Chapter 163
He was swaying. Could Aubree really read him? If something happened, he would let her hold his hand. What harm could that do?
After a full day at Rütbol High School, Aubree slumped comfortably into sleep. Bowen massaged her hand for a while. After a long while, he noticed no response from her, and Bowen realized Aubree had fallen fast asleep. His hand stilled, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. He could completely envelop her hand in his, and he didn’t want to let go.
Guess I’m not letting go, then, she wondered, lulled by the car’s slow, steady pace.
As twilight deepened, Bowen’s lips curved into a faint smile, his eyes dark with possessive intensity. If Kelvin were here right now, he’d definitely be grumbling about his shameless boss. Miss Miller is already fast asleep, yet Bowen still refuses to let go of her hand, he wandered. And to think someone once said he liked Alvin. Yeah, right.
Bowen slowly pulled the car into Aubree’s apartment complex and parked outside her building. Bowen watched as Aubree slept soundly, unable to bring himself to wake her. With no one else around, he dropped all pretenses, his gaze hungrily sweeping over every inch of her face. The longer he gazed at her, the more his heart swelled with delight. It was obvious to everyone how differently Bowen treated Aubree, yet he stubbornly kept lying to himself. The emotion in Bowen’s eyes only grew deeper, thick, and impossible to hide.
Under Bowen’s gaze, Aubree frowned in her sleep. Suddenly, she jolted awake. Instinctively, her hand shot out and clutched the front of his shirt. Her fingers desperately clutched his white dress shirt, pulling the collar askew to reveal his well-defined collarbone.
“What’s wrong?” Bowen asked, his voice laced with concern.
Aubree took a moment to collect herself, blinking as the face before her slowly came into focus. Only then did the pounding in her chest begin to fade; she had just relived her death in that old life once again. The Wilson family’s crimes against her haunted her every thought; their blood debts were still unpaid.
“I’m fine,” she said. Her grip gradually loosened as Aubree took a steadying breath. Looking up, she found herself caught in Bowen's gaze, though he seemed oblivious to the tenderness in his own eyes. The warmth of Bowen’s gaze…
“Sony,” Aubree blurted out, instantly letting go. Her face flashed a deep crimson – now she was genuinely embarrassed.
Bowen remained completely unfazed. He reached out and pulled her hand back. “If you like tugging at my shirt, go right ahead,” he said, his tone indulgent.
Bowen asked quietly, “Did you just have a nightmare?”
“Even though he said I could, I’m not shameless enough to actually do it,” she wondered. “We’re up now. Thanks, Bowen.”
Startled as if burned, Aubree jerked her hand back. “No need, just a bad dream, but…” Aubree darted away, vanishing in a flash.
Bowen watched her retreating figure and muttered to himself, “I must’ve been crazy back then, treating her just like a kid.”
After standing downstairs in the chilly night air for a while to clear his head, Bowen made a call to Ollie.
“Not gonna lie, Bowen, you’ve been blowing up my phone lately, huh?” Ollie teased. “Alright, spill. What’s the latest ‘friend’ story you’ve got for me this time?”
Ollie nearly jumped out of his skin on the other end of the line. Well, looks like he’s finally seen the light.
“Oh, you’ve definitely come to the right guy. Besides, didn’t I already give you that book? Didn’t it teach you anything?” said Ollie.
Bowen suddenly remembered that parenting guide Ollie had given him – no wonder it had felt so off. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he snapped, “Seriously, do something useful for once.”
“I am doing a good deed right now,” Ollie crowed, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. He could practically hear Bowen grinding his teeth.
But come at me if you dare, he wondered.
Ollie said, “Oh, you’ve definitely come to the right guy for advice on chasing girls. Aubree’s winter break is coming up. Rütbol High always lets out two days before New Year. She doesn’t really have any family around, so she’ll probably be spending the holiday alone. Seize this chance–ask her out, go see the snow, and really spend some quality time together. She’s pretty guarded, dude. You can’t rush her – just be genuine and take it slow.”
Bowen took silent note of everything.