Chapter 296. Reciprocity
Moreover, his current expression.
"Will," Ava Anderson said with a pure look in her eyes, "We are good friends. You were there for me when I was upset. I am simply reciprocating, with no other intentions, so please don't read too much into it."
William Bennett felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head.
He didn't know if Ava Anderson was deliberately reminding him not to overthink or if she had said it casually.
But the one thing Ava Anderson wanted to accomplish was clear: to ensure he didn't overthink it, that they were just friends, and that her concern was purely platonic.
Just friends...
William Bennett's mind was like a tangled mess.
It was as though a sharp knife was repeatedly slicing his nerves.
He knew they were just friends; he had always known, which is why he had been so cautious. Yet, Ava Anderson's direct approach to making this point still made him feel as if he had plummeted into an abyss.
Ava Anderson felt uneasy, just as she was about to say she needed to leave, William Bennett spoke up: "Of course."
A smile spread across William Bennett's handsome face: "We're friends, I never thought you implied anything else, I'm just really glad to have you as a friend."
Ava Anderson noticed that William Bennett's smile seemed a bit forced.
But maybe she was just overthinking it.
She didn't really understand men, she had no clue what they actually thought, like the time when she believed that Alexander Mitchell loved her.
But still, Alexander Mitchell ended up asking her for a divorce to marry Isabella Harrington.
So sometimes, a man's actions, movements, and glances don't align with what's really in their hearts.
Ava Anderson gave a small smile, "Yeah, I'm really happy too."
Trying to lighten the mood, she looked him up and down, diverting the topic: "You look pretty comfortable in what you're wearing to work today."
William Bennett looked down at his clothes and let out an awkward laugh; these were outfits he usually wore at home, not to work, but today was a special case.
"Sometimes I find suits too formal, so it's nice to switch styles," he responded.
Ava Anderson said, "You look really nice in that outfit today, you have a great figure, whatever you wear suits you."
"Really? Do I actually have a good physique?"
Hearing Ava compliment him made his heart burst like fireworks.
Everyone has vanity in them, from different angles.
And no one, no matter how noble, is an exception.
"Yeah," Ava nodded, "You must work out often, huh? Height, physique, looks, character, status—you've got it all. It seems the universe has its favorites and showers blessings on the ones it likes."
"Ava, you sure know how to joke."
"I'm not kidding, I mean it. There must be lots of women who like you, to be honest, I didn't believe you when you said you didn't have a girlfriend."
"I really don't," he quickly clarified, worried she might misunderstand, "I'm single right now."
Ava Anderson: "That's not bad, sometimes it's nice to be free of romantic ties."
Being without someone you like is always better than the heartache of unrequited love.
That kind of pain is just too much to bear.
It can even almost suffocate you, making every breath hurt, every second filled with a sense of drowning agony, turning the whole world gray.
The only companion in such times is your own tears.
Until you're all cried out.
The ache that was etched deep into her bones, she wondered when it would ever fade away. When the pain arrived, she no longer hoped for it to quickly dissipate; instead, she immersed herself in the agony, powerless to think of anything else.
