Chapter 173 Everything He Can't Give You, I Can
George parked in front of Susan's apartment.
Susan glanced out the window and turned to George. "I don't even know how to thank you."
"Don't be so polite," George replied.
Susan nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, and said, "I'm heading up. Goodbye."
Just as she reached for the door, George called out, "Susan!"
"Hmm?" She looked back, puzzled.
George smiled. "Aren't you going to invite me up for a drink?"
Susan hesitated. George was clearly interested, but she wasn't looking for anything serious after her divorce.
She smiled and said, "Honestly, my place is a mess. It's not a good time."
"Okay," George nodded.
As she was about to leave, George muttered, "I haven't had any water for hours."
Feeling a bit guilty, Susan reconsidered. He had driven her for hours, after all.
She smiled. "I only have water, but if you don't mind, come up for a glass."
George's face lit up. "I don't mind at all."
Susan led him upstairs.
Inside, she said, "Have a seat. I'll get some water," and headed to the kitchen.
George looked around the small but cozy apartment. A wardrobe divided the room into a bedroom and a living area with a sofa. There was also a bathroom and a small balcony kitchen. Everything was clean and decorated in yellow and green.
Susan returned with a glass of water. George was already sitting on the sofa.
"It's hot, let it cool," she said, placing the glass on the coffee table.
"Thanks," George replied awkwardly.
Susan sat on a small stool, apologizing, "Sorry, I haven't been home, so I don't have any snacks."
"A glass of water is fine," George said, pointing to it.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Susan looked down at her shoes, while George loosened his tie and tried to make conversation. "You said your place was messy, but it's cleaner than a five-star hotel. You've made it really cozy."
George's words hit home for Susan. She had put a lot of effort into making her small apartment feel like a real home.
Smiling, she said, "When you're far from home, you crave that warmth. Here in Lindell Harbor, I had to make my place cozy so I wouldn't miss home too much."
Truthfully, Susan did miss home, but she wasn't ready to return to Maple Valley.
She had used the excuse of a year-long work study to get away, and her mom, Catherine, had reluctantly agreed.
Without family or friends here, Susan often felt lonely outside of work. But the new environment kept her mind off things more than Maple Valley ever did.
Over time, she grew to like it here. The air was fresh, the food was great, and the rent was cheap.
George looked at her and then at the glass of water. "Susan, you don't have to make things so hard on yourself. You can start over."
"I'm already starting over by living here," she smiled.
"I mean your love life," George said, turning to face her.
Susan touched her arm and smiled. "My heart's at peace now. I don't want or need another relationship."
George frowned, his tone quickening. "Seb is with Cynthia now. Is it worth torturing yourself like this?"
Susan's face darkened at the mention of Seb. It had been a while since anyone brought him up.
Looking out the window, she said, "Who he's with doesn't matter to me anymore. I'm not torturing myself; I just want to stay away from the place that made me sad."
George couldn't hold back. He stepped forward, grabbed her arms, and lifted her off the stool.
"What are you doing?" Susan looked up, surprised by his impulsiveness.
"Susan, I can give you everything Seb couldn't. I've broken up with Vivian. Let me take care of you, okay?" George said urgently.
Susan frowned, meeting his intense gaze.
She thought George just wanted a fling, given his history with Vivian. She didn't expect him to be so straightforward, making her wonder if he was serious.
But Susan wasn't interested in either a fling or a real relationship; she didn't want the former and couldn't handle the latter.
She pulled his hands off her arms and calmly said, "Mr. Anderson, I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone else."
George looked embarrassed. Rejection stung.
He suddenly smiled. "Maybe you just need more time to heal. It's okay, I can wait."
Susan, growing impatient, raised her voice slightly. "You don't need to wait for me. I will never fall in love with you, and I will never be with you."
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