Love’s Change of Heart novel Chapter 134

Chapter 134 Like I Care

After dinner, Leanna was about to head up to her room when Justin said, “Leanna, take a walk with me in the garden.”

She froze, then nodded slowly in agreement. “Okay.”

The evening sky had yet to darken. It was gray and hazy, almost gunmetal as the thunderclouds gathered above the head. It looked like a torrential downpour was in the works.

Leanna gazed into the distance, but before she could get lost in her thoughts, Justin’s voice pulled her back to reality. “I guess living here must still be strange for you.”

She retracted her gaze and pursed her lips, not at all denying his observation. He took in her reaction and went on to say quietly, “My father is painfully stubborn, and it takes a while to get him to soften up. I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do other than put up with him for the time being.”

“Thanks for the tip,” she said sardonically after a pause.

“You’re welcome.” He didn’t seem to mind her clipped tones. “I know what it’s like to be trapped somewhere with no viable means of escape.” Then, tipping his head back so that he was facing the stormy sky, he added helpfully, “But don’t let the feeling get to you. I’m sure having you suffer is the last thing Aidan wants.”

“Oh, I beg to differ,” she countered grimly. Aidan had made it clear that once the Pearsons learned of her pregnancy, she would be left to deal with the mess alone. She didn’t blame him; she was the one who insisted on having the child, and it was agreed that Aidan would be left out of the equation entirely.

Upon hearing her sarcasm, Justin smiled and shook his head, then pointed out slowly, “Aidan has a short fuse, but he comes around just as quickly as well. Plus, he’s probably making arrangements for the matter as we speak. Give him some time and you’ll see he’s more reliable than he’d like to admit.”

At that moment, Leanna looked at Justin with interest, and she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. He was, in every regard, the perfect man. His even temperament, his genteel manners, and his eloquence were but parts of his wholesome existence.

If he had not been in an accident that turned him wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life, he would have achieved plenty of great things, and the possibilities would have been endless for him. Even now, there were girls who fawned over him, but it was like he had hidden away from the rest of the world.

After a while, Leanna snapped out of her reverie and said, “Mr. Pearson, we should head back into the house before it rains.”

Justin smiled at her and nodded. “Alright.”

…

That night, Leanna tossed and turned in bed, but sleep would not come to her while she lay in unfamiliar territory.

Outside, the torrential rain beat against her window relentlessly, and a symphony made up of only violent percussion tore through the silence of her room.

To make matters worse, she was hungry.

This is torture, she thought as she lifted the covers and sat up in bed, then looked out the window at the abysmal darkness. The little one inside her was protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the pitch-black of this rainy night.

She was still debating on whether she should go down to the kitchen and rummage for food when bright white headlights swept past her windows, illuminating her room for just a brief second. It had been so blinding that Leanna had to look away. Who would drop by the house at this hour when there was a storm brewing?

From what she could recall, none of the Pearsons had gone out for the night.

That said, the interruption made her change her mind about sneaking downstairs for food, deciding instead to bear with her hunger pangs for one night. She would ask the kitchen staff to set aside fruits and snacks tomorrow for her in case she got peckish at night.

Having settled on that, she lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head, then put one hand to her belly as though to soothe her baby.

Shortly after, she heard the sound of footsteps from down the hallway, approaching, and eventually stopping right outside her bedroom door.

Leanna lay very still in bed. For some reason, she had a feeling she knew who the person outside her door was. Could it be? She bolted out of bed and hurriedly put on her slippers, then dashed over to the door to open it. However, the moment she saw the person standing on the other side, any trace of hope and anticipation in her eyes dimmed.