After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 820

Whenever Melissa’s name came up, just mentioning Douglas was enough to make her scowl. Still, she’d never actually done anything to hurt him. It was almost funny how much patience they had for each other.

Laura grinned, “Honestly, I think he likes Melissa. You should keep an eye on him.”

“Or, you know, test him a little. Maybe drop a hint in front of him—say your family set Melissa up on a blind date, then let slip where it’s happening. I bet he’d race over there to ruin it.”

Jesse’s eyes lit up. “Laura, that’s genius. Next time I see Douglas, I’m totally trying that.”

Business rivalry aside, Douglas and Melissa actually seemed like a good match. If Melissa saw him as a real opponent, she probably admired him too, even if she’d never admit it. They just happened to be on opposite sides, fighting for their own families.

“Linda’s brothers are all pretty decent,” Laura said, shaking her head. “She even tried to introduce Isabella and me to them. She said if we ever wanted to get married, we could just pick one.”

Laura laughed at the memory. “Honestly, Isabella and I were scared out of our minds.”

Jesse’s smile faded, a hint of nerves creeping in. “Laura, I’m a good guy too. If you can’t accept my feelings yet, that’s okay. I can wait for you. Just... don’t fall for anyone else, alright?”

Laura rolled her eyes. “If I wanted to be Linda’s sister-in-law, I’d have gone to visit her family ages ago. I wouldn’t keep turning down her invitations.”

Jesse finally relaxed, the tension easing from his shoulders.

He said, “I’ll test Douglas soon.”

If Douglas did like Melissa, maybe Jesse could help them get together. Then, once he was Douglas’s brother-in-law, would any of the White family guys dare go after the girl Jesse liked? He found the idea pretty satisfying.

Jesse’s eyes immediately lit up, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I’d love that, and I have time. I’ll come over in the morning. You don’t have to cook anything special. I’m not picky, I’ll eat whatever you make.”

Laura grinned back at him. “Breakfast is always simple at my place anyway. As long as you don’t mind. Go on, head home. Text me when you get in. Goodnight.”

“Alright. Goodnight.”

He waited until Laura was safely inside and the door was closed before walking back to the elevator, smiling to himself the whole way.

The next morning, the sun was already shining bright, as if last night’s storm had never happened at all.