Please Come Back, Honey! novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127Wesley was not convinced. “Really?”Emma hummed in response, trying to sound normal as she said, “Really.” She took a deep breath as she changed the subject. “Is your mom feeling better?”With good-natured exasperation, he replied, “You’ve only been gone for a day and she’s already whining about how much she misses you. I’m starting to feel a little unloved.”Emma laughed when she heard this.Throughout the phone call, Trevor sat next to the bed without uttering a single word as he observed Emma’s interactions with Wesley. He felt as if a thousand arrows had shot through his heart when he saw her crack up at what Wesley had said over the phone.When Emma hung up not long after, she could sense Trevor’s sharp gaze lingering on her. She did not meet his eyes as she scooted down from the bed, and it wasn’t until she was on her feet that she steeled herself to look at him, saying, “Can I go now? I’m perfectly fine.”“Okay,” he said hoarsely, then cleared his throat as if to hide the fact that he sounded as broken as he felt.Just as she was brushing past him, she said, “I’ve already paid Cerys for the blouse.” Her voice was cold and distant, matching her eagerness to draw the line between Trevor and herself, so much so that she had forked out her own money for the blouse.Having said that, she left the room without giving him a second glance. He followed her wordlessly with his lips pressed into a grim line.They still needed to go down to the police station to have their statements taken, so Emma had no choice but to take Trevor’s car. She had no other modes of transport, seeing as Zachary and Cerys had already left the hospital, though the latter had texted earlier, ‘Emma, Mr. Manson and I have to leave to attend to a couple of things. I’ll drop by your place tonight.’As for why the two of them had left, it was obviously because they wanted to give Emma and Trevor some modicum of privacy. If not, then Emma would insist on leaving the hospital in Cerys’ car.Meanwhile, Zachary and Cerys had initially planned on waiting in the hallway while they left the strained pair to hash things out in the hospital room. Clad in her work ensemble, Cerys stared out the window with an almost stubborn edge to her features while her arms crossed and her back straight.Her family had been poor while she was growing up, but that did not stop her from attaining an almost modelesque height, and the ensemble she wore accentuated her curves.Zachary was presently standing across from her, leaning against the wall with an insouciant air that was a stark contrast to Cerys’ upright stance. He grinned as he appraised her with glittering eyes, then asked, “It’s been a while since we saw each other, Cherry. You’re looking more beautiful each time.”His teasing was usually met with silence on Cerys’ part, but today, she actually turned to look at him as she pointed out sardonically, “I thought you were engaged, Mr. Manson. Be mindful and don’t go around speaking to other women that way, lest you find yourself getting into trouble with your future missus.”He froze at first, then grew angry as he snapped, “Who the hell said I was engaged?”She shrugged and resumed staring out the window, muttering, “Pretty sure that’s what the media reported.” He even made the gossip column a few nights ago when he was pictured dining at some fancy restaurant with a young heiress.Zachary was infuriated and in disbelief as he asked, “You’re telling me you have no idea how rumors like that get around even though you’ve been working for Trevor for years? Remember how his alleged love affair with Crystal blew up all over the press?”Cerys gave him a bewildered look, but before she could say anything, he added unhappily, “My family set me up against my own will.”The knots in her stomach loosened when she heard his brief explanation. She looked a little shamefaced as she mumbled, “Sorry.”The next second, he said flippantly, “I don’t believe in marriage, especially not for the sake of forming a business alliance with some other family. Besides, what’s the point of getting married and tying yourself down to one woman for the rest of your life? The voluntary sacrifice of one’s liberty to fulfill such a dated concept is utter madness.” Whatever relief or joy Cerys had felt earlier was diminished at once, and there was not even the slightest spark left. Nonetheless, she lowered her gaze to hide the disappointment in her eyes. What did she expect? Zachary was a free spirit, so asking him to marry and commit himself to one woman for the rest of his life was like asking for the moon.His sigh brought her out of her reverie. “Say, Cherry, what do you think makes marriage some compelling to others?”Cerys took a deep breath and looked up at him, then said with a smile, “Maybe their hearts only have enough room for that one special person, and marriage is just a way for them to continue spending their lives together.”Narrowing his eyes at her, Zachary accused, “Why do I feel like you’re lecturing me? That’s it, isn’t it? You think I’m a womanizer!”The smile on her face deepened. “No, I’m just saying that we all have different life choices, and yours does not necessarily translate to somebody else’s.”Not wanting to carry on this conversation with him, she turned on her heels and headed out for some fresh air. She was admittedly stunned when she noticed that he had followed her.He pulled out a cigarette and let it dangle from the corner of his perfectly-chiseled lips, then drawled lazily, “Come on, we should get out of here.” When he saw confusion flash across her features, he elaborated, “Trust me, the man you work for is a complete klutz when it comes to love, and he needs all the help he can get if he wants to snag Emma. Let’s give them some space to work things out.”It was only then that enlightenment dawned upon Cerys. “Okay.”She was hesitant to spend time alone with Zachary, but he made a good point, one that she could not argue against.They had come in the same car. She had left the signing event after Trevor, and moments later, she got a call from Zachary saying he was on the way to pick her up.At present, she texted Emma before getting into the car with Zachary.Meanwhile, it was almost noon by the time Emma had her statement taken at the police station.Testing the waters, Trevor suggested, “How about some lunch before I drop you home?”“I’m not hungry,” Emma said impassively. “You can have lunch on your own if you’d like. I can hail a cab back.”He would not let her get into a cab in her current state. He took one step forward and grabbed her by the wrist, then shoved her into the car. “I’m not hungry either. Come on, let’s go.”He wasted no time in getting into the driver’s seat and speeding off, worried that if he didn’t, she might seize the chance to scurry out of the car or insist that he pulled over.In truth, Emma didn’t want to travel with him, but she was far too worn out from this morning’s events to put up a fight, so she let him be.The moment she got into the car, she closed her eyes and leaned into her seat, not at all concerned with making small talk with the man behind the wheel.She would be lying if she said she didn’t regret missing Wilson’s signing event and the subsequent screenwriting symposium for which he was a guest speaker. He was an elusive man who was practically incognito most of the time, save for his appearances at his own signing events. Some might say that meeting him in person was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Emma remained silent throughout the journey, and Trevor was not sure what he should say to cut through the tension between them either. Just like that, they endured a wordless drive.It wasn’t long before he pulled up outside her apartment building. She thanked him curtly and got out of the car without so much as a backward glance. He stared at her retreating figure and suppressed all the emotions that welled up in him, then stepped on the gas pedal and left.He wanted to ask if she was okay and if she needed anything at all, but it was clear to see that she did not need his concern.When Emma got home, the calm facade she had so carefully put together began to fall apart, and she locked herself up in her bedroom so she could bawl her eyes out in private.She wasn’t sure how long she had been crying for, but when the sadness and anger in her finally plateaued, she heard someone knocking on the front door.Wiping her tears dry, she hurried into the bathroom to splash water on her face. Thereafter, she quickly made her way to the front door to open it, only to see Trevor standing out in the hallway with a takeout bag in hand.