The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 92

Once they reached the top-floor café, Suzie chose a secluded table in the corner. After they sat down, Josie ordered a black coffee, while Suzie asked for a glass of milk.

“You don’t like coffee, Suzie?” Josie asked as soon as the waiter left.

“Hmm, not really,” Suzie answered simply. She wasn’t ready to let anyone else know about the pregnancy just yet. She’d figure out a plan once the baby bump started to show.

Josie nodded. “Yeah, I remember hearing that you never touched coffee at the studio either…”

Her voice trailed off, and her expression slowly darkened.

Seeing the change, Suzie asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

Josie bit her lip and stammered, “Suzie… I… I was just thinking about what happened in the cafeteria that day. I’m so sorry. I’ve felt incredibly guilty about it ever since. I swear, I’ve never done anything malicious in my life. That was the one and only time.”

Suzie just smiled faintly, her voice soft and reassuring. “It’s all in the past. I don’t blame you. Besides, you only did it because Lexi forced you to…”

Josie shot up from her seat and leaned across the table to grab her phone. “Suzie! What are you doing?! I told you, I came out specifically to buy you a gift today. Why did you send the money back?”

Suzie smiled. “Consider your gift received,” she said gently, motioning for Josie to sit back down. “It would have been too awkward to argue back and forth in the store. You told me about your struggles before. I know making money isn’t easy for you, so let’s not go back and forth on this. Besides, this sleepwear is a birthday present for a friend of mine, so it makes even less sense for you to pay for it. And don’t you dare transfer it back, or I’ll actually get mad.”

Josie pouted in disappointment for a moment before finally speaking. “Alright. But Suzie, I genuinely want to thank you. This makes me feel really bad. I mean, I almost caused you to fall that day, and you didn't hold it against me at all. Instead, you got me into Lumina Studio. You have no idea how happy I am to be away from Lexi. I feel like I can never thank you enough.”

Suzie seized the opportunity to address the question that had been nagging her since they were in the lingerie store.