Thelma adjusted her breathing to encourage herself when suddenly a voice said, “Nervous?”
Sam Noah had appeared beside her without her noticing. He was half a head taller than her and had to lean slightly to speak to her. His voice was deep, intentionally lowered, with a hint of huskiness, exuding a mature man’s charm.
Thelma felt a jolt, instinctively stepping back to create some distance, not daring to get too close to him, and very honestly nodded, “A little.”
He noticed her distancing and, having grown accustomed to her rejection, didn’t feel too disappointed. He simply said, “If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”
Thelma: “…”
Hold… hold his hand?
She knew Sam Noah was the kind of gentleman who would care for her feelings, wanting her to hold his hand to ease her nerves.
Thelma looked at his hand, knowing his fingers were long and elegant, whether holding a cup or reading, they had a certain beauty.
Hold his hand? She… didn’t have the courage!
Not daring to hold his hand, surely holding someone else’s would be fine?
In fact, Sam Noah didn’t have high expectations. Her rejection and aversion had become a habit for him, so when he saw her looking down and not answering, he didn’t press the issue.
But just as he was about to move forward, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down and saw her small hand gripping his sleeve.
This was the first time she had taken the initiative to get close to him, and for a brief moment, he was taken aback.
It took Thelma a great deal of courage to pull on his sleeve, but he remained still for a long time. Unable to hold back,
Thelma looked up, and just then, he was also looking at her.
His expression was strange, revealing neither joy nor anger.
However, his naturally strong aura made her instinctively retract her hand.
Almost at the same moment, as she was about to let go of his sleeve and pull her hand back, Sam Noah unexpectedly pulled back, his large hand grasping hers tightly, locking it in his palm, giving her no chance to escape.
Thelma: “…”
“Let’s go.” Yet his voice remained casual, as if this were an ordinary matter.
Thelma was momentarily stunned, then her cheeks flushed bright red, and she obediently nodded in response: “Oh.”
Sam Noah led her forward, and since she lagged a step behind, she did not see the slight curve of his lips or the joy in his eyes, which he deliberately lowered to hide, as if he were pleasantly surprised.
His hand was warm, and there was a rough texture in his palm. For some reason, being held by him made Thelma even more nervous. She felt she should balance things out, so she immediately pulled over her younger son.
Holding her younger son’s hand, she indeed felt much better.
Ruth was standing at the entrance, and the family of three walked over to greet her. Ruth seemed quite happy, especially to see her well-behaved grandson; the joy on her face was very sincere. “You must have had a hard time coming back.”
Ruth led the three of them into the house. Just as they entered, they ran into Josie, who smiled at everyone and said, “Dinner is ready. Noah, Tyler, wash your hands and get ready to eat.” After saying that, her gaze turned to Thelma. Upon seeing her hand held by Sam Noah, she seemed momentarily stunned, but quickly returned to normal, smiling gently and charmingly, “Thelma, it’s rare for you to come, so you must eat more.”
Before Thelma could respond, she heard a voice from behind say, “I was wondering why there was such a big fuss; turns out Noah is back.”
The voice was a bit sharp, as if she had strained her throat to speak, yet it carried a hint of laziness, giving off a nonchalant vibe.
The few of them instinctively turned to look and saw a handsome man and woman walking towards them.
The girl on the left was the one who had just spoken. She wore a chic little dress with a fur coat over it, paired with stockings and high boots, her outfit exuding a sense of fashion while also hinting at the elegance of a socialite.
The man on the left wore a purple checkered shirt with a sweater over it, and he had a mustache at the corner of his mouth, giving off a mature and refined aura.
Sam Noah introduced her, “This is my stepbrother, Marco, and this is my stepsister, Norah.”
So this was his stepbrother and stepsister. Thelma hurriedly greeted them.
