“I’mfine.Josiahsaid,stealinganceatherguiltily.“Whataboutyou?Areyouokay?”
Finished
Lysanderquicklyscoopedthecatintoherarms,pickingupthetangledballofyarnintheprocess.Shethentosseditallintothetrashbin.
harm.”
“Inthefuture,youshouldn’tbuysuchtoysforpetsthatcaneasilycauseIt
Josiahnoddedemphatically.“Hedidn’tthinkthingsthrough.”
Lysanderncedat<b>him</b>.Itwasquiteclearwhothe“he”thatJosiahwasreferringto.
However,Josiahsuddenlyfeltthatsomethingwasamiss.
“It’shardtosay.Hemighthavedoneitonpurpose.Theballsthatpuppiesusuallyywitharetypicallymadeofrubber.Whowouldbuyayarnballforadog?”
Lysanderremainedsilent.
UncertainaboutLysander’sstance,Josiahtimidlyasked,“Areyoureallyokay?”
ThefallLysanderhadjusttakenwasindeedquite,sudden.Her<b>face</b><b>had</bndeddirectlyontohischest,andhecouldstillfefaintachethere.Lysanderwaslikelyinmorepainthanhewasfromthefall.
Withthesethoughts,herosetohisfeetandtooktwostridestowardhertogripherarm.“Letmeseeyour<b>face</b>.”
Lysanderturnedherfacesideways.“I’mfine.”
Josiahgentlygraspedherchin,turningherfacebacktowardhim.Hestudiedherfeaturescloselyforatmoment,hisfurrowedbroweasingslightly.“Youlookfine.There’snoswelling.”
Lysanderfellsilentforamoment.
“I’mnotswolleneither.”
Lysander lookedup.“Ijusttook<b>a</b>fall.Ofcourse,I’mnotswell.”
Josiahwasstillstudyingherprofile,oblivioustowhatshewasimplying:“What?”Swell….
Suddenly,herealizedwhatshemeant.Hehadtheslighturgetoretortbutwasmostlytakenaback.Hetgentlychided,“Yourpunjokeisdry.”
Lysandergentlypushedhishandaway,softlyinquiring,“Tellmehonestly.Howdidyougetthiswound?”
<b>Josiah</b>knewhe<b>couldn’t</b>hidethetruthfrom her.Hetookadeepbreathandconfessedinalowvoice,“Actually,Iwasn’tentirelylyingtoyou.IforgotaboutthewoundonmyheadwhenIwastakingashowerandendedupgettingitwet.Ionlyrealizedwhenitstartedhurting.”
Lysanderncedatthe areashehadjustbandaged.“You’retellingmeitstartedbleedingaftergetting
wet?”
Iwasafraidmywoundsweren’tsevereenoughforyoutoopenthedoor.”
1/3
ke
Lysanderwasrenderedspeechless.
Finished
“Iwasn’tnningondoinganythinginparticr.Ijustwantedteandseeyou.We’vebeeninseparabltely,fromthetimewespentinApexCity toourstayattheresort.We’vebeentogethermorenowthanwewerewhenwefirstgotmarried.It
SeemslikeI’vegottenusedtohavingyoubymyside.WhenI’maloneinourroom,itfeelsemptyanddistressing.Ijustwantedtobewithyou,evenifwedon’ttalk.Youcandoyourthing,andIdomine.<b>That’s</b>perfectlyfinebyme.”
Afterhearingthat,Lysanderfellsilentforabriefmoment.
Josiahexinedfurther,“Iknowitwaswrongtodeceiveyou.Iapologize.”
Lysanderwasataloss.
Regardlessofeverything,<b>Josiah</b>hadhelpedheralot,bothovertlyandcovertly.Ifsheweretolosehertemperatthatmoment,herreactionwouldresemblesomeoneburningthebridges.
“Josiah.”
“Yes,I’mlistening.”
