The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 622 Do You Really Like Him

Awkwardness and unease were visible on her face. After a long pause, Sheryl hesitantly said, "Well... that's why I came to you."

"What do you mean by that?" Sue asked in a suspicious voice, with an incredulous look on her face.

"I will take a few days off because I need to look after Charles," Sheryl blurted out taking a deep, bracing breath.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sue accused loudly while staring at Sheryl in disbelief. 'Sheryl must surely be out of her mind. She has a boyfriend who loves her so much. How can she take care of another man? What if Anthony gets jealous? Does she not care about his feelings?' she thought indignantly.

"How could you do this? What if Anthony comes to know? You..." Sue continued trembling with emotion. She didn't dare to imagine what would happen once Anthony learned about Sheryl's madness.

"As I said earlier, that is why I came to you. I hope you can do me a favor," Sheryl said in a flat voice. She looked at Sue with soft, pleading eyes. "I hope you can keep him in the dark about this. I don't want him to learn about this," she requested.

"You are truly not in your senses," Sue responded with her mouth agape. With a cold look at Sheryl, she went on in a determined voice, "I can't lie to him for you. He doesn't deserve this, you know." "Believe it or not, I am not cheating on him with Charles," Sheryl defended herself. With an unhappy glance at Sue, she explained, "I'll just visit his house to cook for him. You are reading too much into these simple gestures."

Taking note of the resolve on Sue's face, she continued, "If you tell Anthony all this, he will get very upset. It is unnecessary to worry him."

"But..." Sue retorted as she squinted at her best friend,"Are you sure about this? You know he has a crush on you so why are you still going to take care of him?"

"He got injured on my account," Sheryl answered steadily as she continued to look at Sue in the eye. "He saved me and in the process got hurt himself, so I must look after him. Otherwise, my conscience will keep pricking me always."

Sue keenly watched Sheryl as she spoke. She looked for signs of deceit on her face. However, she found nothing suspicious.

With a wry smile, she said, "You're confident that I won't refuse your request, aren't you?"

"You're wrong," Sheryl replied with a faint smile. Knowing Sue's deep love for Anthony, she feared that her best friend would sympathise more with Anthony.

'Although I am clear about my feelings for Charles, Anthony might misunderstand us. It's better to keep this from him and not let him know anything about it,' she pondered.

"I know you always think Anthony devotes more in our relationship. You think he loves me more than I do him. And you even think I don't care about him. Right?" Sheryl asked. She knew Sue well. "Yes," Sue replied directly and clearly. "We have known each other for years. Anthony has done many things for you and no one knows that better than me. Earlier, you used to treat him well. But since you met Charles, you have changed a lot. I feel sorry for poor Anthony," she added.

Sheryl took a sip of her wine. In the past, she had no idea about the depths of her feelings for Anthony. But now she was aware of that.

'As Sue has said, Anthony has treated me well. I would never betray him,' she thought with determination.

"After I lost my memory, Anthony was the first person I saw. For years he kept me company and helped me a lot. I also learnt to accept him. Before he came to America, I agreed to visit his parents after he comes back. So I'm sure he is the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I am quite clear on that," Sheryl declared.

"But look at what you have been doing these days," Sue snapped at her with knitted brows. "You turn into an emotional fool where Charles is involved. If you continue to meet Charles, you and Anthony will definitely split up sooner or later," she warned.

Sheryl didn't respond. 'I don't know what will happen in the future. But one thing is certain - I am accustomed to having Anthony beside me and I don't intend to lose him now,' she reflected. "Now that you have agreed to attend to Charles, you two will meet each other every day. Who knows what will happen between you both in the future?" Sue pointed out.

Sheryl looked up at Sue and replied, "Come on, Mimi, have more faith in me!"

Sue remained silent. In fact, she didn't trust Sheryl loved Anthony enough.

"I asked you to keep this a secret because I am grateful to Charles. If not for him, I would have been seriously injured. So I owe it to him to take good care of him," Sheryl justified herself to Sue. She didn't confide to Sue that she had wanted to turn down Charles. "I don't think Anthony needs to know this. I want to keep this from him as I don't want him to misunderstand the whole situation.

I won't blame you if you refuse my request. I can explain everything to Anthony later," Sheryl said blandly.

"Do you love him?" Sue asked abruptly. Sue's sudden question left Sheryl dumbfounded. Before Sheryl could answer her question, Sue continued in a serious tone, "Tell me, do you really love Anthony? Every time we talk about this, you always stress on how well he has treated you, how grateful you are to him or how you are used to having Anthony by your side and would never betray him. But you never specifically say that you love him, so..."

She paused, hesitated and then asked in confusion, "What are your real feelings towards him, love or habit?"

"Every time I saw you with Anthony, I could see no chemistry between you two. You are more like old friends who know each other very well. Anthony can predict your next move by just looking at your eyes and body language. But it just proves the tacit understanding between you both. Understanding can be developed over time, but emotions can't.

You have told me you want to experience that love which brings excitement and passion. The love for which you can give up everything. But Anthony would never be able to give you that," Sue said sternly. Observing Sheryl closely, Sue asked gingerly, "So... do you really love him?"

"Love?" Sheryl mumbled to herself with her eyes wide open. She ruminated over Sue's words. 'These years, the way I get on with Anthony is exactly how Sue said. We are more like friends or relatives than lovers.'

Sheryl was at a loss for words and didn't know how to answer Sue's question.

With a bitter laugh, Sue said, "See? You don't know how to answer this question. Perhaps you're not sure if you love Anthony or not."

"Probably you are right, Sue," Sheryl responded. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she went on, "It doesn't matter that I don't feel intense love. I'm not young and I have a child. I yearn for nothing but a quiet life. Anthony can give me that. That's enough."