Chapter 482

Smiling, Zane explained, “I poured the water before Steven showed up, and it was hot. It should be the right temperature by now.”
I was a little surprised by how considerate he was. I sipped the water, appreciating the lukewarmness of it.
Zane sat down next to me, and I laid my head on his shoulder. I found it odd that despite all that he had done for me in the past, I didn’t think of him as my safe harbor until now. For once, my heart no longer felt so untethered; I felt grounded.
I grew sentimental. “What did I do to deserve such a wonderful boyfriend?”
The kinder Zane was to me, the more pathetic my old life with Steven appeared. If Steven had been in Zane’s shoes-I caught myself. No, Steven would never be in Zane’s shoes because he was a selfish man who refused to do even the smallest things for me. There was a time when I was sick and asked Steven for a glass of water. He had poured a glass of piping hot water for me.
I couldn’t drink it and set it aside to cool, only for him to grouse, “Didn’t you say you were thirsty? I got you water as you asked, and you didn’t even drink it! Were you just pretending to be sick for my attention?”
My head had been so heavy that I couldn’t retort. I couldn’t believe my life partner could accuse me of being dramatic.
Steven met my gaze and sneered, “So, you can glower at me, but you can’t even pour yourself a glass of water? Your theatrics disgust me. I’ll never believe you or do anything for you ever again!”
In truth, Steven hadn’t ever done anything for me save for pouring me that glass of water. I had watched him leave and close the door behind him.
The door closed with a loud thud,
but even then, I didn’t think about divorcing Steven. I only blamed myself for my co-dependency and vowed to become stronger until didn’t have to rely on men. After all, our births into this world were lonely, and our deaths were even more so.
At the end of the day, I had only myself to depend on.
Over time, I learned to live with Steven without having to ask him for anything, even during days when I needed his help. However, with Zane, I realized I didn’t have to be sick to be pampered. We didn’t have to argue over small gestures, and I didn’t have to put up with anyone’s foul temper.
I was lucky to have someone as considerate as Zane. He always took care of me.
Lowering my gaze, I said, “Thank you.”
“What’s with the formality?” Zane raised his hand and gently stroked my hair. “It’s just a glass of water.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “When it comes to love, it’s the little things that matter, don’t you agree? You take care of the little things just as you would any major chores, which shows how reliable you are.” Zane did not disagree. “I just think I’m doing the bare minimum here.”
“And yet, they mean a lot to me.” I laughed as I added, “I would be ungrateful if I just took them for granted.”
He did not argue with me and instead agreed wholeheartedly. Being in a relationship with someone meant acknowledging their sacrifices and forgiving their shortcomings. What was the point of being together if one constantly picked on the other’s faults or demanded more than the other could give?