The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 285

“Suzie, do you have any plans for the weekend? I’d like to take you to dinner.”

Suzie’s hand paused mid-air. Her sixth sense told her this was it. Such a formal invitation meant Oliver was finally going to say something.

She answered casually, “Hmm… I don’t think I have anything for work tomorrow. Let me check with Hayden and I’ll text you.”

After speaking, she went back to eating with her fork, feigning nonchalance. In her peripheral vision, she could already see the confusion on Oliver’s face at the second half of her sentence.

But Suzie decided to wait for him to ask. She wanted him to ask why she needed to consult Hayden about a simple dinner invitation.

As expected, Oliver spoke up.

“Suzie… since it’s not work-related, and it’s the weekend, why do you need to discuss a dinner with him?”

This was the opening she was waiting for. “Well… I was in such a rush today, and I spent so long talking with Helen, I haven’t had a chance to tell you and Stella yet… Did you see the trending topics on social media?”

The light in Oliver’s eyes visibly dimmed, his mood sinking. He quickly tried to mask his disappointment, forcing a gentle tone.

“Yeah, I saw. You two are…?”

The silence in the car stretched on for a long time.

When Suzie didn't reply, Oliver, perhaps realizing he had spoken too harshly, rubbed his temples and softened his voice. “I… I’m sorry, Suzie. That was out of line. Ultimately, this is your personal life, and I shouldn’t be giving you advice, but… I sincerely hope you’ll think this through. He… he might be good at his job and takes good care of you, but he doesn’t seem reliable. He has a girlfriend…”

Suzie smiled faintly. “Oliver, that girlfriend thing is just gossip fueled by social media. There are always people pushing those narratives. He already explained it to me. But I’ll take what you said into consideration. I’ll make sure he’s a good person before I marry him.”

She could see how hurt Oliver was, but if she didn’t cut things off now, she would just be stringing him along. She cherished their lifelong friendship and, more than anything, wanted him to find his own happiness.

By taking the initiative and revealing her “new relationship,” she hoped to minimize the pain for him. If she had waited for him to confess, her inevitable rejection would have been far more awkward and heartbreaking for him.