Chapter 39
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“Hello? Do you hear me? Jess? What… Is her connection bad over there… That shouldn’t be the case…” A confused Elsa was debating whether her phone had malfunctioned.
Who would’ve guessed that Zachary was standing out on the balcony connected to the living room, hands tucked into his black coat and eyes fixed on Jessica?
The fine, misty snow made it hard for Jessica to see his expression, and she prayed that he
couldn’t see hers either.
The phone slowly slid down from Jessica’s ear as she wondered if she should just jump from
the balcony. At least that would make her feel less embarrassed.
She seriously questioned the designer of this suite. Why would they connect the balconies of the bedroom and the living room?
She stood frozen in place with a million questions crossing her mind. How long had he been standing there? And how much did he overhear?
She bit her lip, turned stiffly around like nothing had happened, and walked back into the room with the grace of a broken robot. Inwardly, she was screaming.
For a second, she really wished that she had jumped.
The call had ended at some point, and Jessica hurriedly texted Elsa. “He overheard the
conversation! What do I do now?”
“Just kiss him. Skip the explanation.”
Would that work? Would kissing solve everything? Was that supposed to stop other things from happening?
She swallowed hard, only to realize that her mind was already picturing things she shouldn’t have.
After a long time, there was a knock on the door.
Jessica patted her face, took a deep breath to regain her composure, and opened the door. Soon, Zachary’s looming figure appeared before her.
“Hungry?” he asked. “Should we grab something to eat now?”
He wore a black wool coat over a white wool sweater, looking tall and composed.
It was only then that Jessica noticed they were dressed almost alike–both wearing black wool
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coats over white wool sweaters, though hers was a dress.
“Sure,” she whispered.
Receiving her reply, Zachary turned and headed toward the door.
She stepped forward slowly and took his large hand in hers, only for him to slip both their hands into the pocket of his coat, locking them inside.
The sudden shift in temperature shook her. Who would’ve thought that even on this cold, snow–filled day without heating, it could feel this warm? A small laugh escaped her lips.
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Zachary had rented a car, and the driver dropped off the keys before leaving. Only after getting Jessica into the passenger seat did he finally release their hands.
On that rare snowy day in Sylvaria, it was chilly outside, but the car was warm and cozy–the kind of warmth that kept the blush on her cheeks lingering like a newborn’s.
The two rode in silence until…
“Sylvaria is getting its first snowfall of the year,” the radio announcer said. “I can’t help but be reminded of a saying, ‘Even if we never grow old side by side, when snowflakes rest upon our heads, I’ll still see the us that time has painted 60 years from now.““‘
“He’s not entirely correct,” Zachary remarked.
“Huh?”
Startled, Jessica cocked her head at him.
The car happened to stop before the red lights at that moment. He met her gaze and explained, “Love isn’t measured by growing old together; simply finding each other is the greatest
blessing.”
She couldn’t believe that those sweet words had actually come out of Zachary’s mouth. For a
moment, Jessica was lost in his eyes.
Eventually, he pulled the car into a parking lot on a downtown street.
“Where are we eating?” she asked.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Jessica tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, but couldn’t get it undone. She wanted to call out to Zachary, but he had already stepped out of the car.
Suddenly, the passenger door swung open, and a rush of cold air blew in. She looked at him helplessly. “It’s stuck.”
Zachary paused for a moment. His hand rested on the door frame as he bent to fiddle with the
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seat buckle.
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Jessica dared not move. The moment he leaned in, the familiar scent of sandalwood wrapped around her like a quiet spell.
“Should we kiss?” Those were the three words that popped into her head. She inwardly sighed. With a click, the seatbelt unlatched.
Chapter 40
