When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 273

“Okay.” Nelly nodded and reached for her fork.

But she paused. “Jonah, there’s way too much food here. Will you eat with me?”

Jonah looked at her, his expression as gentle as always. Whenever she asked for something, he just nodded. “Sure.”

Nelly grinned, passing him a fork and ladling him a bowl of seafood soup.

“This tastes amazing.”

She took a bite, glanced at Jonah, and for a moment, it hit her just how good her life really was. She had a job she liked, goals to chase, and family who cared.

“Eat a little more,” Jonah told her, his gaze warm and kind. “You’ve lost a lot of weight lately. It makes me worry about you.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

The mood suddenly felt extra soft and sweet, so much that Nelly felt her cheeks get hot. She touched her face and nodded, a little embarrassed.

Once they finished eating, Nelly wiped her mouth. That’s when she spotted the dark circles under Jonah’s usually perfect eyes.

“Jonah, about last night… I must’ve been a handful. I was so tired, I just passed out, didn’t I?” She spoke softly, a bit worried she’d been trouble.

Jonah just made a quiet sound, not saying much.

After a moment, as if realizing what she meant, he explained, “I wanted to wait for you to wake up, but I thought you’d be uncomfortable sleeping in the car. So I brought you home.”

“Don’t worry. I left right after you were inside.”

His voice sounded a little tense, like he was worried she’d get the wrong idea.

She tried to explain, her voice more firm. “Jonah, really, I was just worried you hadn’t rested enough. You look kind of tired today.”

She pointed to the circles under his eyes. Jonah froze for a second, then touched his own face.

It was true. Not just last night though. He hadn’t been sleeping well for a while.

A faint blush crept onto Jonah’s cheeks. He coughed. “Do I look that bad?”

“No, you always look good!” Nelly said quickly.

“It’s just… you do so much for me. I can’t help but worry about you too. I hate feeling like you’re always exhausted because of me…”

Nelly started to panic a little. Why was Jonah suddenly so self-conscious and shy? She hurried closer. Even tired, Jonah’s features were as striking as ever. If anything, the hint of weariness made him look even more thoughtful, adding a kind of quiet intensity to his usual calm.