Chapter 259
In the end, Zinnia only paid for the figure she bought for Yannis. Everything else was on him.
โHungry? Wanna grab something to eat first?โ Yannis asked.
After shopping, they walked out of the accessory store. Yannis carried the bags in his left hand and held Zinniaโs hand with his right.
There were more people on the street now. It was crowded. If they didnโt stick close, they could easily get separated.
Zinniaโs hand felt a little cold, so Yannis tucked it into his coat pocket.
โIโm hungry. I want chili con carne. Maisie said thereโs a place up ahead that makes a really good one,โ Zinnia said, feeling her stomach growl.
Ever since she moved in with Yannis, her daily routine had become regular. She got hungry right on time, like clockwork.
It wasnโt like when she lived at the Shaw residence. Sometimes she didnโt even get to eat, thanks to Betty messing with her. Two months there had thrown her whole body off.
โThen letโs go there,โ Yannis said.
They headed to the chili con carne place. It was a popular spot, packed with customers. The restaurant had a great reputation and used good ingredients, so lots of people liked it.
They showed up at the perfect time โ just as a table was being vacated. The waiter led them over. They didnโt ask for a private room; it was just the two of them anyway.
โWhat do you want to drink?โ Yannis asked.
โMilk,โ Zinnia said, looking at the tablet menu with him.
โYou still a baby? Asking for milk?โ Yannis smiled at her.
โWhy not?โ Zinnia puffed her cheeks, not thinking there was anything wrong with drinking milk.
โOf course you can. Kids like you should drink milk. Two bottles okay?โ Yannis chuckled and ordered two.
โThatโs enough.โ Zinnia nodded obediently.
Once she picked her drink, Zinnia left the rest to Yannis. She was picky about food, so he ordered carefully. While he was busy, Zinnia got bored.
โYannis.โ She stared straight at him.
โWhat is it?โ he asked, still writing notes.
โItโs been a while since I checked your pulse, huh?โ she said suddenly. After he tricked her last time, she hadnโt found another chance.
Hearing that, Yannis looked at her right away. He remembered how she had said she was leaving right after that last check.
โNo need. I feel fine,โ Yannis said, pulling his hand back, pretending to stay focused on the menu. He was afraid she might be leaving again.
โLet me check,โ Zinnia said, ignoring him. As Yannis tried to dodge her hand, she grabbed his wrist in one quick move. He couldnโt get out of it now.
What Yannis didnโt know was that Zinnia was just bored. She didnโt mean anything by it.
Since she was checking his pulse, Yannis stopped ordering and looked down, nervous about what sheโd say.
โGo ahead and order,โ Zinnia told him. โIgnore me. Iโm just checking.โ
Before her fingers even touched his wrist, she could already feel him staring. She pushed his head away with her hand, not letting him watch.
Yannis didnโt say a word. He figured Zinnia was getting bold now โ she even dared to push his head.
But from the way she looked, and knowing her, he could tell she was just messing around. She wasnโt planning to leave. That settled him down, and he went back to ordering.
Yannis stopped looking at her, and only then did Zinnia place her fingers on his wrist.
She rested her fingertips lightly against his skin. Through the thin layer, she could see the faint blue veins underneath. Whatever else, his flawless skin made her a little jealous.
She checked his pulse first. Yannis had been recovering for months, and his once-weak body was already half-healed. As for the rest, as long as he kept resting and taking care of himself, heโd get better over time. He was still young, after all.
While Zinnia was checking his pulse, Yannis didnโt really focus on ordering. He kept quietly watching her instead. It was only when she didnโt say anything alarming after the check that he went back to the menu.
Zinnia snuck a glance at him, then looked back down at the skin on his wrist. Her eyes lit up a bit. The skin there was soft and thin โ really nice to touch.
She moved her thumb and index finger to gently pinch a bit of that delicate skin. Then she squinted and gave it a little rub. The skin shifted under her fingers, which made her giggle.
Yannis noticed all her little moves and couldnโt help but shake his head and laugh. Sometimes she really did act like a kid โ just playing with his hand like it was the most fun thing in the world.
Noticing she couldnโt get a good grip, Yannis casually bent his wrist inward, making the skin there even softer. Zinnia smiled and switched fingers, pinching a different spot.
โHaving fun?โ Yannis asked at last, once he figured she was about done.
Zinnia noticed his wrist had turned a little red from all her messing around. She was just about to pull her hand back when she heard his voice. She looked up and gave him a sheepish chuckle. โYannis, you done ordering?โ
People always tried to cover up when they did something wrong, and Zinnia was no different. She chuckled awkwardly as she rubbed the red mark with her fingers, hoping to smooth over what sheโd done.
โI thought you were checking my pulse,โ Yannis said lazily, clearly amused. โDoesnโt seem like youโre very good at it โ you pinched me so hard my wristโs all red.โ
โWell, thatโs because youโre too weak. I couldnโt feel your pulse, so I had to press harder,โ Zinnia shot back with a quick excuse.
โOh, Iโm that weak now? Then youโd better take care of me, Zinnia. Until Iโm fully healed, my health is all on you,โ Yannis said slowly, like he really believed it.
โOf course. Iโll make sure youโre completely healthy.โ Zinnia nodded right away. As long as he didnโt blame her for the red mark, she was fine. Sheโd just gotten carried away and didnโt know her own strength.
โIโm gonna remember that promise. You canโt ditch me halfway. You have to take care of me till Iโm fully recovered,โ Yannis said with a serious face, like he meant every word.
โOkay.โ Zinnia kept nodding. She promised herself sheโd heal him before she left.
But even though she could help his body recover, she still didnโt know how to fix his insomnia. She guessed it might be from something that happened seventeen years ago, but Maisie had told her not to bring it up โ it could trigger him again.
Zinnia didnโt know anything about that time, so she had no clue where to start. She needed to find a way to learn what really happened. If the past wasnโt dealt with, Yannis would never fully heal.
She could tell the herbal pouch was starting to lose its effect. Sometimes sheโd get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and sheโd check on him. His study light was always still on.
Yannisโs body mightโve been getting better, but his mind wasnโt improving much at all.
Zinnia thought about her half-full jar of candy. By her guess, Nathan would probably come back for her in two or three months โ no later.