He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 17

Eleanor set her fork down and shot him a sharp glare. "Your mouth is just as insufferable as ever. I thought you were swamped with work. What are you doing here?"

"Someone who was specifically ordered to stay out of the wind decided to sneak out to meet someone completely irrelevant. If you end up in the ER, we're the ones who have to panic."

Juniper sat rigidly, her fingers gripping her spoon until her knuckles turned white.

With long, purposeful strides, Nelson closed the distance between them.

It had been years since Eleanor and Nelson had seen each other in person; they had only communicated through phone calls.

Since returning to the country, Nelson had completely thrown himself into his work and hadn't even stopped by the family estate for dinner.

Eleanor suddenly smiled. "I think you're only here because Juniper is. I seem to recall someone saying before we left Oakley that..."

Nelson cut her off immediately. "This isn't the time to bring that up."

Juniper's grip on the spoon tightened further.

He was right. It wasn't the time. He had a daughter now.

Even though she had resolved to completely erase Nelson from her life, it was still impossible for her to remain calm in his presence.

Lowering her eyelashes, she kept her gaze fixed on the food in front of her.

Nelson took the seat right beside her, his knee lightly brushing against hers. This wasn't like the class reunion.

Back then, the room had been loud, and she had faded into the background.

But here, with Eleanor present, she was constantly the center of attention.

"Juniper, Nelson is right here. If you're running into trouble at work and don't feel comfortable telling me, tell him. He tutored you for years, after all. You always used to say he treated you better than your own brother did."

Playing with his silverware, Nelson scoffed. "You're comparing me to a scumbag like that?"

Eleanor rubbed her temples in exasperation, yet felt a spark of relief. At least he was showing a shred more humanity than his usual icy demeanor. "If I tell you to help her, you help her. Juniper is working at the Xavier auction house. The Xavier family is incredibly unstable right now, and Caleb doesn't have the authority to keep things under control."

She appreciated the dowager's kindness, but there was zero chance of anything happening between her and Nelson.

Nelson harbored an inexplicable resentment toward her, his family loathed her, and he was the one who had ruthlessly dumped her four years ago.

But Nelson cut her off before she could finish. "If you want a favor, shouldn't you pour me a drink?"

He stared at her, acting as if the toxic history between them didn't exist.

Juniper dug her nails into her palms, refusing to comply.

Eleanor finally sensed the tension. "Have you two seen each other recently?"

Nelson rubbed the edge of his glass. "Not at all."

Juniper didn't lift her glass. The air in the room had grown so thick it was suffocating. Thankfully, her phone buzzed.