Chapter 107 Holding Hands
"Alright, let's go," Audrey said with a smile as she and Kevin left. Before that, she had bought two cups of iced cola and handed one to Kevin . They then strolled around the first floor of the supermarket.
Kevin quickly finished his cola and tossed the cup into a nearby trash can. He turned to Audrey and said, "Mrs. Johnson, this cola is too cold, and it chills your hand. Let me hold it for you."
Audrey paused for a moment before handing her cup to Kevin , smiling. "I didn't realize you were such a gentleman. Have you dated before? How many girlfriends have you had?"
"No, never," Kevin quickly explained. His family had struggled financially in the past, and his mother often washed clothes in cold water during the winter, leaving her hands red and chapped. Kevin , feeling sorry for her, would often warm her hands. He later learned that women's hands and feet needed to be kept warm to avoid long-term problems. So when he saw Audrey holding the cold cola cup, he instinctively wanted to take it from her.
"Kevin , I didn't realize you've had it tough. Your mother is truly admirable," Audrey said, her eyes reddening slightly after hearing Kevin 's story. "Don’t fail her. And if I have the chance, I'd like to visit her."
"Really? Mrs. Johnson?" Kevin was stunned. Audrey wanted to visit his mother. He couldn't believe it.
"Of course. But I don't mean anything else. I just want to see what kind of mother could raise such an outstanding son," Audrey said with a gentle smile. She had her reasons for wanting to meet Kevin 's mother, which she couldn't share with him.
Audrey and Kevin continued chatting about his past life with his mother, sharing happy moments and tough times. Feeling thirsty, Audrey reached for her cola, but Kevin had already brought the cup to her lips. Audrey felt a bit embarrassed but took a sip, feeling as if she had returned to her college days when her boyfriend would pamper her.
Kevin watched as Audrey's red lips wrapped around the straw like a cute kitten drinking water. Such small gestures often brought them closer together.
Seeing Audrey's arms swinging casually at her sides, Kevin wanted to hold her hand like he did when they left the school gate. But he was afraid she might get angry. After hesitating for a while, he finally mustered the courage to grab her soft, smooth hand. His heart pounded as this was the first time he had held a girl's hand. If Audrey pulled away, he would be utterly embarrassed.
Audrey was in the middle of sharing a funny college story when Kevin grabbed her hand. She paused, seeing Kevin 's nervous expression, and smiled. She didn't pull away but continued her story, acting as if nothing had happened.
Although she didn't want too much physical intimacy with Kevin , maintaining a strict boundary of friendship wasn't realistic either. Holding hands was Audrey's bottom line. As long as Kevin didn't push further, she was okay with keeping the warm atmosphere.
Seeing that Audrey accepted his gesture, Kevin was overjoyed. He couldn't focus on what she was saying; his entire attention was on their clasped hands. He wished they could walk like this forever.
Kevin 's palm soon became sweaty from excitement and nervousness, feeling sticky. He was embarrassed, fearing Audrey might feel disgusted. He wanted to let go but couldn't. Just as he was conflicted, Audrey smiled and said, "Tired? Let's switch hands."
She moved to Kevin 's other side, extending her delicate hand and intertwining her fingers with his. The new position felt more natural and comfortable.
"Mrs. Johnson, how many boyfriends did you have in college?" Kevin asked, feeling a pang of jealousy at the thought of Audrey holding other men's hands like this.
"Are you trying to find out about my private life?" Audrey said, slightly annoyed but still smiling. "I had three boyfriends. The first two didn’t last long, and the third was my husband. Does that bother you?"
Kevin felt uncomfortable hearing this. In his mind, Audrey should have been pure and untouched. But then he remembered he had been with Alissa, Evelyn Allen, and even Vanessa Wood. It wasn't his place to judge.
Considering Audrey's beauty, it was impressive that she had only three boyfriends. "Mrs. Johnson, do you still love your husband?" Kevin asked softly.
Audrey was taken aback. Kevin 's question was simple but piercing. If she didn't love her husband, why did she date, marry him, and accept his offer to move to this small town? What was keeping her in a long-distance relationship?
But if she did love her husband, why did she have feelings for Kevin ? She knew it was wrong but maintained an ambiguous relationship with him, unlike her clear boundaries with Quentin Rodriguez. Did this mean she was fickle or had her feelings for her husband faded?
Seeing Audrey's silence, Kevin regretted asking such a mood-killing question. He genuinely wanted to know if she still had feelings for her husband. Audrey was different from Alissa. Alissa, in her thirties with a grown son, wouldn't consider divorce easily. She'd rather risk an affair with Kevin to satisfy her desires. But Audrey, not yet thirty and childless, could divorce and start anew if things didn't work out with her husband. Instead, she was wasting her prime years in a stagnant relationship.
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