Chapter 617 Who to Call
Zachary snapped back to reality. "Hey, what's up?"
Winona was staring at him, her lips pressed together. "I've called your name a bunch of times, but you didn't respond."
"Sorry," Zachary lowered his head, instinctively wanting to pinch the bridge of his nose. But as he raised his hand, he remembered Winona was still watching him and stopped abruptly. "I didn't sleep well last night. I'm kinda tired."
His weary eyes and slightly hoarse voice added a touch of authenticity to his words.
Winona didn't seem suspicious. "Then go wash up and get some sleep."
"Okay."
Zachary felt a headache coming on. Afraid that staying any longer would make Winona notice something was off, he got up and headed to the bathroom.
He actually wanted to take a bath to relieve his discomfort, but the hotel they were staying at was a budget one without a bathtub. Even if there was one, he wouldn't want to use a public bathtub.
The house he bought was a bit far from the hotel, and it would take two hours to go back and forth. Winona was exhausted from the day, so they decided to stay at the hotel.
Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Winona opened WhatsApp and sent a message: "Are you still awake?"
It was the middle of the night back home, so she didn't expect a reply. Just as she was about to exit WhatsApp, her phone buzzed: "Still up. What's up?"
Winona took her phone outside and dialed the number. "Matthew, I have a question. Is Zachary not very good with foreign architecture?"
She didn't know much about Zachary's past, but Matthew surely did. She should have asked Samuel, who was closer to Zachary, but she didn't have his contact information and wasn't sure if he would tell her anything.
Matthew's voice was amused. "Did he get lost again?"
Winona was incredulous. "Is he really that bad with directions?"
"Not exactly. He just gets confused when the buildings around him look similar. But this has only happened twice, and both times were abroad. He says he's not sensitive to foreign architecture."
"Why do you ask?"
Winona recalled the museum's different sections. Zachary had been staring at her the whole time and didn't even know which section they were in. It wasn't surprising he got mixed up. "Matthew, have you seen Zachary recently? Have you noticed anything off about him?"
Matthew immediately thought of Zachary's recent hospital visit. "Like what?"
Winona bit her lip, silent for a moment as she chose her words. "I'm not sure, but I feel like he's hiding something from me. He's been distracted and not in great spirits lately..."
"Do you want me to ask him for you?"
"I don't know if I'm just being paranoid. I went with him for a check-up before I left, and the report was fine. I've asked him a few times, but he hasn't given me a clear answer," Winona rubbed her arms against the cold in the hallway. "So I wanted to ask if you could keep an eye on him and see if anything seems off."
"Sure."
The door behind her opened. Zachary, fresh from his shower, came out and didn't see her, so he went looking for her.
Winona turned at the sound and met his eyes. She quickly said to Matthew, "I'll hang up now. You get some rest."
Zachary glanced at the phone she had just put in her pocket and frowned. "Why didn't you make the call in the room?"
Winona replied, "I got a bit hungry and thought I'd grab a snack while I talked."
"Who were you talking to?"
"Matthew."
At the mention of Matthew's name, Zachary's lips tightened in displeasure, clearly jealous. "It's the middle of the night back home. What was so urgent that he had to call now? Doesn't he sleep?"
He assumed Matthew had called her, given the time difference. Winona wouldn't have called him at such an hour unless it was urgent.
Winona walked over. Zachary stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking most of it, one hand on the door handle. She had to squeeze past him to get inside.
She could have asked him to move, but feeling guilty about her secret conversation, she didn't dare speak up, fearing he'd question her further.
Now she understood how Zachary felt when he used to sneak past her.
She said, "The design for Traverse City's first phase was my responsibility. The second phase can't be too different, so I was giving some input. Plus, I know what styles are popular right now."
What else could she say?
She couldn't admit she and Matthew were planning to investigate him. She couldn't tell the truth, but she couldn't lie too obviously either, so she used work as an excuse.
Winona had just gotten halfway through the door when Zachary grabbed her hand, stopping her. He looked down at her, his voice meaningful. "Weren't you going to get a snack?"
"I'm not hungry anymore."
After eating local food for two days, their group was getting tired of it. Tonight, Zachary had ordered some delicious food from back home, and Winona had eaten two large portions. She was still full and couldn't even drink water without feeling stuffed.
Zachary said, "I'm hungry. If I don't eat something, my stomach acid will act up."
His frustration was almost palpable.
There was a commercial street not far from the hotel. Winona hadn't had a chance to explore it yet. Seeing the shops with their exotic charm, she got excited and started to run towards a jewelry store, but Zachary pulled her back. "There are a lot of pickpockets here. Don't push through the crowds."
He didn't care if something got stolen; he just didn't want her to get hurt.
Winona had read about the pickpockets here on Google before coming, but in her excitement, she had forgotten. Now reminded, she pulled her crossbody bag to the front and placed her hands on it. "Is this okay?"
Behind her was a bustling crowd and bright neon lights, with unique local architecture in the distance. She stood there, smiling brightly, and in Zachary's eyes, she was the only thing that mattered. Everything else faded into the background.
"Winona, let's take a picture."
After all these years, they had never taken a proper photo together.
Winona was surprised, clearly realizing the same thing. "Sure, but if we use a phone for a selfie, we won't get the background."
She said it casually, not really caring about the background.
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