Chapter 1

It was the second year since I was diagnosed with ALS.

After I tried to open the bottle myself and failed again, accidentally spilling water all over my boyfriend, I saw the barrage of live comments.

[Ugh, I can't with her. She's sick, so why not let someone else help? Why does she have to do everything herself and make a mess every single day?]

[No worries, the supporting character is about to reach the point where she can't move at all. James is finally gonna be free.]

[It's torture watching Bella and James sneak around with their secret dates every day.]

[Once James sends the supporting character to a long-term care facility, our Bella can finally show up in the spotlight.]

I froze, instinctively pushing away the new bottle of water James Jordan handed to me.

I said softly, "Never mind. Could you open it for me?

"Sorry for the trouble."

James paused for a moment.

I looked at him, soaked all over, and suddenly felt it was wrong to make him help me with the bottle when he was already wet because of me.

I said, "Hey, you should dry off first. I don't want you catching a cold.

"I'm not in a hurry for water."

He frowned a little, didn't say anything, and walked out of the room.

A moment later, he came back with several new bottles of water and a dry towel.

He carefully wiped down my wheelchair and the part of my clothes that got wet.

Then he handed me a fresh bottle of water.

He said gently, "No worries, Lily. You did awesome.

"You actually managed to get the cap off, and just squeezed a bit too hard at the end and lost your grip, that's all.

"Don't be upset, okay? Let's give it another shot."

I watched the way he handled everything so gently, and bit my lip.

[Is James just scared the supporting character's gonna blow up again?]

[Every time she insists on doing things herself and messes up, she yells at James. Who could put up with that?]

[Yeah, the supporting character's super pitiful and all, but honestly, James didn't do anything wrong.]

I thought about it for a second.

I admitted to myself, 'That was true.'

'Ever since I got sick, my temper has gotten much worse.

'I can't stand losing the ability to do simple things like opening a bottle or putting on socks.

'Whenever I drop something, I scream, lose my temper, and smash things.

'Every time, James is the one who suffers.

'Yet he has never complained.

'I've been so consumed by my own misery that I forgot he's human too.

'Everyone gets angry.

'He must have been hiding it and enduring everything.

'What will happen when he can't take it anymore?'

James watched me, seeing that I wasn't saying anything or reaching for the bottle, and his eyes were full of concern.

[What drama is the supporting character pulling now?]

[She never says what she wants, always making James guess what's on her mind.]

[If he gets it wrong, she blows up. Even if he gets it right, sometimes she still won't admit it and gets mad anyway.]

[Let her keep being dramatic. When James finally sends the supporting character to a long-term care facility, let's see if the staff there will spoil her like he does.]

I gave James a small, apologetic smile.

I said, "No, I'm not going to try again.

"Could you get me a cup, pour the water in, and give me a straw, please?"

James's frown didn't go away.

But he went and did it anyway.

I stared at the water droplets on the floor, making up my mind.

I decided, 'If I'm going to end up in a long-term care facility, I should start cooperating now.'

'Maybe James will remember our past and find me a better facility.'

James quickly poured me a glass of water.

It was my own special cup, really lightweight.

He only filled it halfway and put a straw in for me.

He placed the cup gently in my palm, then wrapped my hand around it to make sure I could hold it steady.

I held it steady and took a sip.

The temperature was perfect. The water went down smoothly and soothed my throat.

James didn't leave. He grabbed the towel he'd used to dry my clothes and wheelchair, and started wiping himself down without much fuss.

He unhurriedly took off his soaked white shirt, his movements calm and measured.

I watched him quietly, and somehow, all the restlessness inside me was quietly soothed, as if his silent presence calmed me without a word.

Appetite and desire are human nature.

[Hot damn, James is seriously main character material. Thirsting over here.]

[That towel's massive. Wait, forget that, his shirt is blindingly white.]

[She can look but can't touch. This must be torture for her. Every time James flexes in front of her, she goes totally quiet, too stunned to even act up.]

[Just thinking about how Bella's gonna have it so good in the future makes me happy.]

[Come on, that's still a long way off. James is super protective of Bella. She's been in the story for a whole year, and they still haven't even held hands.]

[Yesterday, they went on a date. Bella pinned James against the emergency stairs, and as her hand slipped under his shirt, he turned bright red and bolted.]

[Don't believe me? Look: James still has nail marks on his side.]

Just as I was starting to feel better, my mood crashed. I followed the direction the comments pointed out.

And there it was.

I spotted a few long nail marks on James's waist.

No doubt those came from some sharp, manicured nails.