What Separates Me and You

Lewis seemed too ashen. Josephine didn't think she would see his once decisive, firm composure shatter like this.

"Don't, Josie." His voice had grown hoarse, so Josephine couldn't fully understand what he had muttered. Still, she could sense a pleading tone in his voice.

Josephine winced then. She didn't know if it was because of the pain from her wound or the aching in her heart. She only felt an increasing burning in her chest. Josephine suppressed it before speaking weakly. "Lewis, I'm tired. I am. Can you please let me go?"

The rim of Lewis' eyes had reddened as he fixated on her.

They stared each other down in utter silence. As they did so, the seconds and minutes ticked by. It took a long while before Lewis forced himself to say, "Fine. You can leave. I'll let you go after you recover- but you must stay alive. You can go anywhere your heart desires, okay?"

Tears fell from the corners of Josephine's eyes. She felt the sudden urge to laugh. Yet, she only managed a bitter smile.

"Where else can I go? Where do you think I can go, Lewis? I don't even have a home anymore. Where do you expect me to go with these burdens and sorrows of mine?"

Lewis still held her hand. His head lowered, and he didn't know what to say or do apart from interlocking his fingers with hers.

He battled his inner demons before forcing himself to ask, "What will it take for you to live? What do you want me to do?"

He didn't even want her forgiveness. He just wanted her to stay alive.

That was his first time begging in 30 years of his life. Ironically, he was pleading for her to live.

Josephine shook her head. "Do you even know how I feel now? I swear I—"

She could only finish her sentence in her head, thinking, "I swear I can't go on anymore."

Staying alive would torment her conscience with guilt and remind her of her sins. She had caused the death of her last relative in the world with her bare hands. Seth was merely trying to avenge the Vance family, yet she killed him.

The scariest part? Josephine couldn't bring herself to kill Lewis. Apart from dying, she couldn't think of another way to atone for her sins.

"Josie ..."

Josephine broke her hand free from his grasp. She then whipped her head toward the window and looked at the gloomy skies outside. "It would have been great if you had treated me this nicely when we were children, Lewis. At the very least, we wouldn't suffer now."

Lewis closed his eyes, placed his palm over his forehead, and inhaled deeply. "Must you force me to take extreme measures?"

The former's threat no longer made Josephine's heart race in fear. She replied, "What's the use of saying this? Will that revive Alex? Huh? Will it bring my two children back to life?"

"T-The children..." Lewis struggled to get the words out. His emotions were unreadable.

"My babies... both of them-you didn't give two shits about them! You knew yet pretended not to know. So, why can't you continue to act clueless about it now?"

"Josephine, it's not that I don't give two shits about them. It's because I'm afraid to mention them."

Lewis lifted his head to cast a penetrative stare at her.

Then, he continued, "It was already too late when I guessed what had happened. I was afraid of asking about the babies. I was afraid of finding out and not knowing how to handle things and what to do. I—" Lewis thought of many excuses, yet he could only say, "I deserve to die."

He abruptly held Josephine's hand again. "Please? How about I end my life in exchange for you to live?"

Josephine turned to look at him.

A smile spread across Lewis' face. He tried hard to prove his sincerity.

"Lewis," she said.

"Yes?" he answered.

Josephine struggled to raise her injured hand. She then placed it atop Lewis' hand while fixing her gaze on him. "Promise me one thing. Do it, and I'll forgive you, okay?"

Lewis froze, then asked, "What is it?"

"I want you to live your life to the fullest. Stay healthy and live as long as you can. I'll forgive you if you do that."

Hearing that baffled Lewis. He gawped at her before tugging his lips into a bitter smile. "Are you forgiving me or punishing me?"

"As long as you promise to do that, I promise not to end my life again. We can live in peace for the remaining days of our lives. But if you don't agree to it—" Josephine let out a deep exhale. "Then, we'll lose the last chance to be peaceful together."

Lewis' fingers tightened around hers. He exerted so much force that even veins popped on the back of his hands. His eyes locked onto Josephine's as he stayed silent for what felt like ages. Josephine looked at him, too, while waiting for him to decide.

In reality, Lewis didn't have a choice. He paused for a moment before nodding. Every word left his mouth with a tone of seriousness. "Okay, I promise. I'll live my life well, stay healthy, and live as long as I can." Josephine flashed a weak smile. "You have to swear it."

That made Lewis' gaze flicker. "Don't you trust me?"

"I'll trust you if you swear it," Josephine answered. "Swear that I'll die a miserable death and rot deep in hell if you break your promise, that I won't ever get out of there. We won't see each other again, be in heaven, our reborn lives, or the afterlife."

Lewis shot to his feet. He glowered at her with a growing flame in his pupils.

Meanwhile, Josephine chuckled. "Why are you afraid to swear on it if you're able to keep your word?"

"I don't want to swear on your life."

Josephine's eyes lit up. A look of finality shrouded her face as she saw how stubborn he was. Out of the blue, she tried to yank off the bandage on her wrist with her other hand.

Lewis grabbed her wrist in the next second.

Josephine raised her head to meet his conflicted gaze.

Lewis' breathing grew heavy like a beastly roar was about to leave his lips. Yet, his hostile energy soon died down under Josephine's calm stares. In the end, he slumped back onto his chair.

"I swear that if I go back on my word-" He struggled and couldn't utter the following parts.

Josephine's fists balled, but she kept her eyes on him. "Well? Say it."

Lewis closed his eyes. He didn't know if it was his rage or suppressed sorrow, but he kept trembling.

"Say it, Lewis!"

After some time, his eyes snapped wide open. Veins popped out on his forehead as he snarled through gritted teeth, "Fine, I'll say it! I swear that if I break my promise, Josephine will die a miserable death and rot deep in hell. We won't see each other again, be in heaven, our reborn lives, or the afterlife."

Josephine's tense body loosened up after the last word left Lewis' mouth. She shut her eyes weakly.

In truth, the contents of a promise didn't matter. What was crucial was the type of person who uttered a promise.

She knew Lewis would keep his word if he cared about her. He wouldn't risk her life, regardless of whether the consequences would come true.

Lewis tucked her hand under the blanket, then stared intensely at her. "You must keep your word too and recover."

Josephine nodded. Deep down, she felt there was no use in recovering because nobody could save someone who was destined to die.

Lewis' slender fingers cupped her cheek as he smiled warmly at her. His countenance had returned to normal like their conversation didn't happen.

"You must be hungry, huh?" With that, he brought out his phone and contacted Conrad to bring a fresh meal for her.

Once Conrad heard the former ask for a meal, he was so excited that he sprinted to fetch some food.

Soon enough, the room's atmosphere eased up. It was like the bad things had never happened. Lewis held a bowl of oatmeal porridge and fed spoonfuls to Josephine, who ate them.

Finally, Conrad let out the breath he had been holding in. He figured the two must have talked things out, and things were moving more positively.

As for Josephine, she watched Lewis behave like a sweet, caring person. She examined him from beneath her lashes as he fed her.

Little did anyone know she thought, "You deserve to experience a lifetime of loneliness, Lewis."