Chapter 810

56 vouchers

For a second, my heart tightened. I didn’t know why, but it just felt like Yvonne had grown up a little too fast. It was oddly unsettling.

Yvonne snuck a glance at me in the mirror, but when she caught my eyes on her, she immediately turned away to fuss with some bags nearby.

I figured I was probably just overthinking it. In my last life, Yvonne ended up in jail, but once she got out, she would have this massive trust fund waiting for her. Money wouldn’t ever be her problem–Jared had made all the arrangements for her…. unless Tracy snatched up the company and froze all her assets.

“Mom, what are you daydreaming about? Don’t you want to check out some clothes too? Let’s go pick something out for you,” Yvonne said, running over and swinging my arm playfully.

I pushed those ridiculous thoughts out of my mind, grabbed her hand, and we kept walking forward together.

I hadn’t really been feeling the whole shopping thing these days, mostly because my closet was already crammed full of clothes and jewelry. If nothing really caught my eye, I couldn’t be bothered to bring home more stuff to just take up space.

At noon, I dropped Yvonne off at Sally’s place and headed out on my own to meet up with Nathan.

Nathan had made a reservation at that cozy little ancient-style restaurant we used to go to.

We were in the same private room as before, with the window looking out onto the ancient-style decor, with plants thriving all around.

I glanced over at Nathan. He looked kind of tense, almost restless. Was it because I’d started coming into my own and he wasn’t used to me being like this? For some reason, I could tell my vibe had changed–and it seemed to put him a little on edge.

Nathan gave a soft laugh. “Victoria, why don’t you order?” he said, watching me closely.

After I picked out a few dishes, the private room grew silent–awkwardly so.

I got up and walked over to the window, gazing at the peaceful flow of water. I couldn’t help but sigh to myself, “Before you know it, another year’s gone by. Time really does fly.”

Nathan watched me from his seat and murmured, “Yeah, it goes by fast… one year, five years, ten years, blink and they’re gone.”

I turned around to shoot him a playful smile. “So, why haven’t you made your move yet?”

Nathan caught my meaning instantly and let out a self-mocking laugh. “Work’s just been insane lately. No time, no energy left over for anything else.”

“Being busy is no excuse, you know,” I said, smiling softly.

“That’s true,” Nathan murmured, his gaze growing shadowed for a moment. “So, Victoria… now that you’re single, have you ever thought about starting something new?”

“I’ve thought about it,” I replied honestly–no use pretending otherwise.

Nathan suddenly stood up and came over to me, his voice soft but urgent. “Would you ever think about choosing me?”

I hadn’t expected Nathan to be so direct. I just stared at him, stunned and speechless.

Nathan’s eyes were open and burning with hope. “I know you don’t really like me, but… could we maybe try? Just see how it goes?”

I dropped my gaze, my voice soft. “Nathan, you know I never really meant anything serious before–I was just having a bit of fun. But you took it to heart, and honestly, that makes me uneasy.”

“I know,” Nathan said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I can’t help but see it for what it is–you just wanted to play with me.”

“So, you’re willing to keep playing this game with me?” I cocked an eyebrow at him. “What if I turn around and leave again? Are you really ready to get your heart broken by the same person over and over?”

“Victoria, I…” Nathan choked up, a look of sadness washing over his face.

I straightened up, locked eyes with him, and said, “I know I never really took our relationship seriously before. But I don’t want to lose a friend like you, Nathan. Is it possible for us to just stay friends… always?”

Nathan’s body trembled. “I’m willing to keep playing along with you–for as long as you want me to.”