Bartlett was mulling things over as he walked, and then he tentatively asked Ellinor, âEllinor, I saw Theo bring you supper just now, and you accepted it. Does this mean youâre thinking about making up with Theo?â
Ellinor hesitated a bit. She didnât directly respond to Bartlettâs question and shifted the topic. âMr. Rex, do you fancy some barbecue?â
Bartlett fell silent.
Even though she didnât answer directly, he had already guessed the answer.
Back in the living room, the smell of barbecue wafted through the air, making everyoneâs stomachs grumble with hunger. They were all looking forward to it.
Ellinor handed the barbecue to Bélinda. âYou guys start. I need to use the bathroomâ
Belinda took the barbecue and asked, âEllinor, this is from Theo, isnât it?â
Ellinor didnât answer and had already turned to walk to the bathroom.
âWho else could it be?â Byran stood up. He couldnât wait to open the barbecue package and quickly took out a skewer, handing it to Ida.
Ida took it without hesitation.
Then, Chase also took two skewers and passed one to Belinda.
Belinda was a bit taken aback before accepting and saying, âThanks.â
Chase just smiled. âNo need to thank me; I didnât buy it. I should thank Theo for providing us with barbecue so late.â
Belinda smiled. âThen you should go thank him. You have his contact, right?â
Chase just laughed and didnât argue further.
At this time, Belindaâs phone rang. It was her boyfriend, Jacob, She quickly put down the skewer and went to the side to answer the phone. She had forgotten to call Jacob earlier. He must be worried, perhaps even angry.
After moving to a quieter spot, Belinda picked up. âHello, Jacob.â
Jacob sounded a bit gloomy. âBelinda, where are you? Are you not at home yet?â
Belinda was quite embarrassed. âJacob, Iâm at the Howardâs. Ellinor is staying here how, so I came too.
I forgot to call you earlier. Iâm sorry.â
Jacob chuckled bitterly. âItâs okay, as long as youâre fine. I was just a bit worried about youâ¦â
Belinda felt even more guilty. âIâm really sorry, Jacob. It wasnât intentional. I was just so happy to see Theo and Ellinor getting along, and I forgot to call you. Youâre not angry, are you?â
Jacob replied, âBelinda, Iâm not angry, really.â
âThatâs good. Iâll treat you to something delicious tomorrow after you get off work. By the way, did you finish your work?â
âYeah, itâs all done.â
âThatâs good. Donât let me disrupt your work; that would make me feel even worse.â
âBelinda, when are you planning to come home? Do you want me to grab a cab and pick you up?â
Belinda was mindful of him and knew he had to work the next day, so she didnât want to trouble him.
âNo need, Jacob; someone will take me home. You should get some rest. You only have a few hours to sleep before you have to get up for work.â
Jacob was silent for half a minute, then asked somewhat unnaturally, âWhoâs taking you home? Is it Mr.
Larios?â