After dinner, the sky had completely darkened. The glow of the streetlights illuminated the two of them, their shadows intertwined. Nanci reached out and took Edward’s hand.
“You’re finally back by my side. It feels so good,” she said softly.
Edward wrapped his arms around her. “How fortunate I am to have you by my side.”
They held hands tightly, cherishing this hard-won moment together. Nanci yawned, and Edward turned to her. “Let’s go home and rest early tonight. I’ll take you to see the show tomorrow, okay?”
Nanci looked at him in surprise. “There’s really a show? I thought you were just joking. What kind of show is it? Tell me.”
Edward smiled mysteriously. “You’ll have to see for yourself. If I tell you, it won’t be fun anymore. For now, let’s go home and rest.”
At the mention of home, Nanci remembered something. “Where’s Brian? Why didn’t he come with you? I asked him to stay with you at home.”
“He’s probably still at home. I came alone,” Edward replied.
Nanci nodded, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. “Let’s go home first. Brian came to find me directly because he was worried about me, and I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to thank him. Now that everything’s settled, I need to properly express my gratitude.”
Edward snorted. “If I hadn’t been away, he wouldn’t have had the chance to come. In the end, I was the one who solved everything. Aren’t I amazing, Nanci?”
Nanci laughed. “Are you really jealous? Brian is my family. I grew up under his watch. During the time we were apart, he was the one who stayed by my side and encouraged me.”
Edward didn’t say anything more. He simply opened the car door for Nanci, waited for her to fasten her seatbelt, and then started the car.
Just as Nanci was about to ask Edward something, her phone rang. She answered, only to be met with a voice so loud she had to hold the phone away from her ear.
“Nanci!” Brian’s voice came through the phone.
Nanci blinked in confusion. “Brian, you nearly deafened me!”
“Hmph, where are you two? Get your butts home right now!”
“We’re on our way home. Is something urgent? Can you give me a heads-up over the phone?”
Hearing that they were almost home, Brian gritted his teeth. “We’ll talk when you get back. And tell that man next to you to wait for me!”
After the call ended, Nanci looked at Edward. “What happened between you and Brian?”
Edward’s expression remained neutral. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind,” Nanci said, turning to look out the window at the familiar scenery.
When they arrived home, Nanci walked arm-in-arm with Edward, chatting and laughing. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Brian sitting on the couch, legs crossed, glaring at them. He took a vicious bite out of the apple in his hand, as if it were his enemy.
Nanci cautiously approached him. “Brian, who upset you? That’s just an apple. No need to take it out on the poor fruit. Tell me, and I’ll avenge you!”
Brian’s face darkened. “Nanci, come sit next to me.”
Nanci pointed at herself hesitantly. Brian snapped, “Is there another person named Nanci here?”
Nanci glanced at Edward, who showed no emotion, and then reluctantly sat down next to Brian. “Can you tell me what’s going on now?”
Brian started with a question. “Is everything at the company resolved?”
Nanci nodded. “Yes, everything’s fine now.”
Brian continued, “Then you don’t owe him anything. Book a flight and return to Woodlands with me tomorrow. A man who’s ungrateful isn’t worth your time. I know a few good men, and I can set you up with them.”
Nanci was puzzled. “Can someone please explain what’s going on? What happened between you two this afternoon? My brain can’t keep up. Edward, come sit down too!”
Edward walked over and sat next to Nanci, looking at Brian. “She’s my woman. She’s not going anywhere without me.”
Brian glared at him. “Nanci, you decide who you want to be with. I won’t coexist with him.”
Nanci’s gaze shifted between the two men. Finally, she turned to Brian. “Brian, just tell me what happened this afternoon. How did Edward wake up and come find me?”
Seeing Nanci’s troubled expression, Brian reluctantly explained, “This afternoon, I was keeping an eye on the news about you on TV. I made him sit on the couch and watch with me. When I saw things weren’t going well for you, I was about to go help. Then I heard someone speak behind me. I thought I was hearing things, but when I turned around, his eyes were clear again.”
“And then?” Nanci asked.
“He just walked out, got in the car, and left me behind! Can you believe that?”
