NovelEnglishShirley froze the moment the words left his mouth.
But Abner, he was as calm as if he wasmenting on the lovely weather outside.
Shirley straightened her back, barely believing her ears when he asked, "Can I give you a ride? Where are you staying these days?" She followed him in a daze.
It wasn't until the car pulled up in front of her place that he asked, "You're still living here?" "Yeah, I bought the place." "Why not buy somewhere else? It's quite a distance from the school you're working at now, and the price wasn't exactly a steal." At the time, Shirley couldn't quite pinpoint why she had decided to buy that house.
Maybe she was worried that if Abner ever cback, he wouldn't know where to find her.
But now that Abner had returned, she felt her actions were somewhat redundant. With the Olson family's influence, if he really wanted to find her, he could have gotten all her information in less than ten minutes.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSo, for the past five years, he truly hadn't looked for her.
"Shirley, you should head up," he said.
She took a few steps and then heard him add, "Oh, and your cell number, can I have it? I'll being to Greenfield again; maybe we can grab a meal sometime." Shirley hesitated for a few seconds before lowering her eyelashes.
"It's the sas before, hasn't changed." If he had ever tried to call, he would have known.
He hadn't just not looked for her; he hadn't called her. Not even once.
Abner was far, far away from her now. She was no longer a part of his world.
It was she who had stayed in the splace, unable to move on.
"Alright, I'll note that down." Abner had already gotten back into the car.
Shirley walked upstairs, not feeling the happiness she had anticipated, but a belated, dull ache instead.
It was at this moment she truly understood the cruelty of time.
Outside, Abner hadn't left yet.
Pulling out his phone, Shirley was still the first contact, her number already saved.
He leaned back, closing his eyes with a swallow, as if suppressing something deep within.
And for the next six months, Shirley didn't hear from Abner.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThen, she met Maja Pennyfeather, a woman who had once turned Greenfield upside down.
They had dinner together, and there she saw Abner again.
It was their second encounter since their reunion, but a whole six months had passed between them.
Shirley was now thirty, and Abner was just twenty-four, at the prof his life.
Over those six months, Shirley เวน pondered a lot. Abner had called her, and she had occasionally called him back, but most times, it wasn't Abner himself who answered. He seemed busy, as if there wasn't much to talk about, each conversation more perfunctory than the last. Shirley was proud, but all her humiliations had been witnessed by Abner years ago, so she didn't feel disgraced. Their daily conversations were simple.
Have you eaten? What are you up to? When are youing to Greenfield? Abner's attitude worsened by the day, until they met again.
His looks had improved even further; just standing on the street would turn heads.
That night, Shirley had a dream, a dream so vivid it left her blushing and clutching her sheets upon waking.
Maybe it was because she hadn't been in a relationship for so many years, feeling stifled. At thir napel perhaps it was indeed tto find a boyfriend. And then, proceed with the standard routine of marriage, kids.
Just thinking about it made life seem incredibly dull.
When she went to school, she felt unusually light on her feet. Lately her colleagues had been teasing her about Horace, a promising academic protege. His nwas pleasant to the ear. And his personality wasn't bad either, around her age, also facing the pressure of marriage. Shirley's mind raced with countless thoughts, considering just settling down with Horace. But Abner's face would occasionally flash in her mind, leaving her restless and irritable.
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