Chapter 267: Long Time No See
When Adam said that, he was like, right in my face, just a couple of feet away. Tall, handsome, and grinning like he just won the lottery. His short hair was all spiky, and he looked like he was glowing, like a tree basking in the sun.
Adam's eyes had this fierce look, like an eagle zeroing in on its prey.
I started wondering if I’d done something weird or said something off that made him stare at me like that.
As I walked in, I saw the delivery guy on his scooter, calling out to me. I signed for the food and took it upstairs.
Mia heard the door and came out of her room. We set the food up together, and I noticed the place felt super quiet; Yancy wasn’t around.
Lately, he’d been like a piece of furniture in my house, always there. When he suddenly wasn’t, it felt like something was missing, and it freaked me out.
Crazy how habits can mess with you, right?
“Where’s Yancy?” I asked, kinda spaced out.
Mia paused, fork in hand. “No idea.”
“He left without your permission?” I joked.
I said it casually, but Mia laughed, kinda sad. “We’re just colleagues. Like I expect Yancy to take care of me forever. I don’t even know how to repay him. It’s better if he doesn’t come; saves me from owing more. Let’s eat.”
Mia started eating her porridge, but the loneliness in her eyes was hard to miss.
Yancy, with all his attention to detail and patience, had wormed his way into Mia’s life. They weren’t a thing yet, but Mia letting him in meant he had a shot.
But now he’s gone? What’s up with that?
I was so distracted, I couldn’t enjoy my food. I kept sneaking glances at Mia.
Mia kept her head down, eating quietly, ignoring me, and I didn’t dare say more.
Halfway through the meal, I couldn’t help but shoot Yancy a message on Facebook: [Wya?]
The chat box stayed silent. Even after I finished cleaning up and went to bed, no reply.
I started overthinking.
Yancy was a catch. He was the oldest son in the Bailey family and was set to inherit the family biz. Whether his feelings for Mia were real or just a phase, I had no clue.
He showed up at the perfect time, so I saw him as a savior, hoping he’d pull Mia out of her funk.
Benjamin’s words from that day echoed in my head. If Benjamin could be that selfish after five years, would Yancy be any different with Mia, who he barely knew?
Plus, Yancy was three years younger than Mia, which bugged her. Young and full of potential, Yancy had endless options. Would he really be Mia’s knight in shining armor?
If Yancy hurt Mia, it’d be on me.
I thought about it until I fell asleep, and Brad still hadn’t come back.
This was our new normal.
I wanted to call Brad, ask where he was, what he was doing, but I didn’t want to interrupt his work. I held the phone, then put it down.
We were both adults, hustling for our careers and future. It was tough.
Love’s important, but without money, it doesn’t last. We were both trying to be our best selves for each other.
I might not be able to help Brad with his work, but at least I could avoid being a pain in the ass.
Brad rolled in during the middle of the night. When his warm body pressed against mine, I woke up but was too beat, so I mumbled that I was exhausted and needed sleep.
He nibbled my ear and cuddled me for a bit before holding me tight and crashing out.
Next morning, I woke up to an empty, cold bed. Brad had been gone for a while, and even his scent had faded.
Honestly, it bummed me out a bit.
It was seven when I finished getting ready. No classes in the morning, so I figured I’d mess around in the kitchen.
I slipped on my slippers and headed to the kitchen, where Mia was serving porridge. There were also two small dishes and sandwiches on the table.
“Did you make this?” I asked, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite. The taste was so good, I sighed with satisfaction.
“I don’t have those skills.”
“Figured. This tasty sandwich has Brad written all over it.”
“You knew and still asked? Trying to rub in my single status?” Mia joked, sipping her porridge.
“Yancy’s always hanging around, and you still claim to be single. So fake.”
I regretted it immediately. Yancy didn’t show up yesterday, and my words probably stung.
I had checked my phone when I woke up. Still no reply to my message from last night.
Sometimes, I really don’t think before I speak.
I wanted to slap myself. I always blurted out nonsense.
Given my low emotional intelligence, I must’ve shown my thoughts on my face. Mia laughed and handed me another sandwich, “Stop overthinking. Eat up. I’m not that fragile. By the way, Jane, I’ve arranged with the company. My break ends this weekend, and I’ll be back to work on Monday.”
“What? Why the rush? Is the company pushing you?”
“I don’t want to stay home so long. It’s boring. I’d rather be making money than lying around. What’s more attractive than financial freedom?” Mia laughed exaggeratedly, like she was hiding something.
She was right. To avoid bad men, you need financial independence. If she had a better family background, she wouldn’t be in this mess with Benjamin.
On Mia’s first day back at work, I walked her to the company entrance. After watching her go into the office building and wave back at me, I headed to school.
Crystal House was running low on several types of paint. The new painting’s draft was done, and today was coloring day. Since I had no classes in the morning, I decided to go shopping.
Adam usually handled getting supplies, stocking Crystal House for us. Especially for this competition, he had everything ready.
But since my paintings were for sale, I figured I should cover the costs, so I bought my own supplies. Adam and I had argued about this a few times, but I always managed to convince him. Eventually, he stopped bringing it up.
I picked a popular chain supermarket in Regalia near the school. It was a half-hour walk or a ten-minute drive.
The morning sun wasn’t too harsh, and there was a gentle breeze, making it super comfy. On a whim, I decided to walk and enjoy the long-missed scenery along Regalia Road, which I hadn’t seen in a while due to being cooped up at school painting.
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