Nanci listened to the whole story and realized it was just a childish spat between two grown men. “Are you two serious? It’s such a small thing. Why are you acting like kids?”
Brian, feeling like Nanci was siding with Edward, grew even angrier. “Are you taking his side? I shouldn’t have come here! I feel like I’m unnecessary!”
Nanci sighed. “No, Brian. I’m really touched that you came. It’s just that this whole thing is a misunderstanding. Don’t be angry anymore. Can’t you two just let it go?”
Edward spoke up, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Brian shot back, “Neither did I! Nanci, are you coming back with me or not? If not, I’ll book a flight and go back alone.”
Seeing that the two were about to come to blows, Nanci decided it was best to separate them for now. She turned to Brian. “Let’s all get some rest tonight. We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”
Brian stood up angrily and stormed off to his room. Nanci then led Edward back to their room.
Once inside, Nanci tried to reason with Edward. “Edward, Brian isn’t a bad person. He’s just very protective of me. Why did you leave him behind like that?”
Edward replied coldly, “I thought I could handle it alone. He’s too noisy.”
Nanci massaged her temples. Seeing her troubled expression, eventually, Edward softened. “Let’s just wash up and rest, Nanci. I’m not angry.”
“Then promise me that starting tomorrow, you’ll try to get along with Brian. You’re both important to me, and I don’t want to see you two at odds. I’m fine now, so there’s no need for this.”
Seeing that Edward didn’t argue, Nanci finally smiled. She kissed his cheek and stood up to leave.
“Where are you going?” Edward asked.
“I’m going to check on Brian. He’s stubborn. If I don’t talk to him, he’ll stay up all night.”
Edward pouted. “You know him so well.”
Nanci laughed, walked back, and kissed Edward again. “Are you jealous? Oh, come on! You’re the only one I’m kissing. Wait for me in bed after you shower.”
Edward waited in the room, unwilling to move. He picked up his phone and scrolled through social media, catching up on what he’d missed during his absence. After a while, he grew impatient when Nanci still hadn’t returned.
Finally, Nanci opened the door and saw him sitting on the bed. “Did you shower already? Are you waiting for me to come back and rest?” she asked gently.
Edward replied sarcastically, “You were gone so long. I thought you were going to sleep in his room tonight.”
Nanci burst out laughing. She walked over, pinched his cheeks, and said, “Jealous again? If I really were going to sleep in his room, would you just sit here? I told you where I was going. It’s not easy to smooth things over after you left him behind.”
“Alright, enough. Have you showered? Do you want to rest first? I need to shower.”
“I haven’t showered yet. Let’s go together.”
“What? What were you doing all this time?”
“Waiting for you to come back.”
Nanci knew he was upset, so she said, “You go first. I’ll shower after you. I’ll wait outside, okay?”
“Wouldn’t it save time if we showered together?”
“Stop joking. Go shower, or you’ll stink, and I won’t let you hug me while we sleep.”
Edward persisted, “It’s not like you haven’t helped me shower before. This time, I’ll do it myself. Or… I could help you?”
Nanci blushed. “No! Besides, wasn’t it my fault for helping you shower? If you hadn’t been unable to move and smelled a bit, and…”
“And what?”
Nanci gathered her courage. “You wet the bed, and I had to change the sheets for you! Shouldn’t you be thanking me for that? Why does it sound like I was taking advantage of you?”
Edward’s ears turned red as the memory came flooding back. He had tried to forget it, but now it was brought up. He didn’t want to continue the conversation, afraid she might bring up even more embarrassing moments.
“Go shower. I’ll go after you.”
Nanci rushed into the bathroom. She deliberately took her time, trying to delay the inevitable. She didn’t know why she had brought it up earlier and was worried about what Edward might think.
“It’s been almost an hour!”
When Edward finally knocked on the door, she hurriedly finished and stepped out. “I’m done. You can go now,” she said softly.
She lay in bed, anxiously waiting for him. Time seemed to drag on.
Edward came out and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Even though I’ve said it many times, I want to say it again. Thank you, Nanci.”
Nanci turned around and buried her face in his chest. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I don’t know why I said those things…”
“Let’s sleep. Goodnight.”