Chapter<b>292</b>
Wewereadultsandhadclearedtheartbetweenusdaysago.ItwasevidentwhatMark’skindnessandattentionmeant.Iwasataloss<b>.</b>forhowtorespond.IhadsaideverythingIneededto<b>say</b>thatday.Constantlyturninghimdownwouldonlymakethingsawkward,andwemightendupnotevenbeingfriends.
Markhesitated,“Jane,amImakingyoufeelpressured?”
Ifiddledwithmyfork,abouttospeak,whenhecontinuedthoughtfully,“LikeIsaid,youdon’tneed torespondtoanything.Justthinkofitassomethingfriendsdoforeachother”
“Whenyou’rereadytostartanewrtionship,wecantakeitslow,”headded.
Myheartwarmedathiswords.ImighthavefallendeeplyforhimifIhadn’t<b>gone</b>throughthatdisastrousmarriagewithBryantandifIwerestittheageofactingonimpulse.ButIwasafraid.Thecostofgettingmyheartinvolvedwastoomuchformetobear
Islowlyletgoofmyfork.“Whatifthatdayneveres?”
Ididn’twanttohideanythingfromMarkanymore,notwhenwehaethisfar.Seeinghisstunnedexpression, Iputdownmyfork.“IfBryantandIhadneverdivorced,what<b>would</b>youhave done?”
“Iwould’vestayedsingle,Markrepliedwithaforcedsmile,the softlightcastingaglowover hishead.
“Iwon’tlietoyou”hecontinued,“IreturnedtothecountrypartlybecauseIheardthingsbetweenyouandBryantweren’tasperfectastheyseemedonline”Helookedatmesquarely,ahintofself–mockeryinhisvoice.“Doesthatmakemedespicable?Hopingforyourdivorce,hopingforasliverofachancewithyou.”
“Noway.Beforemydivorce,you’vealwaysmaintainedyourboundaries”Isaid,caughtoffguardbyMark’scandidness,withmywordsbarelyescapingmylips.“Butdivorcedoesn’tmeanI’mreadytobewithsomeoneelseagain.Uptonow,justlikeChris,you’reimportanttome,agoodfriend”
ThelightinhiseyesdimmedabitwhenImentioned“agoodfriend.”ButIdidn’twanttodeceivehim.
Marklookeddown,lostinthought,andliftedhisgaze,hisexpressionstillgentle.“Jane,howaboutwesetatimeline?Likesixmonths,ayear,twoyears.FillgiveupifIcan’tmakeyoufallformebythen.”
Ihesitated.“Let’ssaysixmonths.”
ChristineandIhaddifferentviewsonlovebutagreedthatlovedidn’tnecessarilygrowovertime.Sometimes,itwasjustthere,oritwasnot.Ifitwerepossibletofallinlove,theyearspassed,andthenextsixmonthsshouldbeenough.Ifnot,Ididn’twanttowastehistime.
T“OkayMarkagreedhappily,“Let’seatbeforeitgetscold.”
Afterdinner,Iwalkedhimtothedoor,andhencedtowardGregory’sce,suddenlyasking,“Jane,areyouclosewithMr.Ford?”“We’refriends.”Irepliedhonestly,“Notclose,butnotdistanteither”
MuchlikeMarkhaddescribed,Gregorywasboldandunrestrained,a mysterytomost.
“Okay”Mark’sexpressionsoftened,“Iheadoffthen.<b>You</b>shouldgetsomerest”Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.
BryantandDorothy’sengagementpartywas nextmonth.WithDorothy’suniquetaste,thedesignworkwouldtakesometime.
Irushedthroughseveraldaysofwork,andbyFridaynight, I<b>had</b>senttheinitialdesignstoheremail.
Thefollowingmorning,beforeseven,someoneknockedonmydoorin<b>a</b>chaoticrhythm.