I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 601

Sienna pressed her lips together.

She struggled to find an explanation.

The mental wiring of someone with Asperger's Syndrome was notoriously difficult to navigate.

Thankfully, Xavier's wife, Holly, was incredibly socially adept and immediately jumped in to smooth things over.

"Oh, Captain Fletcher is just saying that he's naturally handsome, and you're just terrible at giving compliments! Come on, everyone, let's sit down."

Xavier laughed it off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Right, right, my bad! I'll take a penalty drink to apologize later."

Xavier ushered them into the luxurious dining suite.

Holly walked behind him, naturally looping her arm through Sienna's.

She lowered her voice and asked with a conspiratorial smile.

"Are you two tying the knot soon?"

Sienna just smiled gently, avoiding a direct answer.

The heating in the room was comfortably warm, and the fine silverware was already meticulously arranged on the table.

Shortly after the four of them sat down, Isaac and Lily arrived.

Lily was heavily pregnant now; Isaac carefully supported her elbow and pulled out her chair for her.

After a round of warm greetings, Holly handed Lily a glass of warm water.

"You must be due any day now, right?"

"Less than a month left," Lily sighed, taking the glass. "Just waddling around is a workout these days."

Xavier chimed in from across the table.

"Then why drag yourself out to dinner?"

"Because I needed fresh air," Lily snapped, shooting him a lethal glare. "Are you my warden now?"

"Wouldn't dare!" Xavier chuckled, turning to Isaac. "Your wife is still as terrifying as ever. How do you survive?"

Isaac pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I'm used to it."

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? Care to repeat that?"

"Being used to it is a blessing," Isaac replied seamlessly, without breaking a sweat.

Lily burst out laughing, letting him off the hook.

Sienna watched them trade easy, effortless banter.

It was obvious they hung out frequently and shared a very tight bond.

Instinctively, she glanced at Finn beside her.

He was sitting perfectly rigid, his face an impenetrable mask of alienation.

The lively, chaotic environment seemed to be overloading his circuits.

The food arrived swiftly.

Xavier plated a piece of the braised short ribs and placed it in Finn's bowl.

The atmosphere devolved into agonizing awkwardness.

Sienna ultimately threw in the towel.

She turned her attention to Lily and Holly, diving into a conversation about babies.

"Have you picked out a name yet?"

Lily happily took the bait, and the suffocating tension in the room finally began to lift.

The women chatted excitedly about who the baby would resemble and what they might grow up to be.

Holly smiled.

"Xavier swears the kid should go into the arts."

Xavier eagerly chimed in.

"Doesn't matter what they do, they gotta learn some art. The only thing separating men from machines is human emotion and creativity."

Isaac smiled softly.

"I don't care what they do. As long as the kid is healthy and happy, that's enough."

Lily listened to them and smiled warmly.

She glanced over at Finn, noticing he hadn't spoken a single word in ages.

Worried that he was feeling alienated, she decided to include him.

She smiled at Finn, her tone full of genuine admiration.

"Honestly, I just hope our baby turns out as brilliant and successful as Captain Fletcher. Wouldn't you agree, Finn?"