Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 163

Grandma Hayes answered through her bedroom door, saying she was already asleep. Julian went upstairs and pushed open the master bedroom door. The bed was empty. Had Hazel already left? Didn't he tell her to wait for him?

He pulled out his phone and dialed Hazel's number.

Hazel's phone lit up just as she arrived outside Professor Finch's house. Julian's name flashed on the screen in the darkness.

She was surprised. Shouldn't he be spending the night at Evelyn's right now?

"What is it?"

"Where did you go? Didn't I tell you to wait for me at home?" Julian's voice came through the receiver, edged with distinct displeasure.

"Professor Finch needed to see me, so I came back here."

The line went completely silent for a moment. Hazel could hear his steady breathing before his voice returned, casually issuing an order.

"Then I'll pick you up tomorrow. You need to come to the airport with me to pick someone up."

Hazel didn't bother asking who. She genuinely didn't care anymore. "Got it."

She hung up the phone and knocked on the door.

The door swung open quickly.

Dr. Queenie Finch stood there in a gray cardigan, her hair tied back in a loose bun. Seeing Hazel on her doorstep, she looked both surprised and thoroughly confused.

"Hazel? Why are you back so late? Did Julian bully you?"

Hazel smiled and shook her head, her voice soft but tinged with a subtle grievance. "No one bullied me. I just wanted to come see you."

She stared down at the rising steam, remaining silent for a long time.

"I was too stubborn before. I couldn't bear to let him go, so I refused to accept his passing. I avoided talking about him, convincing myself that if I didn't say his name, he was still just reading in his study, simply skipping dinner for the evening."

Queenie paused, looking up at Hazel. Her eyes were wet, but a soft smile touched her lips. "But thinking about it now, the true way to honor someone is to keep their memory alive. The more I avoided his name, the more I was erasing the traces of his existence."

Hazel choked up, a lump forming in her throat. She pulled the letter from her bag and handed it over. She had protected it perfectly; although she had broken the seal, the edges were crisp and flawless.

"This letter is for you, so I didn't read it. What did he say?" Queenie asked.

"You should read it yourself."

Queenie took the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly. Before she even began to read, her eyes welled up with fresh tears.