5
The day Bella returned, the entire SAR team was in a frenzy.
She stood in front of the headquarters building, her military posture still impeccable, her pretty features now enhanced with a touch of mature charm.
Ryan stood by the window on the third floor, watching for a full ten minutes.
I stood behind him, seeing his hands tremble slightly.
“Bella is truly a force to be reckoned with, the team members gossiped. “She’s done great things at the border these past few years. I heard she even saved an entire village.
At the welcome party that night, Bella raised her glass to Ryan: “Captain Quinn, thank you for your care,”
D
2:48 PM
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Ryan rarely got drunk, but that night he did. With reddened eyes, he said, “Welcome back.”
Just these simple words made the entire table fall silent. Everyone knew how many years he had held back those words.
I sat to the side, watching them smile at each other, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding.
From that day on, Ryan started staying out late.
He said he was preparing for some important rescue mission, but I knew he was helping Bella refamiliarize herself with all the equipment.
I would make dinner and wait for him, but he’d say he was in a meeting. Yet colleagues told me they saw the captain taking Bella out for dinner, the two of them talking for hours.
When I asked where he’d been, he would come over and kiss my forehead: “I was going over work with Bella. Don’t overthink it.”
But I clearly saw his phone light up on the coffee table, a message from Bella.
He instinctively turned off the screen, then held me tighter.
He became increasingly gentle, so gentle it made me anxious.
Every day he would bring home my favorite desserts, comfort me when I couldn’t sleep, and even took time off on my birthday to be with me.
As if afraid I would overthink things, he started showing how much he cared for me in front of others.
Sometimes in front of Bella, he would deliberately put his arm around me and kiss my forehead.
But Bella’s smile was strange, as if she was watching a show.
Was he trying to reassure me, or make her jealous?
