“Why did you want to fix this?”
Sam Noah’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression showing some seriousness.
He might have thought of the time she broke it when he saw the necklace, and Thelma felt deeply apologetic about that.
“I heard Tyler mention this necklace. I don’t know why I broke it back then, but I really liked it when I saw it, so I wanted to have it repaired. I’m very sorry for breaking it; if you give me something in the future, I will definitely cherish it.”
She spoke sincerely.
He didn’t say anything, but his expression remained serious, as if it had become somewhat distant, shrouded in a layer of mist.
Thelma put on the necklace and smiled, “It looks great; I really like it.”
When she smiled, there were two shallow dimples on her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled, as if they contained all the brightness in the world.
“Let’s go.”
She walked ahead cheerfully, but after a few steps, she realized he hadn’t followed. Just as Thelma was about to turn around, she felt a tightness around her waist and knees; he had suddenly picked her up from behind.
Thelma: “…”
His action was so sudden that for several seconds, Thelma was completely stunned. He was so strong that lifting her was effortless.
His chest was warm, a warmth that made one crave it.
“I… I can walk by myself.”
He didn’t even glance at her, just carried her forward. “The floor will dirty your shoes.” His tone was a bit hurried, as if it had changed slightly.
Thelma: “???”
Thelma looked at her toes; she wasn’t wearing new shoes. She said, “I don’t mind.”
“I mind.”
Thelma: “…”
This feeling was truly indescribable; being carried by him through the crowd as if they were the only two people there, and it had come so unexpectedly. It was both shy and wonderful. She buried her face in his chest and slowly hooked her arms around his neck.
She felt as if she were walking on clouds, floating, until he carefully set her down in the car, then leaned over to fasten her seatbelt.
He was both graceful and gentle.
He was so close to her; his face was just inches away. The lines of his face were so distinct—his nose, lips, and the sharp angles of his features were all intoxicatingly attractive. The pleasant scent emanating from him enveloped her, bringing a warm, ambiguous feeling that was extraordinarily comfortable.
After fastening her seatbelt, he prepared to get up, but she craved his closeness so much that she couldn’t bear for him to leave, so she instinctively grabbed his arm.
“Mm?” He looked over at her, his gaze questioning.
When he looked at her, his aura seemed to press down on her, and she swallowed hard, but he was truly charming; his allure had overshadowed her fear of him.
His face was so close, close enough to tempt someone to kiss him.
Kiss him, yes, she wanted to kiss him.
She felt her thoughts were shameful; his aura should have made her keep her distance, yet she wanted to dive right in.
And then, she really kissed him.
A light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, landed on his cheek.
Only after the kiss did she seem to awaken from a dream, facing his suddenly intense gaze. Yet he merely stared at her, instinctively touching the spot where she had kissed him.
He seemed taken aback, as if silently questioning her why she had done that.
“Th-thank you for carrying me over.”
Thelma felt her voice tremble; indeed, it was a moment of familial bliss, but after the kiss, it felt like a funeral pyre.
Fortunately, he didn’t hold it against her, nor did he dig deeper into why she had to thank him in such a frivolous manner.
He said nothing, as if she had truly given him a very reasonable explanation. He stood up, helped her close the car door, then walked around to the driver’s seat and drove away.
Thelma let out a sigh of relief; kissing him felt like surviving a calamity.
The two were on their way to pick up Tyler, but after driving for a while, Thelma realized they were on the wrong road. Tyler’s school was to the south, yet this route clearly circled north.
Unable to hold back any longer, Thelma asked, “Do you have other things to do? This isn’t the way to pick up Tyler.”
“Hmm? Is it not?”
Thelma was surprised by his delayed reaction, but he didn’t seem to take it too seriously. “Looks like we took a detour.” Moreover, despite the long detour, he seemed quite pleased, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
