Callie could feel the heat in the places where he had kissed her.
Her heart pounded like a drum. She pushed Jaquan away and took deep breaths. “Jaquan, I don’t want to hear this. Where is Nelson?”
He looked up at her panicked expression.
Seeing his silence, Callie took out her phone and quickly dialed Nelson’s number. It rang for 46 seconds, but no one answered.
During those 46 seconds, under Jaquan’s gaze, it felt like an eternity to her.
Answer the phone, why isn’t he answering…
Callie persistently dialed again. After a few rings, Jaquan suddenly spoke, “Don’t bother. He won’t answer your call tonight.”
She frowned as a deep-seated sense of crisis began to grow. She didn’t want to believe it. “What do you know? Is he in trouble? Speak, Jaquan!”
Jaquan leaned against the wall, the bright lights of the pharmacy hurting his eyes. He closed them.
“Don’t you know? Maevelyn has been found.”
His slow words hit Callie like a thunderbolt, leaving her numb.
“What?” Her voice was faint.
“Maevelyn has been found. Today is New Year’s Eve. She was brought back to the Ellison family for the celebration. They’re welcoming her back.”
Jaquan’s tone was slightly mocking.
Callie opened her mouth to say something but found herself speechless.
Was the call Nelson received earlier about this? Did he leave her the moment he found out to see Maevelyn?
She could hardly believe it. Maevelyn had really returned.
She had once hoped Maevelyn was alive and could come back, but that was based on the belief that Nelson loved her, that they were a trusting couple who had been through so much together. Even if Maevelyn returned, it wouldn’t shake their relationship.
But now that she was really back…
It was a strange feeling, a growing sense of crisis that threatened to swallow Callie whole.
Maevelyn had always been special to Nelson… What about the future? Would Nelson abandon her for Maevelyn? Callie suddenly felt a loss of confidence.
“Surprised?” Jaquan observed her pale face with interest. “It seems your relationship with Nelson isn’t as strong as you thought.”
Callie steadied herself and retorted with his own words, “Stop pretending you know me so well.”
“Isn’t it true? He went to the Ellison family tonight, and you didn’t know. He didn’t even tell you about this. It seems he doesn’t trust you.”
Callie felt another stab of pain. She clenched her fingers. “This is between us. You’re meddling too much.”
With that, she strode out of the pharmacy. There were few cars on the road. Her car was still parked at the construction site, so she had to walk. She wandered aimlessly, letting the cold wind blow across her face.
Callie didn’t have the courage to call Nelson a third time. If she did, she would be interrupting his reunion with Maevelyn…
She wanted to calm down and sort out her feelings, but she couldn’t deny that Jaquan’s words had turned her world upside down.
Before Maevelyn’s return, everything was hypothetical.
Now that Maevelyn was truly back, everything was out of her control.
A honk sounded behind her. Jaquan’s car had caught up. He rolled down the window. “It’s thirty kilometers to Paucaster Villa. If you don’t want to ruin your feet, get in the car.”
Callie kept walking.
The car screeched to a halt. Jaquan got out and walked up to Callie, then suddenly picked her up and shoved her into the car.