Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 106

Neil replied, "I saw Stella hitting the bar, so I figured you wouldn't be at her place."

Stella was nothing if not a party animal. The bar was like a second home to her.

"Oh. Thanks. You can go now." I wrapped myself in my bathrobe, still giving him the cold shoulder.

Neil couldn’t care less. He even sat down next to me, apparently not keen on leaving.

I was not wearing any underwear. When Neil was checking my foot earlier, I had to be extra cautious not to give him a peep show.

How was I supposed to change with him sitting here?

"What did my mom tell you about Karina?" Out of the blue, he brought up that girl.

"Not much; she just briefly mentioned your relationship with her and that she jumped into a river and killed herself because you married me." I looked down; my tone was flat.

Every time Karina was mentioned, I could tell Neil would get depressed.

That was his Achilles' heel. If he wasn't so against divorce, he would never have let his mom spill the beans about that.

"Bonnie looks a lot like her." Neil's remark left me speechless.

He saw Bonnie as a substitute for Karina. What could I, an audience member, say about this storyline that seemed straight out of a movie?

Blame it on me for not looking like Karina. If I did, five years would have been ample time for Neil to fall for me.

"How did you meet?" I asked after a while.

"A friend introduced us." Neil's answer was plain.

"How long after meeting her did you get together?" I asked again.

Neil didn't respond this time. While he had brought up Karina, he didn't seem keen on delving into that chapter of his past.

I knew I should stop pressing. After all, I would be meeting with Russel later tonight. Maybe he could tell me more.

A cell phone ringtone broke the silence between Neil and me.

I glanced at his phone. Bonnie was calling.

He answered without hesitation. He looked away, feeling a bit melancholy. Did he not realize that he would never be able to cut ties with Bonnie completely?

"I'll be right there!" I didn't know what Bonnie said, but Neil's face turned pale. He got up and headed for the door.

I didn't call out to him and just watched as he disappeared, followed by the sound of the door closing.

I didn’t know how long I sat on the bed. It wasn't until Russel called that I realized it was already dark outside and it was raining sleet. The pitter-patter echoed on the window sill.

"Open up; I'm at the door." Russel's voice was urgent, as if he'd rushed over.

"I can't move. The password is Neil's birthday." I licked my dry lips and replied.

Then I heard the door unlocking from the other end and noises from the living room.

I hung up and yelled, "Russel, I'm in here!"

Russel appeared at the bedroom door in no time. His hair was still wet from the rain.

He brought the chill from outside with him, looking even more aloof than usual.

Russel headed to the kitchen. My apartment wasn't big. It had just one bedroom, one living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a rather large balcony. I lived here back in the day because it was close to Rosemont College.

From the living room, I could see Russel bustling in the kitchen. He had taken off his jacket and was wearing a grey sweater, looking very youthful.

After a while, Russel brought out a pot of cheese fondue that smelled heavenly.

Once he had all the food on the table, he sat down across from me, "Dig in."

"Where's your daughter?" I asked curiously.

"Daughter?" Russel looked surprised.

"Boomer. Don't you need to go home and feed her dinner?" I reminded him.

Understanding dawned on Russel's face, and he laughed, "My parents will take care of her. Don't worry."

I nodded and started eating. The sleet outside had turned into a snow flurry. The howling wind contrasted with the warmth inside.

As I was enjoying the meal, I felt a warmth spread through my body and my spirit lifted, "Can you tell me about Karina now? Neil told me he met her through a friend. Is that true?"

"Yeah, it's true." Russel's eyes suddenly seemed a bit moist.

I was close enough to see his long eyelashes.

I was just wondering, which one of our audacious friends would dare set Neil up with a girlfriend? After all, he was not the type to fall easily. Back then, I had been chasing after him for nearly five years, and he didn't have the hots for me.

Russel chuckled self-mockingly, "That friend was me."

The fork in my hand suddenly dropped onto the table. My mind went blank, "You?"