Chapter 148:
The summer sun shone brilliantly outside, but inside, the cool air from the air conditioner made for a restful nap.
By the time Javier awoke, it was already past noon. Stretching his legs, he realized the pain in his knees had eased somewhat.
After grabbing a quick meal, Javier left the house and made his way next door to find Elena. By sheer coincidence, he arrived just as she was stepping out.
“Where are you going?” Javier blurted out, his brow furrowed.
Elena methodically placed the scented candles she had crafted the previous day into her bag, zipped it closed, and slung it over her shoulder—all without sparing Javier a single glance.
Feeling utterly ignored, Javier’s temper flared. “Hey, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?”
Only after finishing her packing did Elena leisurely look up. “We’re not close,” she stated simply, the implication crystal clear—she owed him no explanation about her schedule.
Javier understood her drift. Though the words settled uncomfortably within him, they weren’t wrong. Since Elena’s return, they had never shared a civil conversation. Moreover, he realized with a twinge of remorse that it was always him who initiated the hostility.
He averted his gaze, avoiding her eyes. But it wasn’t entirely his fault. Elena was always bullying Elyse, and he was merely trying to protect Elyse. Still, he was too proud to admit any wrongdoing.
Remembering his original purpose, Javier swallowed hard and spoke awkwardly. “Hey, how did you predict what Elyse would say to me?” His eyes darted around, words hesitant, his entire demeanor uncharacteristically uncertain.
Elena raised an eyebrow slightly. “Seems like I was right.” Apparently, Elyse had performed quite the scene the previous night.
Javier’s face flushed crimson. He had come to confront Elena yet now found himself completely flustered. He couldn’t quite determine what he wanted to do. Deep down, he still trusted Elyse, but a different, more insidious voice had begun to whisper in the recesses of his mind. A conflict of emotions stirred within him. He wanted to ask questions, yet felt like he was betraying Elyse.
As he remained silent, Elena, with her bag on her back, was about to leave.
Get the latest gαℓησν𝒆ℓs․com
Just as she reached the doorway, Javier finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, “She did come!”
Elena paused mid-step.
That first utterance seemed to puncture something deep within Javier. Words now rushed out like a torrential flood, unbridled and raw. “Elyse wasn’t like this before. Previously, when I was a kid and my parents scolded me, she would always plead for me. She… She wasn’t as bad as you.” His voice dissolved into uncertainty.
Trailing off into a landscape of unfinished thoughts, it was unclear who he was trying to convince.
Elena turned to look at him. Closely connected to Bertha, he heeded the Harper sons’ advice. He was foolish yet deeply loyal, his emotions laid bare on his face—a transparent canvas of vulnerability.
Elena didn’t want to waste energy on him. “If she’s so good, why are you here asking me?”
This razor-sharp sentence sliced through Javier’s defenses. He bowed his head, sinking into prolonged silence. As Elena’s patience waned and she prepared to leave, he finally mustered the courage to look up. Bewilderment clouded Javier’s eyes. “She seems different,” he muttered.
