The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 514 All The Effort Anthony Made Was Worthwhile

With her small arms wrapped tightly around her doll, Shirley said, "That's the matter between you adults. I'm going to bed now."

Shaking her head at Shirley's words, Sheryl met Anthony's amused look.

The tense atmosphere in the room dissipated somehow at Shirley's unexpected remarks. Sheryl smiled reluctantly and said to Anthony, "Shirley is a precocious child and always says what's on her mind." Then she added, "As you can see, I'm all right. You don't have to worry about me."

Before Anthony came, she had already decided to call him to resolve the problem.

But now that Anthony showed up, she changed her mind. She was feeling too embarrassed to tell him what she wanted to say.

"You should go home. It's late," she told him instead. Suddenly feeling tired, Sheryl turned her back to go to her room. At this moment, Anthony caught her hand and pulled her in a tight embrace.

Sheryl struggled to escape from his arms, but Anthony stopped her. "Stay, Sher. Let me hold you for a while," he said in a pleading voice.

Surprise kept her rooted to the spot. It was the first time Anthony showed his weakness in front of her. He had been her rock for three years. But now he looked defeated and unsure of himself. Sheryl didn't have the heart to push him away so she let him hold her.

They stayed locked in each other's arms for some time.

Reveling in her closeness, Anthony greedily smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair. His arms tightened suddenly as a thought crossed his mind. He was afraid that if he let her go back to Y City, she would turn back to Autumn, Charles' wife.

When Autumn decided to take that medicine three years ago, he was very happy. He would never have had the chance to be with her had it not been for that. But now he felt that their destiny was pulling them back to that city again. 'What if they meet again and everything goes back to the way they were?'

The fear in his heart made Anthony hold Sheryl tighter. "You're hurting me," Sheryl complained, frowning at Anthony.

Relaxing his arms around her, Anthony apologized quickly.

"What's wrong with you? You look weird tonight." Unaccustomed to seeing him like that, Sheryl asked in a puzzled tone. Anthony looked away, embarrassed at her question.

After hesitating for a moment, she said, "I'm sorry for being so cold to you these days. I was a little mad with you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's all right," Anthony said, gently ruffling her hair. "I also did something wrong," he admitted gruffly.

"What happened?" she asked teasingly. "Did we just apologize to each other?" Sheryl tried to joke lightly to ease the tension in the room.

"Sher, I think we need to talk..." The seriousness in Anthony's voice caught her attention.

The teasing smile disappeared from Sheryl's face as she nodded. "I have something to say to you, too."

After passing the interview with BM Corporation, it was only a matter of days before she had to leave. If Anthony didn't want to take care of Shirley, she would have no choice but to take her when she left for Y City.

This was an important matter that she had to clear up with Anthony to avoid any more misunderstandings between them.

Extricating herself from his arms, Sheryl went to the kitchen to prepare some tea. After giving a cup to Anthony, she said, "After thinking hard about it, I've decided to take BM Corporation's offer. If you can't take care of Shirley for me, I'll have to take her with me to Y City."

A girl who has a boyfriend or a husband that she can depend on is a lucky girl. With that point of view, Sheryl thought that if Anthony was willing to support her, she could think of herself as a lucky girl indeed. Would Anthony support her? Sheryl hoped so.

Being a single mom put her at a disadvantage in her relationship with Anthony. A successful doctor and a bachelor deserved more than what she could offer.

If she didn't work hard to earn money, she would never be equal with Anthony in their relationship.

Her efforts to establish herself in her career and make a good living were not only for Shirley but also for herself. She wanted Anthony to be proud of her.

She had never told this to Anthony. But now she felt that he should know. He should understand why she couldn't refuse a job like this.

"Anthony, I know you're not happy with this job, but you've never said it openly. I really appreciate that. You've always supported me in the past. I made it through only because you always stood behind me." Taking Anthony's hands, she continued, "You have given me and Shirley your full support during these years. And you did a good job in taking care of Shirley, so I really appreciate you."

"Sher, it was my pleasure to do that. You don't have to thank me for that." Anthony frowned, taking in her words.

"I know you don't need my appreciation, but that's how I feel. I want you to know that it means a lot to me." A bitter smile escaped her lips.

"Sher, I did that because I'm your boyfriend. It's the natural thing for me to do." Gripping Shirley's hands, he added, "As a girlfriend, you shouldn't have said those words. Have you ever thought of me as your boyfriend?"

His question upset Sheryl. Pulling her hands from his grasp, she said, "Of course I think of you as my boyfriend! I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's why I'm working so hard. Why don't you understand me?" Annoyance and hurt were evident in Sheryl's tone.

"What? Can you say that again?" Anthony couldn't believe that he heard her aright. He couldn't contain his excitement, grabbing both her hands and squeezing them tightly. "You just said you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?" The excitement in his voice made Sheryl smile.

"Yes, you heard it correctly." Sheryl blushed as Anthony's longing eyes met hers.

"But I want you to say it again," he said in a tantalizing tone. Tenderly, Anthony pulled Sheryl in his loving arms. It was pure bliss holding her knowing she finally returned his feelings.

Anthony felt that all the effort he made was worthwhile. It seemed as if he waited an eternity to hear those words from her, but it was all worth it.