Chapter 270


    He let me turn his face towards me, continuing, "Do you even realize what you were saying?"


    "I have no clue. It''s all just nonsense you''re making up," I denied, unwilling to admit to the embarrassing things I supposedly did.


    "You even said it was like ''sealing the deal.'' You kissed me, stamped your im, and dered I was yours to marry when you grew up. Insisted that I couldn''t be with anyone but you," Ernest said, suddenly looking down.


    "Licia, I''ve followed your ''orders,'' living well into my thirties without so much as dating, never giving another girl a second nce, let alone holding hands. I''ve been waiting for you, so you''ve got to take responsibility," Ernest''s words wereden with a sense of being wronged, as if a ''no'' from me would be a massive letdown.


    All this time, I believed Conrad was my childhood sweetheart, but I was wrong. It was actually Ernest who filled that role, the kind that''s brief yetsts a lifetime.


    Only, I was too young back then, leaving all the sweet memories for Ernest to hold on to alone.


    "Alright, I''ll take responsibility," I said, standing on tiptoes, reaching up to bite gently at his appealing jawline.


    He let out a soft hum, and Iughed, "A new seal, a deeper one, so any girl who wishes to like you will think twice."


    Ernestughed, a restrained, gentleugh, "You''re as bossy as you were when you were little."


    Am I bossy? I''ve always thought of myself as too soft, especially around the Wagners and Conrad, bending to others'' wishes unless it went against my principles.


    Ernest has revived my childhood in full, and though I can''t discern how much is true, I genuinely felt happy.


    Ernest also took me fishing, and we had quite the catch, a hefty fish weighing over four pounds.


    "I''ll make you grilled fish for dinner, your favorite as a kid," Ernest''s offhandment made me believe his stories were true, as I indeed loved fish, especially my mom''s grilled fish that was always so vorful.


    On the day of the ident, my mom had promised to make me grilled fish for dinner. But I never got to see them again.


    Since then, I''d stopped eating grilled


    Ine


    fish, to the point where even Herschel, Jacqueline, Conrad, and Dustin thought I disliked fish But Ernest knew I loved fish.


    "Okay!" I agreed. At that moment, I felt a sense of closure.


    Grilled fish was my mom''s way of


    showing her love, and my way of et


    remembering her. Now, someone else remembered too, perhaps a sign from my mom''s spirit.


    Ernest''s grilled fish was just like my mom''s, bursting with vor, as if she had made it herself.


    He told me his mom had taught mine how to cook fish, having grown up by theke and being an expert in fish dishes.


    I had lost my mom for ten years, and now her love was passed on to me through Ernest.


    After dinner, Ernest didn''t leave.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Sitting on the couch browsing on my


    phone while he worked on his


    laptop, my mind wandered


    el


    uncontrobly, like little bugs crawling in my heart, making it impossible to focus.


    "Uh, I''m feeling sleepy," I finally made an excuse to send him away.


    Ernest looked up from hisptop, saying, "I''m a bit tired too."


    I casually added, "Then you should head home."


    But Ernest didn''t respond, nor did he move; he just looked at me.


    His gaze made my heart race. "Ernest..." I murmured.


    "Can I stay tonight?"