couldn't help myself. I walked over and hugged him, gently patting his back.
"Don't worry. Puppies just need to eat, sleep, and be healthy and strong," I said softly.
He was quiet for a moment, then let out a helpless sigh.
"You really do treat me like a puppy, Yana," Ryan said with a wry smile.