After a brief exchange, she hung up, grabbed her car keys, and headed out the door in at hurry.
Jason had just parked his car downstairs in Serene’s old apartment when she emerged with something
in a bag.
“Jason!” Spotting him, Serene scampered over
Jason nced at the ajar car door. “The bag’s inside,”
Bending down, Serene retrieved the bag and then shut the car door. “Vincent’s buried in homework,
and Mom’s been pretty stabletely,” she said.
Jason just nodded, nomittal.
Serene carried the bag over her shoulder. When she looked up at him, her eyes were shining with
unspoken words. Jason, with his hands buried in his pockets, spoke with a calm edge, “With the family
situation under control, maybe it’s time you started thinking about your own life, huh?”
Serene let out a sigh of resignation. “Vincent’s still a little guy, and Mom’s just stable for now. I don’t
have the energy to entertain any personal distractions.”
Then, with a start, she added, “Jason, don’t get it twisted. My being single has nothing to do with you!
Don’t you dare feel pressured on my ount. I’ve got my own ns,
my own
life.”
As she rattled off her exnation, her words tumbled out faster. Despite her denial, she couldn’t fool
herself. She had fallen for Jason. From the moment sheid eyes on him, he had her heart. She feared
if she wasn’t single, she’d lose even the right to like him.
Jason just said, “I’m not overthinking it.”
Relieved, Serene handed him the bag. “These are homemade dumplings Vincent and I whipped up.
You and Estre should give them a try.”
Jason shrugged. “We don’t cook.”
Undeterred, Serene grabbed his hand and pressed the dumplings into his palm. “Just take them. Have
Marie boil them or something.”
With her bag slipping, she readjusted it on her shoulder and added, “Vincent made me promise to give
these to you. They’re fresh out of the oven.”
Jason stopped refusing. He turned and ced the pie in the backseat of his car.
Serene smiled. “It’s gettingte, Jason. You should head back to Estre. And hey, thanks
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for bringing my bag.
“No problem.”
W
After watching Jason’s car vanish into the night, Serene turned and walked back inside.
*++
At the same time, Estre pulled up to the train station in her Audi. As soon as she stepped out, Bryce
came barreling toward her, a whirlwind of emotion, “Estre! Estre! I’m here!”
Estre turned at his voice, and Bryce enveloped her in a hug. “I’ve finally made it back to Ravenwood,
back to you!”
Pushing him off, Estre eyed him critically. “What happened? Why did youe back in the middle of
the night? And look at you…. you’re a mess.”
With Bryce’s disheveled hair, faded clothes, and unhealthyplexion, had it not been for his voice,
Estre wouldn’t have recognized him.
Mentioning his appearance only set him off. “It’s all my brother’s doing. Can you believe it? After I got
everything sorted for him, after you agreed to the divorce, he double-crossed me. He’s banished me!”
When his thoughts turned to Jason, he became wary. “Estre, my parents don’t know I’m back. I don’t
even know how I got my hands on a train ticket. I only trust you and Jesse. Please, don’t betray me.”
Estre eyed him skeptically. “Don’t tell me you’re nning on staying at my ce.”
Bryce pleaded, “Where else would I go? I’ve been exiled because of you.”
Estre sighed. “Clean yourself up first.”
With an “okay,” Bryce was about to get into the Audi when he took a step back, appalled. “This car?
When have I ever settled for anything less than a million-dor? You want to shake up my world even
more?”
Estre kicked him yfully. “You came on a slow train, but now you’re fussing? Get in.”
Threatened by Estre’s tough tone, Bryce scurried into the car.
Estre-owned several limited edition luxury cars, but since her identity was a secret at thew firm,
she drove something modest.
After sprucing up Bryce from head to toe, almost bringing back the old Bryce, finally agreed to take him
to her spacious apartment.
Estre
Once inside, Bryce reiterated to Estre not to sell him out before asking, “Estre, you got anything to
eat here?”
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Estre, loungingfortably, responded, “No one’s been living here. Where would foode from?
I’ll order takeout.”
Before long, a feast of barbecue delights arrived. Changing into her loungewear, Estre rolled up her
sleeves and joined Bryce in the feast.
Biting into a skewer ofmb, Bryce asked between sips and mouthfuls, “Estre, how have things been
with my brothertely?”
Chewing on her own skewer, Estre replied nonchntly, “Same, same as before.”
Bryce bit down hard on his food. “Why on earth did you fall for him? Aside from his good looks, a bit of
smarts, some cash, and a decent physique, what’s so great about him? Why are you torturing yourself
over this guy?”
Estre looked up. “Are you trying to talk me into a breakup or into staying with him?” Bryce spat out in
disgust, “Talk you into staying? Jason’s a rotten apple. I swear all the Nelson family’s vices are
embodied in him. I’d be thrilled if you left him.”
Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.
As Bryce ranted on, Estre continued eating, just handing him a lemonade when he ran
out of steam.
After a tirade that exhausted him, Bryce finally paused to summarize, “Look, there’s no way I’m gonna
be okay with you sticking it out with my brother.”
Estre, exhausted by the rant, conceded, “Fine, I’ll leave him, okay? Save your sermons.”
As her words hung in the air, Bryce squinted at her with suspicion. “Wait, something’s up. Did my
brother stand you up again? Did you guys have another fight?”
Estre froze. Was she that transparent? Was her mood so tantly obvious that even Bryce could see
it? She took a sip of her iced tea as a deflection. “Isn’t that just par for the course?”
Bryce wasn’t convinced. “No, there’s something different about you today.”
Estre chuckled, teasing him, “Well, you are smart today.”
Bryce dropped the irreverence, propped his right foot on the chair, and faced Estre squarely. “Out
with it! What’s really going on?”
Bryce’s sudden disy of earnest masculinity prompted Estre to reveal, “Your brother went to the
cemetery today.”