Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Juggling two new cases, Aubrey’s workload intensified dramatically. She plunged into her work, losing herself completely and often forgetting to eat or sleep. It was often nine at night before she finally clocked out.

Passing the pharmacy on her way back to the neighborhood, she realized she was running low on her prescription medication and knew a doctor’s visit for a refill would be impossible with her current schedule. Inside, she picked up her prescription for sleeping pills, along with some over–the–counter stomach medicine and painkillers. Clutching the small pharmacy bag, she headed back towards her apartment complex.

The main pathway of the old complex was bathed in the warm yellow glow of streetlights. Lush greenery lined the route, and with few people about at night, it felt exceptionally peaceful.

As Aubrey reached her building, she saw the black sedan again, parked carelessly on the roadside by its inconsiderate owner. The complex had a parking lot, and parking was free for residents. Yet, for some reason, this inconsiderate driver always chose to park directly below her unit. She saw the car every time she came home from work, but it was always gone by the time she left. As she passed the sedan, Aubrey deliberately glanced at the license plate. A New Haven City plate. The number was easy to remember, and it clearly belonged to an expensive vehicle. The car windows were too dark, no lights on inside, so she figured it was empty. She sighed softly and walked past, resigned. She didn’t have the energy or inclination to bother with such trivialities.

After Aubrey entered her apartment, the black sedan’s window slowly rolled down. Damon’s elbow rested on the sill, his eyes, dark and heavy with thought, followed her.

Damon saw that what Aubrey carried wasn’t takeout, but a bag from a chain pharmacy. He quickly got out of the car, shutting the door. A frantic worry gnawed at his gut; he desperately needed to know why she’d bought medicine–what kind it was, where she hurt, if she was sick. The jumbled, anxious emotions clung to him, a heavy, suffocating weight.

After a moment of agonizing indecision, he couldn’t stop his feet. He stepped forward, entered the code, and let himself in.

Inside apartment 302, a warm white light glowed. Aubrey kicked off her shoes, her bare feet meeting the comfortable wooden floor. She hung her bag on the storage rack by the door, then carried the medicine into the living room and placed it on the wooden coffee table. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of ice water, sipping it as she turned on the AC. Almost as an afterthought, she switched on the TV, selecting a news channel. A little background noise in the apartment helped to ward off the gloom that often settled in her heart.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Aubrey froze, wondering who could possibly be at her door so late. She set her water glass down and walked to the door. Through the peephole, she saw Damon. Her heart lurched, skipping two beats. She jerked back from the peephole, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Her >reath hitched, shallow and uneven. She hesitated, a tremor running through her, terrified to open the door. Her mind reeled, trying to fathom why Damon was showing up at her door so late. A man of Damon’s integrity wouldn’t allow himself to be tangled with an ex, not when he was on the verge of getting married.

As she hesitated, the doorbell rang again. Aubrey ran a hand through her hair, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. She took a deep, steadying breath, then quickly pulled open the door.

The door swung open. Damon’s head, which had been lowered, slowly lifted, and his intense gaze locked with hers. Their eyes met. Though the quiet >etween them was deep and profound, inside, their hearts were caught in a violent storm–thunder crashing, lightning striking, and powerful indercurrents churning.

Aubrey’s tense hand pressed against the door as she feigned a calm tone. “What brings you here so late?”

Damon snapped back to reality at her words. “I left something important behind. I just remembered it today, so I came to pick it up.”

Aubrey looked back, scanning the living room. Since she’d moved in, she’d already thoroughly checked, and aside from the furniture and appliance here was nothing of his left. “What is it?” Aubrey asked curiously. “I’ll get it for you.”

Damon paused, hesitating for a moment, unsure what to say. Then he took a step, easing past her into the house. “I’ll get it myself.”

Aubrey couldn’t find a reason to refuse. She hastily stepped back, pressing the door against the wall, clearing the way for him. Once inside, Exumon nstinctively started to remove his shoes, then suddenly froze. Aubrey saw him freeze and realized there were no guest slippers for him here. She hadn’t xpected any guests at this New Haven City home, and the last person she expected to be her first guest was Damon

‘No need to take off your shoes,” Aubrey said, closing the door behind her. “What are you looking for?”

Damon’s gaze drifted down to Aubrey’s pale, bare feet. His eyes darkened, and his brows furrowed slightly. “Isn’t the floor cold?”

Aubrey looked down at her feet, her uneasy toes curling inward. “Not cold at all. It was the middle of summer, not wearing shoes at home was perfectly normal, right? Besides, her floors were spotless.

23.03

< Chapter 73

Claim 15 Coins By Check in

Menu

Damon didn’t want to track dirt onto her spotless floors and create more work for her. He took off his shoes, stepping inside in his black socks.

Aubrey followed him. Damon scanned the living room. It was impeccably clean and organized. On the counter sat a resilient Jade Plant. The bookshelf held several law books, and on the coffee table, a small transparent glass tank contained a few colorful pebbles and a tiny turtle.

“Just one?” Damon pointed at the small turtle on her coffee table. “It’s going to get so lonely when you’re at work.”

Aubrey didn’t understand why he was so fixated on her small turtle. “Aren’t you here to get your things?”

“Yeah.” Damon glanced around again, finding nothing he could take. He then deliberately rummaged through the TV cabinet. “I used to have a trophy here,” he said, “where is it now?”

“What trophy?”

“The championship trophy from the Aircraft Design Competition my junior year.”

Back then, Aubrey had already been with him, witnessing him win the entire thing. She knew how much that trophy meant to him.

“You didn’t take it when you moved?” Aubrey asked, her stomach clenching with sudden nerves as she began checking the other drawers.

“Forgot to back then.”

Aubrey practically tore through every drawer and cabinet in the living room, then moved on to search the bedroom. Seeing Aubrey disappear into the bedroom, Damon turned and moved to the coffee table, his eyes immediately drawn to the pharmacy bag resting there. He picked it up, his gaze falling on the medications within. His first glance immediately caught the painkillers and stomach medicine. He knew Aubrey had a sensitive stomach, often suffering from severe indigestion and stomachaches. But why would she need painkillers? Beneath them, several more boxes of medication lay hidden. As he reached a hand in to examine them closer, the bag was suddenly snatched from his grasp, vanishing instantly.

Aubrey snatched the medicine bag back, clutching it behind her. Her gaze flared with annoyance as she looked up at him. “What are you doing, rummaging through my stuff?”

“Are you sick?” Worry clouded Damon’s eyes.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify