Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Music suddenly blared in the car, loud enough to startle me. Knowing how Christopher couldn't sleep through any noise, I quickly grabbed his phone from his pocket to end the call before he could wake up annoyed.

The rest of the drive was silent, marked only by his shallow breathing. Even after I parked, Christopher remained still. I gently nudged him.

"Christopher, we're home. Time to head to bed."

He grabbed my hand irritably. "Shut up. Keep talking, and I'll throw you out."

Something was definitely wrong. I reached out to touch his forehead and felt the heat radiating off it. Christopher had a fever.

I managed to drag him inside and scoured the house for fever medicine. After much coaxing, I got him to take it. Just as I was about to fetch an ice pack to cool him down, he held onto my hand tightly.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

Christopher was incredibly vulnerable when sick, often needing someone close. I tried to pull my hand back, but he clung to it.

I sighed. "I'm not leaving. Just getting an ice pack."

He looked at me with those pleading eyes, making it hard to refuse. "Lie down. I'll stay right here with you."

He immediately lay down, clutching my arm like a pillow.

"Move closer. It's uncomfortable to hold you from here."

"How about I lie in your arms instead?"

His eyes lit up, full of hope. "Really?"

"No, you can't."

Fortunately, Christopher's fever broke the next day. As soon as he recovered, his demanding nature reappeared, ordering me around non-stop. I didn't have a moment to relax.

After work, I noticed a message from Ethan. "Lynda, want to have dinner together? Are you free today?"

I called him back swiftly. "Ethan, where should we meet? I'm done with work."

There were rustling sounds on the other end, likely Ethan packing up for the day. He rarely extended such formal invitations, making this feel somewhat special.

"Ethan, are you ready?"

A woman's voice suddenly came through the phone, and I froze. Before I could ask, Ethan reassured me, "I'll send you the location. See you soon."

Christopher nudged me, breaking my trance. He overheard everything and shamelessly invited himself along.

"Just one more seat. The private room is already booked. I'll be your wingman and help you win him over!"

Christopher always had clever ideas. Hearing the woman's voice in Ethan's office, I decided to bring him along. I wasn't about to let someone else steal my moment.

We arrived early and played a game while waiting. When Ethan finally showed up, I kept an eye on the door. As it opened, I rushed over but stopped dead when I saw him holding a girl's hand.

"Ethan, who is this?"

The girl shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You must be Lynda. I'm Ethan's girlfriend. I've heard you two grew up together. It's nice to finally meet you."

Ethan pulled her close, his gaze tender. "Come on, let's sit. We'll catch up properly in a bit."

I barely registered what was said after that. My mind replayed one thing: Ethan had a girlfriend. I had counted on Christopher to help me navigate my feelings, but Ethan had already moved on.