Chapter 46
He lifted his head, noticing her flushed cheeks and the slight shine in her eyes, the darkness in his own gaze intensifying. He leaned in again, and this time his lips met hers in a kiss fitted with an almost wild hunger.
The car eated to a stop, and the driver got out, walking away to give them some privacy.
Reid opened the car door and carefully wrapped Yvonne in his arms, carrying her into the house.
Wonne’s lips were a tempting shade of red, her eyes misty as if veiled by a thin layer of haze. Her cheeks were flushed like the most vibrant spring blossoms, radiating an intoxicating shyness.
She wrapped her arms around Reid’s neck, resting her head against his chest, where she could feel the steady, powerful beat of his heart.
Carrying Wonne, Reid walked with a steady yet eager gait, his eyes never leaving her face. They were filled with tenderness, possessiveness, and the joy of having her back. A gentle breeze tousled his hair, but it didn’t slow his determined steps.
Once inside, the warmth of the house enveloped them. Reid couldn’t wait to get to the bedroom. As soon as they stepped through the door, he pinned Yvonne against it and kissed her deeply.
It was his way of grounding himself, of filling the emptiness that had gnawed at him for the past month.
After what felt like forever, Yvonne fell into a deep sleep, a trace of tears lingering on her cheeks.
Reid, wide awake, fetched a nail clipper. He gently held her hand and trimmed each of her nails, one by one. It had to be done–those scratches she left on him still stung.
Wesley sat in his office, idly twirling a pen between his fingers. Over and over, he reached for his phone, tapped into Yvonne’s name, and opened their
chat.
But every time he stared at the empty message box, the words just wouldn’t come. He’d returned her two transfers long ago, but she hadn’t reached out
since.
He wanted to ask if she was okay, where she’d gone, but each time his fingers hovered over the screen, he hesitated. They weren’t close enough for that kind of probing.
“Wesley, what are you thinking about? I’ve called your name a few times.” Alan’s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
Wesley quickly turned off his phone’s screen, feeling a bit uneasy as he looked up. “Nothing, just zoning out. What’s up?”
Alan said, “The free clinic tour has just one more stop left. Once we get back to Avaloria, are you planning to take some time off?”
They worked in the same department, so they couldn’t both be away at the same time–one of them had to be there to keep things running. Wesley thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll pass. You should take the break.”
Alan raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Really? You’ve been out here for a month and don’t want to spend some quality time with your girlfriend?”
The other day, Wesley had been seen with Yvonne/-taking her to check–ups and having meals together–and the word spread that he had a girlfriend. He tried to explain a few times, but no one believed him. Eventually, he gave up.
“She’s busy, on a business trip,” he said.
“Oh, I see. Well, if you’re not taking a break, l’definitely am,” Alan replied.
“Alright.” Wesley nodded.
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Chapter 46
“Don’t worry. When you get married, I’ll work extra hard so you can take a longer honeymoon,” Alan joked.
Wesley paused for a moment. Marriage was something he’d never really considered. In his life, his medical career had always come first. Scalpels and hospital wards were his world. Marriage felt like a distant, vague concept, something that belonged to another universe altogether.
Wesley returned to his dorm and sat down at his desk, staring at the medical textbooks spread out in front of him. But his mind was elsewhere, tangled up in fleeting fantasies about a future wedding.
Maybe it was Alan’s mention of “marriage” that had thrown his usually calm thoughts into disarray. He felt restless, and he knew it all came down to Yvonne’s sudden disappearance. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have felt sorry for her,’ he thought.
He grabbed his phone, found the records of the medical bills and breakfast expenses he’d covered for her, took a screenshot, and sent it to her.
‘Once she pays me back, I’ll block her. The world’s too big to waste sympathy on just one random person,‘ he thought.
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