Chapter 5
“Because…”
Jason swallowed what was left of the steamed bun he was holding as he waited for her to finish her sentence.
Grace struggled to find her words. As an attorney, she’d thought out every argument and calculated conversation to be convincing and compelling. But she wasn’t looking to sell him on something or to try and win him over. He either wanted her company or he didn’t.
She took a bite of one of the steamed buns he’d brought. The taste was subpar. In the past, she probably would not have liked them, but now, the taste was secondary. The most important thing for her was to fill her stomach.
A dozen different arguments filled her head, for ‘why’ she should be his sister, but in the end, she went for an honest explanation.
“Jay, we are the same kind of people. We’ve both been abandoned by others and can only look for a living on the bottom-most rung of society. No one will want people like us, and no one will care about us, but at least we can keep each other warm. I can care about you, and you can also care about me, right?”
“Is that so?” he said. She felt her smile wobble. If he were to describe her expression, what would he see? Hope, loneliness, desire, and also some uncertainty.
She’d been so guarded the last three years. She understood what she was feeling now: vulnerability.
“It seems that we really are the same kind of people…” he muttered. His gaze was like that of a hunter watching a small animal fall into his trap.
“Sister.” He nodded as if coming to some agreement.
In the blink of an eye, her smile turned as bright as the starry sky.
After dinner, Grace took Jason with her and left for the night market to buy some clothes. He was bemused by her efforts, but apparently, she was taking this whole ‘sister’ thing seriously.
Perhaps the days were really becoming too boring for him. He could easily get whatever he wanted with a wave of his hands, but now this game was becoming somewhat interesting to him.
So he indulged her, following behind her like some lost puppy.
should just
wasn’t his place to ease
store, but he saw the way her eyes widened as the cash register
said. “Put this
cotton jacket was thick,
it warmer now?”
She was almost a head shorter than him. “Actually, you don’t need to buy these clothes for me. I am used to the cold. I’d be fine
money and I can’t buy a lot of clothes for you, but I can at least let you wear something
you so nice to me?”
so she held his hands with her own,
too cold. Rubbing them like this should make them a little warmer,” she
stiffened for a minute. Never had a woman rubbed his hands like this before
he did not reject her touch as much. Perhaps he was fine with her touch because, right
that he had no reaction, she suddenly seemed to think of something and glanced at her hands,
she quickly let
don’t think your hands are rough at all, but your hands actually felt quite cold as well. Sister, why don’t you rub your hands on mine for a while
he offered
but then she held his hands in hers again. Compared with his
hands from time to time. Her nose had
***
today. It was not easy for me to ask him
It was the album that contained photos of her
album,” Evelyn said in a gentle voice. She then added the specific
never hand the
almost all her memories of
voice rang
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