Chapter 602 Is My Period Coming?
Zachary couldn't help but grin as he glanced at the ring on her finger. "Alright."
But as he hugged her, where Winona couldn't see, his eyes were filled with panic and confusion. Something was bubbling up from deep within him, leaving burning holes in its wake, both painful and unbearable.
Winona, I'm scared I'll forget you.
Winona couldn't see Zachary's face or guess his feelings at that moment. She only felt his arms around her waist tighten so much that she almost had the illusion he wanted to merge her into his body.
Zachary probably realized he was holding her too tightly and quickly loosened his grip.
Even though it was just a brief moment, Winona couldn't ignore the unease his unusual behavior brought her.
She frowned, staring intently at Zachary's face. "Are you sure you're not hiding something from me?"
Under her gaze, Zachary instinctively wanted to turn his head away, but Winona cupped his face, preventing him from avoiding her.
Zachary let out a silent laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"I really don't want you to go to Aetheria. Ever since I had Caleb help you sign up, I've been regretting it. I could suppress it before, but after seeing the suitcase yesterday, I realized I can't bear to be apart from you for even a day."
Winona gritted her teeth and pushed him away. "Get out."
He clearly didn't want to have a proper conversation.
She stepped over the pile of stuff on the floor and went straight to bed, undressing as she did.
Zachary also got under the covers and pulled her into his arms, knowing she was exhausted from the night before. He didn't bother her further.
Winona slept deeply and woke up feeling completely refreshed, the grogginess from the morning gone.
Blood tests, ultrasounds, EKGs... Zachary had recently undergone all these basic tests, and there were no issues. But when he handed the reports to the doctor, he still felt a moment of tension.
Winona was about to compete, and he didn't have a life-threatening illness. There was no need to tell her now and distract her. By the time she returned, he might be cured.
It wasn't until the doctor said everything was fine that Zachary finally relaxed.
"Thank you, doctor," Winona said.
"Winona, do you believe me now? I'm really fine," Zachary said, reaching out to her, hoping for some praise, but he didn't even touch her sleeve.
Winona ignored him and walked away.
Zachary was baffled. Since waking up in the hotel, Winona had been distant. He'd say ten sentences, and she'd respond to two if he was lucky.
He thought hard and couldn't recall doing anything to upset her. Knowing she was tired, he even suppressed his own physical needs.
"Winona," Zachary caught up to her in a few steps. "Is it that time of the month?"
Why else would her mood be so unpredictable?
She had been fine before bed, but after sleeping, she was different.
Winona looked at him with a meaningful smile. "Yes, it's too cold."
Without thinking, Zachary took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
Winona's expression changed instantly, and she turned to leave. "I don't like it. It's ugly. I won't wear it."
She hadn't asked about the jacket to make him confess. She was sure the jacket the woman at the thrift store had was Zachary's because custom-made items are unique, and his was missing.
If it wasn't the same jacket, she'd make Zachary eat it.
She didn't think there was anything inappropriate between them, but his evasive attitude still made her unhappy.
That woman even looked a bit like Fiona.
Zachary had no idea Winona was upset about the jacket. He never thought Maeve would keep it, let alone that Winona would see it.
To him, it was like tossing out trash, not worth mentioning.
Zachary glanced at the jacket Winona had rejected. It was indeed ugly, but after a moment's hesitation, he put it on.
Better than being cold.
He decided to contact the designer to make another one just like it.
In the meantime, Winona had walked far ahead.
He hurried to catch up, slipping his fingers into hers and intertwining them.
The next day.
Zachary took Winona to the airport. He didn't drive himself but sat in the back with her. "When will you be back?"
Winona replied seriously, "The competition is from March 15th to March 20th. If everything goes well, I'll be back on the 21st."
Zachary deflated like a balloon. "It's only February 1st."
Winona was too sleepy to talk, and Zachary's gloom filled the car. If she joined in, their farewell would be truly tragic.
The thought made Winona shiver. Too melodramatic, not her style.
Zachary waited for a response but got none. "Winona, why do I feel like you've been ignoring me since yesterday?"
Winona smiled lovingly. "Yes, I think you're right."
They arrived at the airport.
Zachary didn't have time to ask why because as soon as the car stopped, Winona got out.
At the entrance, Caleb and the others were waiting. When they saw Winona, they waved.
Zachary couldn't tell if Winona's "I think you're right" was agreement or sarcasm. By the time he took the suitcase from the driver, Winona had joined the group.
Since they were staying abroad for over a month, everyone had a lot of luggage. The first thing they did was check in their bags.
"Zachary," he said, "I bought a house over there. I'll send you the address. If it's convenient, you can stay there."
The accommodations provided wouldn't be great. He knew it wasn't good to be special in a group, but he didn't want her to suffer.
"No need," Winona said. "Everyone's staying together. It wouldn't be right for me to be different."
She was already controversial because of her age. If it weren't for her undeniable skills, there would be even more criticism.
"The house is big. You can all stay there," Zachary suggested.
Winona was silent.
Showing off wealth was worse than being special.
"It's still cold there. Keep warm and don't catch a cold. Don't go out at night; the security isn't good. If you encounter a thief, give them your stuff. Don't try to be a hero like you do here, holding a harmless bottle and confronting them."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
