Claim
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Chapter 18
Cindy said yes
sylvan had only hugged her on a whim, but now he didn’t want to release his hold. Deep down, he’d been worried that she might have second thoughts once she www.Arthur, who loved her.
Cindy tilted her head and caught sight of Sylvan’s ears, now bright red. A soft laugh escaped her.
“you planning to keep hugging me forever?” she asked.
“Celeste isn’t around.” Sylvan murmured. “Just a little longer, Cindy. It’s freezing out.
Having basked in the afternoon sun, Cindy’s skin was warm. They curled up together in the lounge chair, dozing off side by side.
Golden light gilded Sylvan’s short, tousled hair, and the dust floating around them gleamed like starlight, swirling gently in the quiet, peaceful space where they slept.Wrapped in each other’s arms, they slept for hour.
There were always food containers stacked outside the hospital room door. Every time Sylvan walked out, he knocked them over, and when Cindy told him he was wasting food, he just shrugged and claimed he would be feeding the neighborhood strays.
Three years of practice had made Sylvan a skilled cook. He could handle everything, whether baby food or bland hospital meals.
He’d even rented a small kitchen space in a studio near the hospital. Even with just the basics, he always managed to make food that tasted incredible.
It was obvious Arthur was behind those fancy food containers, and Cindy knew just as well that Sylvan was tossing every single one. But neither of them mentioned it–some things were better left unsaid.
There was no way in hell Sylvan was letting Cindy eat anything Arthur
With only a day before the surgery, Sylvan went out to pick up groceries. Cindy had handed him a shopping list. Lately, she’d been reading more since her doctor had recommended cutting back on phone use:
So, Sylven had added another chore to his routine stopping by the bookstore to pick out whatever she wanted to read. Some were books on philosophy and psychology, others were the kind of easy reads young women tended to enjoy.
Sylvan would occasionally call Cindy silly for her choices, but he’d still drive miles out of his way to get them to keep her from getting bored. This time, the list lookand longer than usual
He skimmed it and let out a sigh. “This is going to take forever. You’re getting discharged soon, and we’ll have to lug all these books back home!”
“I’ll donate them to the hospital’s book collection,” Cindy said with a slight pout. “Just go get them, will you?
“Yeah, yeah”
Relenting, Sylvan jingled his car keys and walked out. He hadn’t been gone long when a knock sounded at the door–Arthur had arrived.
Cindy had been expecting Arthur’s visit. That was why she’d gotten Sylvan out of the room. It wasn’t that she had anything to hide from him. She just knew him too
He had a jealous streak, always reading too much into things, and the last thing she wanted was for him to sit there stewing in his own suspicions. This mess was her, and she’d deal with it alone
Antar looked much more composed than the last time she’d seen him. Unsurprisingly, he was still carrying those same food containers. He’d obviously been the one leaving things at their door.
“No more leaving anything outside the door. It’ll only make Sylvan overthink things, “Cindaid softly.
The last time they’d spoken, she had thrown Arthur off by mentioning Celeste. But after he’d had time to think it over, he’d realized there was no way Cindy could’ve had a child that old in just three years. Not with her illness, especially.
He bowed his head, opened the food container, and carefully poured the bone broth into acup.
Then, he slid the cup across the table to Cindy and said, “This was always your favorite.”
No thanks, Mr. Forsyth,” Cindy said with a thin sindle. “You prepared this yourself, didn’t you?”
Ambur hadn’t animated she’d figure it out. He slutted uncomfortably before nummuring, “Yeali. Give i
it a try, will you?”
Candy trained expressionless as she tipped the cup, spilling the broth unto the floor. It splashed onto Arthur’s trousers, and his face paled.
“Winter was the one who loved soup, not me. You should take this to her instead. Mr. Forsyth, or have you forgotten? The Forsyths never let me pay my respects to Winter. So do it for me–bring this to her,” she said.
kight” Arthurnodded, las lips taking on a sickly purple use as he staggered upright. “I’m sorry, Cindy,”
He searched for a mop but came up empty. Without hesitation, he shrugged off his high–end suit jacket and pressed it to the floor, soaking up i walking may
the spill befor
Chady watched him leave, letting out a quiet breath. She had no ill will toward Arthur but understood Sylvan’s fragile sense of security. Letting Arthur persist would
have been unfair to him.
Sylvan returned later, and when he saw no food left at the door, he noted, ” up that fast, huh?”
Cindy skimmed through the books he’d bought back, a faint smile crossing her face,
