Chapter 20%
That night, I did not even last until the movie reached halfway.
12:21 PM c.
Curled up beside Ryan, the warmth of the couch and the gentle hum of the screen lulled me into an effortless sleep.
Ryan chuckled when he noticed, shaking his head slightly.
“You still fall asleep this easily, huh?” he murmured, watching as I unconsciously shifted closer to him.
For a moment, he considered waking me up. But instead, he simply reached for the nearest blanket and carefully draped it over me
His gaze lingered on my sleeping face as a sigh escaped his lips, barely audible. “Sleep well, Jocelyn.
The next morning, I woke up in my bed. But how did I get there?!
Then, realization hit me
Ryan, he must have carried me here while I was asleep.
A deep warmth bloomed in my chest and memories of my childhood surfaced, unbidden.!!
When I was little, if I fell asleep in the car, or on the sofa, or wherever I had been playing, my father always carried me to my room No matter how tired he was, no matter how late it was, he always did it!
It was one of the few things I could never forget about him–those small, gentle acts of care.!!
So that time, when Ryan had done the same thing, a feeling so familiar, yet so foreign, settled over me.
I was not sure if I wanted to name it.
Instead, I buried myself deeper into the blankets, staring at the ceiling.
A soft sigh left my lips. It’s nice.
But the moment was short–lived. My alarm blared, shattering the quiet moming
I groaned, reaching over to silence it, reality pulling me back in.3
Right, I did not come to Melbourne to relax. I was there to study
To move forward and erase everything from my past!!
I forced myself to sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.X
“Forget everything and focus on your studies, Jocelyn.” With that thought, I got up and got ready for the day
At breakfast, I found myself glancing toward the door more than once.
Somehow… I expected Ryan to walk in, to take his usual seat across from me.!
But no matter how long I waited, he never appeared.!!
The butler, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, “Mr. Donovan has been gone since this morning, Ms. Nichols.”
I blinked. “Oh right“||
Of course, he was busy. I was being ridiculous
I quickly masked my disappointment, forcing a polite smile. “Thanks for letting me know“X
Still, I could not help the tiny pout that formed on my lips…
I picked at my breakfast absentmindedly thoughts drifting back to last night.
A chuckle escaped me, soft and amused.
Ryan had really held back last night. It must have taken a lot of restraint, considering how far things had escalated between us.!!
I shook my head, half in admiration, hall in pity. But above all, I was gratefulS
if Ryan had not been there last night, I might have spent it alone, drowning in my thoughts.
I might have had another nightmare and have cried myself to sleep again.”
But instead, I had fallen asleep with a smile. And for the first time in a long time, I woke up feeling peaceful
I slipped into my car and drove straight to campus, my mind preoccupied with thoughts of my new life in Melboume
For days, I focused on adjusting.
I fell into a comfortable routine–classes in the morning, exploring the city in the aftemoon, and dinners at the Donovan residence in
the evening
Ryan’s parents had returned, and much to my surprise, we actually spent meals together like a normal family.
On weekends, Ryan’s mother would invite me to garden with her in the morning and go shopping in the afternoon.
She even dug up old childhood photos of Ryan and me, laughing as she recounted stories of when we were little.
“Look at you two,” she teased, showing me a picture of Ryan and me sitting on a swing together. “You were practically attached at the hip back then!2
I smiled, running my fingers over the wom edges of the photograph.
I had almost forgotten how close we used to be.
I
But strangely, instead of just rekindling those old memories, I felt like I was constantly discovering new things about Ryan.
Ten years was a long time–long enough for someone to change and grow
And every time I spent time with him, I realized that Ryan had grown into a better version of himself while still keeping parts of the
boy I once knew!
Like that night when we were trapped into having dinner together–courtesy of his mother’s meddling.
Ryan pulled out a chair for me, and I slid into the seat, glancing up at him with a smirk. “Ryan, I can’t believe you’ve never had a girlfriend.”X
He sat down across from me, raising an eyebrow. “So, you’ve been looking me up?“%
I nodded without shame. “Of course.”
He chuckled, “Well, 80% of what you read is true. But the rest?” He leaned forward slightly. “You’ll have to figure that out with your own imagination.”
- e. No way you’re that f
flawless.
I scoffed, teasing. “So I was right, then. The ‘perfect‘ image the internet paints of you is just a fairy tale. Ryan only chuckled, swirling the wine in his glass. “But I can be your prince charming if you want.”
I snorted. “No thanks. I don’t need a prince charming. I just need you to be yourself.“%
His smirk deepened. “Oh, you’ll know my true self once we spend a night together”
I punched his arm without thinking. “Pervert!”
Pain shot up my knuckles, and I winced. Ryan had way too much muscle.
He immediately reached for my arm, stroking it gently with mock concern. “Next time, think before you act. Why hasn’t your reckless attitude changed?“}
I pouted, rubbing my sore hand.
We knew each other’s past personalities, but we were still learning the new traits that had emerged after years apart.X
I sighed, leaning back. “I don’t know why I let myself be this unfiltered in front of you, I should probably be maintaining my image
He laughed. “Hey, you’re the one who told me to be myself. That rule applies to you too. So, I’ll adapt
That night, we did not act like lovers. We were just childhood friends who had known each other well.
Enjoying a meal together, exchanging playful banter, letting the quiet moments pass without awkwardness. It was simple, but comfortable.
But as if my peaceful life was only meant to last for one month, one day, my phone buzzed
A call from my friend.
I answered, not expecting anything out of the ordinary
But what she said shocked me to my core. “Jocelyn, have you heard the news?!“|||||
I frowned. “What news?”
“Leo disappeared in the middle of his wedding with Sara.”
Chapter 218
