Chapter 597 Running Naked
Zachary looked calm as he said, "Of course, I was scared. I gotta keep my cool in front of the person I love. What if you saw me like that and decided not to marry me?"
Winona stayed quiet.
He sounded serious, but something felt off to her. Still, Zachary seemed perfectly normal, even though the slight sweat on his forehead had dried.
Winona instinctively reached out to hold Zachary's hand, but he pulled away.
Since they had opened up to each other, this was the first time Zachary had actively avoided her touch.
Winona looked at him, surprised. Zachary held up his hand and explained, "It's greasy, dirty."
Zachary turned to wash his hands, reminding her, "Don't come in."
After washing his hands, he cleaned up the broken pieces and spilled soup, mopping the floor until it was spotless. Only after finishing all this did he reach out to hold Winona's hand. "Sorry, did I scare you?"
Winona replied, "Yeah, I called you, but you didn't answer."
She wasn't lying; she was genuinely frightened.
Zachary said, "I didn't hear you. It won't happen again."
His clothes were dirty, so he went to take a shower. Winona sat on the couch, staring into space.
She was still thinking about Zachary's expression when he opened the door, and suddenly, her head was lightly tapped.
It didn't hurt, but it was enough to pull her out of her daze.
Winona looked up and met Zachary's gaze. He was wearing dark gray loungewear, his hair slightly damp but not dripping. "What are you daydreaming about? I've called you a few times. Go wash up if you're tired."
"Okay."
Winona got up and went to the bathroom. After washing up, she realized she had forgotten to bring clothes. She glanced at the towel rack, but there was no bathrobe.
Was she supposed to go out wrapped in a towel?
She wasn't shy; they were about to get married, after all. But she was scared. Every time they made love, Zachary seemed to be proving something to her.
Winona wrapped herself in a towel and quietly opened the bathroom door a crack, peeking out. She didn't see Zachary.
Her heart raced, and just as she was about to step out, Zachary's teasing voice came from beside her, "Looking for something?"
Winona jumped, nearly hitting her head on the door. "What are you doing? You scared me!"
She quickly patted her chest, relieved that Zachary hadn't seen her panic. She was still on edge from the earlier scare in the kitchen, and now she was easily spooked when she couldn't see him.
Zachary chuckled softly.
Winona was about to speak when Zachary's hand appeared in front of her, holding her pajamas. "Mrs. Bailey, were you planning to run out naked after your shower?"
Winona's face, already flushed from the steam, turned even redder and felt hot.
She grabbed the clothes from his hand and retreated to the bathroom, quickly closing the door.
When she came out dressed, Zachary was already lying in bed. Winona lifted the blanket and was about to lie down when she sniffed and frowned. "Did you smoke?"
Zachary sniffed himself but didn't smell any smoke. "Yeah, I smoked half a cigarette while waiting for you."
He had brushed his teeth, changed clothes, and stood on the balcony in the cold wind for a few minutes, but Winona still noticed.
Winona remembered the pile of cigarette butts she had seen by chance and snorted.
Half a cigarette.
She didn't believe him.
Winona lay down beside him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist and pressing her face against his body. "Zachary, if you're not feeling well, you gotta tell me. I'll go with you to see a doctor."
"Okay."
Winona kept this in mind, so she paid extra attention to Zachary's condition in the following days, but nothing unusual happened.
They had dinner together after work, shared a bed at night, ate breakfast together in the morning, and left the house together. Zachary seemed perfectly normal, even his small habits like rubbing his temples had decreased.
On the weekend, Winona met Rebecca for shopping.
Rebecca was bundled up like a bear, with only her face exposed. She shivered as she held her coffee. "Are you going abroad for the competition next week?"
The café had heating, but she had just come in from outside and hadn't warmed up yet.
Winona shook her head. "I declined."
"What?" Rebecca's voice rose several octaves, drawing the attention of nearby customers. She smiled apologetically at them and lowered her voice. "You declined? Why? It's such a great opportunity. If you win, your rates will at least double."
Winona briefly explained Zachary's situation. "I feel like he's hiding something from me."
Rebecca, who was usually straightforward and decisive, struggled with matters of the heart. After thinking for a while, she said, "Maybe you're overthinking it? The Bailey Group is huge, and he hadn't managed it for over half a year. Now he's back in charge and merging his contracts from the Ramsey Group. It's normal to be exhausted."
"Or maybe his neck pain is acting up. He spends hours at his desk every day. It's bound to cause physical strain. Even I, who do nothing all day, sometimes get headaches."
Winona hadn't noticed anything unusual about Zachary in the past few days. "Maybe I am overthinking, but I'm still a bit worried. I want to observe him for a while longer."
Rebecca, now warm, started taking off her coat, hat, and scarf. "Alright, observe him. Your man is yours for life, so his health is important. If he gets sick or disabled, you'll be the one suffering. As for the competition, there will be other opportunities."
Winona had already made up her mind. What else could Rebecca say? She couldn't call her a love-struck fool for giving up such a great opportunity for a man.
A best friend is meant to be cherished.
Rebecca said, "Take this year to prepare thoroughly. Next year, you'll definitely win the championship."
Winona smiled at her. "Thank you."
Rebecca's comfort finally lifted Winona's spirits.
Rebecca said, "If you really want to thank me, come with me this afternoon to buy a watch for Howard. He's switching majors, and we should get him something to celebrate."
"Okay."
Winona's phone buzzed with a new message. She opened it and froze, her eyes widening.
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