Chapter 72

Kelly’s fingers tightened around her phone. When the silence dragged on, Helena’s impatient voice snapped through the line, “Are you even listening? Say something.”

A few seconds passed before Kelly finally responded flatly, “Yeah, I’m listening.”

“I’ve said so much, and that’s all you’ve got to say? I asked if you had anything to tell us!”

Kelly suddenly spoke, “Would you even care?”

Her words were unexpected to Helena, who frowned and asked, “What did you say?”

“Nothing,” Kelly said hoarsely.

“Honestly, what good is being smart if you can’t even communicate properly?”

Kelly was too tired to argue at this point. “I have to study.”

“Yeah, yeah. There’s a flu outbreak lately. Just stay at school for now. I don’t want you bringing anything back to your brother,” Helena muttered. A buzzing sound filled Kelly’s ears for a second. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Got it,” she said calmly.

She ended the call and resisted the overwhelming urge to throw her phone across the room. The frustration bubbling inside her refused to settle. Getting up, she opened the study door and stepped out.

It was already evening. The living room was dim, bathed in a soft glow coming in through the windows. Kelly assumed Leon wasn’t home since the lights were off until she noticed a figure sitting on the carpet. Her footsteps instinctively slowed to a stop. Leon was asleep.

In the gentle light, she could see him leaning against the couch, his head propped on one hand with his eyes closed. She couldn’t quite see his face, but she could see he was wearing the glasses she remembered from before. The frames made him look elegant and smart. The dark evening sky shrouded his silhouette. Leon looked perfect as he sat there, fast asleep.

Kelly’s imitation melted away the moment she saw him. She crept closer and knelt in front of him, studying every line of his features. She only dared to look at him directly at times like these.

All this while, Leon had always been someone she could only look up to. He was mature, composed, brilliant, and experienced. Being comfortable around someone didn’t always mean people were equals. Sometimes, it just meant the other person was meeting you where you were. She knew Leon had always been the one making compromises for her. They had never been equals.

But now, kneeling here in front of him, face to face, it almost felt like the distance between them didn’t exist. Kelly found herself staring. This moment felt so perfect that her tension slowly eased.

Suddenly, she felt something was off. Leon was sleeping so peacefully, she couldn’t even hear him breathing. Was he alright? He had stayed up all night taking care of her, then jumped right into work as soon as they got back. Kelly had read too many horror stories online about people collapsing from exhaustion.

At that thought, she reached out cautiously, her fingers hovering near his nose to check for any sign of breath. Just as her hand got close, Leon’s lashes fluttered, and Kelly found herself staring straight into his eyes. She froze with her hand still in midair.

Leon shifted slightly, and Kelly quickly scrambled to her feet, snapping out of her trance. However, her legs quickly gave way, as they had gone numb from her kneeling for too long. She stumbled forward and fell right into Leon’s arms. He caught her without hesitation, and she was immediately enveloped in his scent.

At that moment, Kelly could feel her heart racing.