âSo, about himâ¦â
âWhy do you have to pry so much? Donât you already know whatâs between us?â Dorothy wished to
close the book on this topic, because if it wasnât making anyone happy, why dwell on it? She felt like
Kennethâs kindness towards her was something that could never be erased, and she didnât want to lie
to Everett about that.
âAlright, I wonât ask.â Everett kept his gaze fixed on her. âWhen do you think is the best time to pick up
Abigail and Langston? You decide.â
He had initially thought about having Kevin drop them off, but after giving it some thought, he figured he
should consult Dorothy. It would be disrespectful to make such a decision without her input.
âLetâs wait a few more days, okay?â
Of course, Dorothy longed to see her children and would have loved to have them with her
immediately!
But there was a part of her that was apprehensive and fearful about how to break the news to Kenneth,
especially since Langston had been with him for so longâlonger than she had been with the child
herself. The thought of suddenly having them whisked away to the Lopez family, with no idea when
they might see Kenneth again, made the words stick in her throat, whether face to face or over the
phone.
So, she figured the kids could spend a little more time with Kennethâjust a bit longer.
âIâll follow your lead,â Everett didnât say much, although he had read the reason for her hesitation from
her eyes.
The same sentiment remained unspoken between them: he didnât want to pressure Dorothy. He
wanted to give her the space to live her life the way she preferred, to choose her own path. As for his
feelingsâ¦.
What pain, loss, or sadness could possibly outweigh the agony of the four years without her? He had
endured that; what was there to fear now?
Their mutual silence hung heavy in the air until the whirlwind that was Jeffrey burst in, shattering the
quiet.
âEverett! When is Karen flying back home? I need to know!â
He blurted out his question before noticing Dorothy was there too.
She frowned instinctively and had her guard up, âWhy do you need to know?â
Jeffrey, caught offâguard, stumbled over his words.
âJeffrey, Karen is my friend, and sheâs worlds apart from you. Iâd really prefer it if you didnât make her
your next conquest,â Dorothy said as her protective instincts kicked in. She had wanted to voice her
concerns the day before but had held back because Karen was there.
âI⦠I didnât say sheâs my conquestâ¦â
âThen enlighten me, why are you constantly looking for her?â Dorothy was naturally protective over her
best friend. She feared that Karen would get entangled with a man like Jeffrey. What would become of
her if the man just hit and ran?
Jeffreyâs thoughts scrambled; he opened his mouth but no defense came out.
Everett propped himself up and pulled Dorothy close, âYou donât have to be so hostile towards him.
Jeffrey⦠is not a bad guy.â
Everett was confident about that much.
âI know the relationship between you two, which itâs like me and Karen. But until I can be sure youâre
serious about her, Jeffrey, Iâm opposed to anything happening between you two.â
Dorothy laid it all out there. There was no need for pretenses in front of Jeffrey.
It always came down to some âsimple truthsâ between men and women, didnât it?
Jeffrey had only met Karen a few days ago, and Dorothy wasnât buying any overnight romance.
âHold on, both of you! Stop acting like Iâm the one chasing after Karen, will you? She was the one who
offered to be in my bed last night!â
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