Chapter 2013


    ?


    It was a past he couldn''t scrub clean, no matter how hard he tried.


    All because, like Ethan, he once didn''t believe in love, thinking a good time was all that mattered.


    Youthful folly, pure and simple.


    Now, wanting a home of his own, those histories became the stains he couldn''t wash away.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Hertha cared, and there was no way he could exin it to her.


    Fearing he''d only make things worse, he simply avoided the topic.


    Hertha looked away, focusing on her meal instead, not dwelling on the matter.


    She realized her own issues too. Having decided to ovee her mental barriers and ept everything about ric, she shouldn''t be so sensitive. She ought to interact with ric normally.


    But understanding something in theory and oveing the emotional distance were two different things.


    After finishing their meal in silence, ric paid the bill. As they were leaving, Hertha suddenly suggested, “Let''s catch ''Sizzling Secrets'', it''s all the rage right now."


    She knew she was the one who had turned the atmosphere awkward and felt it was on her to lighten the mood.


    If she couldn''t let go of ric, she had to gradually let go of her reservations and truly ept him, ws and all.


    Hearing her, ric turned around in disbelief, a look of surprise and happiness lighting up his face once he realized she was serious.


    "Great idea, there''s a mall nearby with a cinema," he said, visibly cheered up.


    "Okay," Hertha replied.


    "Let''s go then." ric came back to her, hisrge hand enveloping hers. The sunshine in him seemed restored.


    His hand was warm and dry,


    comforting against Hertha''s. The


    warmth and the gentle palpitations it


    sparked felt like a unique kind of


    happiness, different from the


    e


    warmth of family. Love, she realized, had its own sweet vor.


    This sweetness temporarily overpowered the defenses around her heart.


    Hertha wanted to let go of her


    reservations, to not overthink andet enjoy a date will l


    bathed in the rosy hue of


    love.


    A smile crept on her face as she snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder in a typical lovers'' gesture.


    Feeling her closeness, ric was even more moved, tilting his head to touch hers, sharing a moment of affection.


    The moviested for over two hours, and by the time they left, it was around eleven at night.


    Walking down the street, the night air was cool against their faces.


    Hertha leaned on ric for warmth, asking, “Where to now?"


    "Are you tired? Should we head back to rest?" ric was concerned, noting her yawns during the movie; she was clearly exhausted. While romance was important, her well-being mattered more.


    "My mom said I shouldn''te back tonight," Hertha pouted, feeling a bit like a wanderer.


    “So, how about we check into a hotel?" ric suggested.


    "That sounds perfect. I just want to lie down on a big,fy bed and sleep," Hertha admitted. She was worn out from waking up early for Spencer''s wedding and the day''s events had taken their toll.


    No sooner had she spoken than ric stopped in front of a hotel, "Look, there''s one right here. Let''s stay the night."