<b>“</b>EversinceInnedtotakeoverThorneConstructionsandEnergies,you’vebeenbymyside,assistingme.I’mdeeplyawareofthisfavor.”
Josiahgaveahumofaffirmation.“Ihavenointentionofexploitinggratitudeforpersonalgain.JustlikeIsaidbefore,Iwon’tpressureyouanymore.Ourrtionshipcanremainasis.Youcanstilluseme<b>as</b>youplease.AllIwantisforyounottobesoresistanttowardme.”
Having<b>dealt</b>withhimforquitesometime,Lysander washonestlygettingabitweary.Shecalmlyliftedthecorofhernightgown,butherarmwasstillheldfirmlyinhisgrasp.“Letgoofmefirst.Ineedtogetsomething.”
Cautiously,<b>Josiah</b>askedher,“Whatisit?Letmehelpyou.”
Lysanderncedtowardthecoffeetable.“Myphone.”
Josiah’s<b>hand</b>wasstillwrappedaroundherwaist.Leaningforward,bestretchedhisotherarmtoretrieveherphoneforherandsaid,“Hereyougo.”
Lysandertookthephoneand saidhelplessly,“Ihaven’tfinishedgoingthroughthedocuments.You-Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“Iwon’tbotheryou.YoucanjustpretendI’mnothere.”
“So,you’rejustgoingtositthere?Aren’tyougoing<b>to</b>feelbored?”
OutofLysander’ssight,Josiahcurvedhislipsinto<b>a</b>smileandasked,“Youmakeagoodpoint.CanIwatch.thetelevision,then?I’llputitonmute.”
Lysanderwas engrossedinherphone,searchingforinformation.Hearingthat,shesimplyreplied,“Doasyouplease.”
Theremotecontrolwascedononesideofthecouch.
Josiahdidn’tconsiderhimselfanoutsideratall.Heturnedonthetelevision,deftlyswitchingittothesportschannel.MindfulnottodisturbLysander,hethoughtfullyloweredthevolumetoanon–intrusive
2/3
07:46We
Chapter567DryPunJoke
level.
HewassoconsideratethatLysandercouldn’tevennitpickathim.
Finished
Lysanderopenedthefile,hereyesscanningthedenseseaofnumbersinthereport.Shefeltaheadachingon,andforthemoment,shebecameoblivioustoJosiah’spresencebesideher.
After<b>an</b>indeterminateamountoftime,Lysandernceduptofindthatthefirsthalfofthegamehadended,anmercialswerenowyingonthetelevision.
Shelookedupattherightmomentandasked,“When<b>are</b>yougoingback?It’sgettinte.I’mnningonrestingsoon.”
TheRagdollkittenonthecouchhadalreadyhad<b>a</b><b>nap</b>.
Josiahponderedbeforereplying.“There’sstillthesecondhalftogo.Watchingonlyhalfofthematchfeels
weird.”
“Don’tyouhaveatelevisionathome?”
“Ido,butIhaven’twatcheditsinceIboughtit.Ithasn’tevenbeensetupyet.BythetimeIgetitupandrunning,thematchwillbeover.”
Lysanderasked,“Whenwillthematchfinish?”
“Assumingnothingunexpectedhappens,itshouldendaroundteno’clock,”saidJosiah,ncingathis
<ol start="2">
<li>Seeingthatitwasn’tevenhalfpastnine,heassuredinarathergenteelmanner,“Don’tworry.</li>
</ol>
I’llbeleavingshortly.”
SinceJosiahhadmadeitclearwhattimehewouldleave,urginghimfurtherwouldappearexcessivelyharshonLysander’sside.
Shegottoherfeetandsaid,“I’mgoingtotherestroom.”
H
ThespacenexttoJosiahwassuddenlyvacated,andtherateharmoniousmomenttheysharedabruptly
ended.
Once<b>Josiah</b>confirmedthatLysanderhadenteredtherestroom,heliftedhisgazeandsetitonthewallclock.
SendGifts
1.3K