Chapter 585
+25 BONUS
Jace turned to look at me, as if waiting for my reaction. โYou know what he regrets missing out on?โ
Oh, he was testing me. Trying to see if I'd grasped the whole โWayne likes youโ thing.
I played it cool. โGuess only Wayne knows what he missed.โ
Jace didnโt push it. We kept walking, and when we passed a koi pond, he casually mentioned, โHeโs got a lot of fish in there. I heard when he calls โDinner time,โ they all swim right up to him.โ
โWait, so Wayneโs a fish whisperer now?โ I laughed.
โDonโt believe me? Letโs test it out,โ Jace said, grinning as he led me to the edge of the pond. Sure enough, the water was full of koiโred, yellow, white, even some speckled ones. They looked plump and healthy, like they had their own personal chef. And they were way too cute.
โGo ahead, give it a try,โ Jace encouraged.
I reached out to touch the water, but as soon as I did, the fish scattered like I was some kind of monster. โUh, how exactly am I supposed to try this?โ
โJust call out โDinner time,โโ he suggested, laughing.
โBut I donโt have any food. If they actually come over, Iโll look like a total fraud.โ
Jace cracked up. โIโll grab some food,โ he said, already walking off toward a container.
Feeling like a complete dork, I cleared my throat and shouted, โDinner time!โ
But the koi? They completely ignored me.
Jace turned around, his grin widening. โYou gotta be louder. They canโt hear you from underwater.โ
I rolled my eyes, knowing he was just messing with me, but I raised my voice anyway. โDinner time! Dinner time!โ
Still nothing. The koi were like, โNo thanks, weโre good.โ
I was convinced Jace was totally messing with me.
He returned with the fish food. โWhy didnโt it work?โ
โBecause youโre pranking me,โ I huffed.
โI swear, Iโm not! Maybe we just didnโt get the timing right. Next time, weโll ask Wayne for the secret.โ He handed me a handful of fish food. โThrow some in. Theyโll definitely come for that.โ
I couldnโt summon them with my voice, so I figured Iโd try the universal language: food.
As soon as the fish food hit the water, it was like a feeding frenzy. The koi practically jumped on it. They werenโt even scared of meโone of them swam so close I couldโve pet it if I wanted.
After the fish had their fill, Jace led me up to the front door. He rattled off a string of numbers, and I typed them in, unlocking it.
Chapter 585
+25 BONUS
The interior was understated but still had that vibe of quiet luxury. It wasnโt like Jaceโs style, which was all sleek and modern. This house had a cozy, homey feel to itโlike a place youโd want to hang out in, not just look at. I stepped inside and instantly felt at ease, like I belonged here.
Jace noticed me taking it all in. โWayne designed everything here himself,โ he said, gesturing around. โEvery single thingโfrom the decor down to the teacupsโwas personally picked by him.โ
โHe really knows how to make a place feelโฆ welcoming,โ I said, genuinely impressed.
โYeah, guys like him? Always a hit with the ladies,โ Jace added with a hint of humor, which reminded me of what heโd said earlier about Lindey setting Wayne up on blind dates.
Curious, I asked, โDid any of those dates work out?โ
โNope, he didnโt like any of them. But apparently, one of them was super into him.โ Jace chuckled. โClassic dramaโโI love you, but you donโt love me.โโ
I didnโt respond to that, but right then, Jaceโs phone rang. He glanced at the screen. โItโs Wayne,โ he said before answering. โYeah, Reaโs here. She even fed your fishโฆ Yeah, Iโll let her take the call.โ
He handed me the phone.