Chapter 109
Brandon shot him a glance. âSpit it out.â
Kent cautiously eyed his expression. âShould I really spill the beans? If I step out of line, please go easy on me.â
âI wonât.â
Kent was speechless
Don elbowed Kent. âJust come out with it, man. Why you beating around the bush?â
Kent cleared his throat, looked over at Brandon who had turned his attention back to work, and felt it was time to bite the bullet
while Don was there to back him up. So he addressed Brandon. âMr. Crawley.â
Brandon was flipping through reports and didnât look up, simply responded with one word. âSpeak.â
âDid you run into Ms. Yearwood at the hospital?â
Brandonâs hand paused on the report, he tilted his head slightly and gave Kent a look. âYou knew sheâs back in town?â
âDid she contact you?â he asked.
The light questions and the chilly gaze made Kent instantly recall the incident two years ago when Sophia asked him to convey a message to Brandon about returning money. At that time, he carelessly called her âSophiaâ and said, âMr. Crawley, Sophiaâs on the line.â What he got in return was the same kind of icy stare and a bone-chillingly calm remark, âSince when are you and Ms. Yearwood on a first-name basis?â That look, paired with his slowly measured tone, made Kentâs spine tingle.
This time, to avoid any suspicion, he had carefully referred to Sophia as âMs. Yearwood,â but it seemed he still couldnât dodge the scrutiny in that gaze and tone.
Feeling the weight of Brandonâs stare, Kent quickly waved his hands to show his innocence.
âWhy would she contact me for no reason?â Kent chuckled nervously, carefully choosing his words, âArenât you off your game today?â
Don, intrigued, raised an eyebrow, looked at Brandon, then back at Kent. âWhatâs the deal here?â
Kent didnât dare cater to Donâs gossip, his eyes still nervously fixed on Brandon.
Brandon still had that calm, side-glancing look.
âGo on,â he said.
Since the conversation had already started, Kent had no choice but to plow ahead. âEvery time youâve been off these past two years, itâs been about Ms. Yearwood. And since you visited her dad at the hospital yesterday, I thought maybe you bumped into
her there.â
And that it got under your skin again.
Kent didnât dare to voice that last part..
Don seemed to catch on. âWhoâs Ms. Yearwood?â
Kent sneaked a glance at Brandon. âMr. Crawleyâs wife.â
He just couldnât bring himself to say âex-wife.â
Don blurted out. âDidnât you guys get a divorce?â
Realizing he might be betraying Kentâs confidence, he regretted it instantly and smacked his own mouth.
Kent pretended not to hear, maintaining a humble posture as if waiting for Brandonâs orders, trying not to draw fire onto himself.
But his humility was in vain.
Brandon glanced at him, and even without saying a word, his look made Kentâs legs go weak.
Brandon didnât speak; just looked at him.
Kent wasnât great at handling that kind of gaze from Brandon.
Feeling the psychological pressure reach its peak, he suddenly found the courage to break and speak his mind.
Kent coughed lightly. âThe other day, when I went to pick up Mr. Dempsey, I accidentally let something slip.â
As he spoke, he looked at Brandon. He had been holding back for two years and decided to take advantage of this burst of
boldness to get it all off his chest. âMr. Crawley, Iâve always been someone who speaks his mind, and Iâve been bottling this up for
two years. Iâm just going to lay it out today. I donât know what went down between you and Ms. Yearwood, but itâs clear, youâre not over her. If you canât let go, why not just win her back? Itâs no big deal, girls need a bit of sweet talk. Youâre not going to get your wife back with that attitude.â
Brandon glanced at him. âWhatâs it to you?â
Kent was stumped, his audacity fading, and his voice grew weaker.
âItâs really none of my business. But Iâve been worried about you these past two years.â He looked at Brandon earnestly, âTo be honest, I miss the way you used to be. Unflappable, unaffected by anyone or anything at any time.â
Brandonâs hand paused on the documents, seemingly lost in thought.
Kent suddenly worried he might have gone too far and was pondering how to make amends when Brandon looked at him.
âItâs my issue. Youâve all had a tough couple of years because of me,â he said, his voice very calm.
This was not the turn of events Kent had expected, and he was momentarily stunned.
Brandon had already rolled up the report gently, tapping it against his hand, his expression serene.
Kent had a feeling that the Brandon of two years ago had returned.
âKent,â Brandon said, looking at him with a calm and composed gaze, âno one is clinging to anyone here, and nobodyâs life depends on someone else.â
Don heartily agreed with this and chimed in. âIâm with you on that. Just because thereâs a divorce doesnât mean itâs anybodyâs fault; maybe theyâre just not right for each other. Itâs best if both parties are well.â
Brandon didnât respond.
Don continued. âSometimes what we call not being able to let go isnât about deep feelings; itâs just habit, or being stuck in memories and not willing to move on. But in the end, itâs often because you havenât met someone new.â
Don looked at Brandon. âHave you considered meeting other girls, starting over? Youâve been divorced for two years; itâs fine to find someone new.â
Then he remembered Yolanda. âYolandaâs back, you know. Maybe you could think about Yolanda.â
âThereâs no Yolanda,â Brandon cut him off coldly.
Don didnât sweat it too much, thinking Brandon and Yolanda just had some cobwebs to clear after not seeing each other for ages. Plus, Yolanda had changed quite a bit since she was a kid, and even Don was struggling to wrap his head around the change. So, Brandon would naturally need some time to adjust.
So, with a chuckle, Don teased Brandon, âNo worries, man. How about I play matchmaker for you and set you up on a blind date?â
Kent jumped in before Don could finish, âMr. Crawley doesnât need any set-ups.â
But before he could get all the words out, Brandon was already looking at Don and replied coolly, âSure, letâs go for it.â
Kent stared at Brandon in shock.
The Brandon he knew might have gone off the rails occasionally because of Sophia over the past couple of years, but most of the time, he was on a totally different wavelength from us mere mortals.
The idea of Brandon going on a blind date sounded so out of place, it was downright jarring.
âMr. Crawley,â he called out, unsure, âYou good?â
âWhat could possibly be wrong with me?â Brandonâs voice was nonchalant, âItâs all just habit. Thereâs no habit you canât break. Whatâs the difference who youâre with, anyway?â
Kent didnât know what to say.
Kent kinda regretted bringing it up.