The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 375

When Lavinia was little, her family wasn't wealthy, but as an only child, she was her parents' whole world.

Every weekend, they would dress her up in pretty little dresses and take her to the park for photos, which was how she ended up with so many pictures.

"This one is from when I was four. My parents took me to a studio," she said, leaning close to point at the little girl in the photo.

"You were so cute. Your eyes took up half your face," he laughed softly.

"Don't exaggerate," she playfully scolded.

He studied the pictures, his gaze and tone melting into pure warmth. "It would be nice if we could have a few daughters like you someday."

"A few? Do I look like a machine to you?" she pouted.

He turned the pages slowly, asking about every detail—when it was taken, where they were, who else was in the shot. Usually so composed and stoic, his eyes crinkled at the corners now, filled with utter tenderness.

It suddenly dawned on her that Garnett had never once cared to look through her past or step into this room.

Whenever he brought up her student days, his only comment was usually, "Why did you always walk past my classroom when you were delivering soup to Saul?"

He was insufferably self-absorbed.

"You were living in South Riverdale then, and I was in North Riverdale. We were only a few miles apart. If only I had met you earlier," Charley said, his voice thick with regret.

Lavinia stuck her tongue out. "You were a rich heir. Even if we had met, you wouldn't have given me the time of day."

He looked up at her. "How could I not?"

After finishing the album that spanned kindergarten to elementary school, Charley placed his hand flat on the cover. "Can you scan these for me? I'd really like to have them."

Her heart skipped a beat, a blush creeping up her neck. "Why? Keeping photos of someone else's childhood is so weird."

"I want to organize them chronologically and slip them into my own family albums," he said seriously. "That way, it'll feel like we've been together from the very beginning."

She stared at him, suddenly profoundly touched.

"Yes."

She bit her lip, looking down.

"Then step outside for a minute. I'll call you when I'm ready," she whispered, her face burning hot.

He obligingly got up and walked out.

She closed the door and dug through the closet until she found her old high school uniform—a crisp white button-down and a pleated skirt that fell to her knees. She even still had the school badge and the little tie.

She hadn't grown much taller since she was seventeen, so she could still fit into the uniform. However, her body had filled out over the years. What used to be a loose fit was now noticeably snug.

After changing, she cracked the door open and peeked out at Charley waiting in the hall. "You can come in now."

He stepped inside. As his eyes dragged over her, the tips of his ears turned a faint shade of red.

Oblivious, she twirled slightly. "How do I look?"