Please Come Back, Honey!

Chapter 127

Please Come Back, Honey! Chapter 127

Wesley was not convinced. “Really?”

Emma hummed in response, trying to sound normal as she said, “Really.” She took a deep breath as shechanged the subject. “Is your mom feeling better?”

With good-natured exasperation, he replied, “You’ve only been gone for a day and she’s already whiningabout how much she misses you. I’m starting to feel a little unloved.”novelbin

Emma laughed when she heard this.

Throughout the phone call, Trevor sat next to the bed without uttering a single word as he observedEmma’s interactions with Wesley. He felt as if a thousand arrows had shot through his heart when hesaw her crack up at what Wesley had said over the phone.

When Emma hung up not long after, she could sense Trevor’s sharp gaze lingering on her. She did notmeet his eyes as she scooted down from the bed, and it wasn’t until she was on her feet that she steeledherself to look at him, saying, “Can I go now? I’m perfectly fine.”

“Okay,” he said hoarsely, then cleared his throat as if to hide the fact that he sounded as broken as hefelt.

Just as she was brushing past him, she said, “I’ve already paid Cerys for the blouse.” Her voice was coldand distant, matching her eagerness to draw the line between Trevor and herself, so much so that shehad forked out her own money for the blouse.

Having said that, she left the room without giving him a second glance. He followed her wordlessly withhis lips pressed into a grim line.

They still needed to go down to the police station to have their statements taken, so Emma had nochoice but to take Trevor’s car. She had no other modes of transport, seeing as Zachary and Cerys hadalready left the hospital, though the latter had texted earlier, ‘Emma, Mr. Manson and I have to leave toattend to a couple of things. I’ll drop by your place tonight.’

As for why the two of them had left, it was obviously because they wanted to give Emma and Trevorsome modicum of privacy. If not, then Emma would insist on leaving the hospital in Cerys’ car.

Meanwhile, Zachary and Cerys had initially planned on waiting in the hallway while they left the strainedpair to hash things out in the hospital room. Clad in her work ensemble, Cerys stared out the windowwith an almost stubborn edge to her features while her arms crossed and her back straight.

Her family had been poor while she was growing up, but that did not stop her from attaining an almostmodelesque height, and the ensemble she wore accentuated her curves.

Zachary was presently standing across from her, leaning against the wall with an insouciant air that wasa stark contrast to Cerys’ upright stance. He grinned as he appraised her with glittering eyes, then asked,“It’s been a while since we saw each other, Cherry. You’re looking more beautiful each time.”

His teasing was usually met with silence on Cerys’ part, but today, she actually turned to look at him asshe pointed out sardonically, “I thought you were engaged, Mr. Manson. Be mindful and don’t go aroundspeaking to other women that way, lest you find yourself getting into trouble with your future missus.”

He froze at first, then grew angry as he snapped, “Who the hell said I was engaged?”

She shrugged and resumed staring out the window, muttering, “Pretty sure that’s what the mediareported.” He even made the gossip column a few nights ago when he was pictured dining at some fancyrestaurant with a young heiress.

Zachary was infuriated and in disbelief as he asked, “You’re telling me you have no idea how rumors likethat get around even though you’ve been working for Trevor for years? Remember how his alleged loveaffair with Crystal blew up all over the press?”

Cerys gave him a bewildered look, but before she could say anything, he added unhappily, “My familyset me up against my own will.”

The knots in her stomach loosened when she heard his brief explanation. She looked a little shamefacedas she mumbled, “Sorry.”

The next second, he said flippantly, “I don’t believe in marriage, especially not for the sake of forming abusiness alliance with some other family. Besides, what’s the point of getting married and tying yourselfdown to one woman for the rest of your life? The voluntary sacrifice of one’s liberty to fulfill such a datedconcept is utter madness.”

Whatever relief or joy Cerys had felt earlier was diminished at once, and there was not even the slightestspark left. Nonetheless, she lowered her gaze to hide the disappointment in her eyes. What did sheexpect? Zachary was a free spirit, so asking him to marry and commit himself to one woman for the restof his life was like asking for the moon.

His sigh brought her out of her reverie. “Say, Cherry, what do you think makes marriage some compellingto others?”

Cerys took a deep breath and looked up at him, then said with a smile, “Maybe their hearts only haveenough room for that one special person, and marriage is just a way for them to continue spending theirlives together.”

Narrowing his eyes at her, Zachary accused, “Why do I feel like you’re lecturing me? That’s it, isn’t it?You think I’m a womanizer!”

The smile on her face deepened. “No, I’m just saying that we all have different life choices, and yoursdoes not necessarily translate to somebody else’s.”

Not wanting to carry on this conversation with him, she turned on her heels and headed out for somefresh air. She was admittedly stunned when she noticed that he had followed her.

He pulled out a cigarette and let it dangle from the corner of his perfectly-chiseled lips, then drawledlazily, “Come on, we should get out of here.” When he saw confusion flash across her features, heelaborated, “Trust me, the man you work for is a complete klutz when it comes to love, and he needs allthe help he can get if he wants to snag Emma. Let’s give them some space to work things out.”

It was only then that enlightenment dawned upon Cerys. “Okay.”

She was hesitant to spend time alone with Zachary, but he made a good point, one that she could notargue against.

They had come in the same car. She had left the signing event after Trevor, and moments later, she gota call from Zachary saying he was on the way to pick her up.

At present, she texted Emma before getting into the car with Zachary.

Meanwhile, it was almost noon by the time Emma had her statement taken at the police station.

Testing the waters, Trevor suggested, “How about some lunch before I drop you home?”

“I’m not hungry,” Emma said impassively. “You can have lunch on your own if you’d like. I can hail a cabback.”

He would not let her get into a cab in her current state. He took one step forward and grabbed her by thewrist, then shoved her into the car. “I’m not hungry either. Come on, let’s go.”

He wasted no time in getting into the driver’s seat and speeding off, worried that if he didn’t, she mightseize the chance to scurry out of the car or insist that he pulled over.

In truth, Emma didn’t want to travel with him, but she was far too worn out from this morning’s events toput up a fight, so she let him be.

The moment she got into the car, she closed her eyes and leaned into her seat, not at all concerned withmaking small talk with the man behind the wheel.

She would be lying if she said she didn’t regret missing Wilson’s signing event and the subsequentscreenwriting symposium for which he was a guest speaker. He was an elusive man who was practicallyincognito most of the time, save for his appearances at his own signing events. Some might say thatmeeting him in person was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Emma remained silent throughout the journey, and Trevor was not sure what he should say to cutthrough the tension between them either. Just like that, they endured a wordless drive.

It wasn’t long before he pulled up outside her apartment building. She thanked him curtly and got out ofthe car without so much as a backward glance. He stared at her retreating figure and suppressed all theemotions that welled up in him, then stepped on the gas pedal and left.

He wanted to ask if she was okay and if she needed anything at all, but it was clear to see that she didnot need his concern.

When Emma got home, the calm facade she had so carefully put together began to fall apart, and shelocked herself up in her bedroom so she could bawl her eyes out in private.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been crying for, but when the sadness and anger in her finallyplateaued, she heard someone knocking on the front door.

Wiping her tears dry, she hurried into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Thereafter, she quicklymade her way to the front door to open it, only to see Trevor standing out in the hallway with a takeoutbag in hand.