Chapter 257: A Deal Between Lovers

Sierra’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, “Sorry, I didn’t know…”

“It’s fine,” Johnathan cut her off, his voice calm. “It’s all in the past.”

Is it really in the past? Sierra looked at his profile. He seemed like he wanted to smile out of habit, but remembering what she had said earlier, he didn’t force it.

“I’ll tell you about it when I’m ready. Just… not right now.”

“Alright!” Sierra agreed easily. “The teacher’s coming back next week. Didn’t you say you wanted to go see him? Want to give him a heads-up or just surprise him?”

“We’ll see. I’m not sure if I’ll have time next week,” Johnathan replied. He needed to plan for both outcomes. Even though he promised his grandfather he’d host a birthday party, he had a feeling that day wouldn’t go smoothly.

“Okay.” Sierra didn’t push. She just said, “I’m really busy too, but I don’t like this. I think there should be more to life than just research. Mr. Yaeger, how about we make a deal? No matter how busy we are, we keep weekends free. Unless something urgent comes up, of course.”

Johnathan gave her a teasing look. “You sure you can stick to that?”

She knew he was calling her out—she had been the especially busy one lately. Sierra felt a little embarrassed. Truth was, she had been running, pushing herself harder and harder in the lab to feel like she was getting stronger, like she was catching up. But after what happened today, she realized that if they kept going like this, they’d only grow further apart. No one’s perfect. Johnathan wasn’t as invincible as he looked. He had scars too. He had a past he didn’t want to talk about, just like she had her own—three years behind bars, the things she went through… things she’d never want anyone to know. What they needed was to tend to each other’s wounds, not keep hiding and drifting apart.

Thinking of that, she said, “I won’t be like that anymore. I’ll make time on weekends, I’ll talk to the teacher and my seniors too. And if I don’t keep my word, you can punish me.”

“Punish you?” Johnathan looked interested. “Any kind of punishment?”

They’d been together long enough that Sierra instantly caught the meaning behind his words. She cleared her throat, the tips of her ears turning red. She pressed her lips together and replied, “Yes.”

Then she saw Johnathan visibly brighten. She quickly added, “Johnathan was definitely in a good mood now. He smirked and said, “Sierra, that’s not how you negotiate. If you bargain like that, you’ll walk away with nothing but your underwear.”

Sierra didn’t argue. She just said, “But I’m negotiating with my boyfriend. Doesn’t that mean he should cut me a little slack?”

She rarely showed weakness. She was used to handling everything on her own. Maybe that’s why, when she did let her guard down like this, it felt especially moving. Who knew how others might react—but Johnathan couldn’t resist it. He couldn’t help but reach out and gently squeeze her hand. Holding himself back, he said, “Let me teach you something—say more things like that, and I’d give you my whole damn life.”

Sierra suddenly felt shy. She pulled her hand back and said awkwardly, “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head back.”