When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 205

“Teddy’s actually really easy to get along with. He doesn’t act stuck-up at all.” Nelly couldn’t help but say this as she and Jonah drove through the city.

“You like him?” Jonah’s voice was quiet, and Nelly missed the hint of jealousy behind his calm question.

She shrugged. “As a friend, sure. Having a friend like him would be pretty great.”

Teddy was the type of guy who was always upbeat, patient, and loyal to a fault. Nelly honestly thought Jonah was lucky to have a friend like that.

Jonah didn’t say anything right away. After a while, he spoke up. “Teddy’s not as simple as he looks. Sometimes being friends with him means getting caught up in his messes.”

Nelly grinned. “Didn’t you get caught up in one right after you met? But you’re loyal, and so is he. That’s why you two ended up close.”

She added, “Anyway, I’d rather take a hit for a friend than getting stabbed in the back.”

That wasn’t really her style, though. She’d never had many friends growing up, and the one person she called a friend ended up resenting her.

Jonah caught the frustration in her voice. He reached over, his tone turning gentle. “That friend didn’t deserve you. You’ll find better ones. I know it.”

Nelly smiled, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Jonah was focused on the road, city lights flickering across his sharp features. He looked so handsome in that moment, so serious and deep in thought.

Ever since Jonah started sticking around, Nelly felt more hopeful about what was coming next. Even though everything in her life felt like a mess right now, her mindset had changed. If she had to start all over again, she would. She was used to having nothing anyway.

She spoke up again. “Jonah, can I ask you something?”

He made a soft sound, waiting for her to go on.

“If I really can’t do it… if I can’t inherit the estate, will you still see me as your family?”

Her question made Jonah freeze, his hands tightening on the wheel just as the car came to a stop at a red light. He turned to look at her, his voice low. “Why would you even think that?”

“I don’t know. It just crossed my mind,” Nelly said quietly. There was a hint of sadness in her words. “A lot of relationships don’t last. If I’m not useful to you anymore, I just hope we can still be family.”

Jonah was only here for Felix, after all. Nelly liked to think of him as a real brother, but maybe Jonah just saw her as a regular friend. Or maybe not even that.

But Nelly insisted on going herself. The more determined she was, the more worried Jonah became. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Nicholas had some hidden agenda sending Nelly out of Westhaven.

“So you’re really that worried about me?” Nelly teased, catching him off guard.

Jonah avoided her eyes. “Maybe you could postpone it. I can go with you.”

Nelly gently slid her hand free from his. “I actually have a friend in the Capital. As long as Nicholas was telling the truth and Ben’s still there, my friend might be able to find him.”

She sounded calm, almost confident. When it came to finding people, that friend of hers was the real deal. That’s why she needed to go herself.

Jonah frowned. He thought he knew everything about Nelly’s life, but he’d never heard of any friend in the Capital, let alone someone with this much pull. Were they even more powerful than the Watsons?

Before he could ask, Nelly just smiled, keeping her secret, and walked away.

It was late. The villa was quiet, all the lights off except for one glowing in Brody’s room. He’d been watching from the window, and only now did he let the curtains fall.