No More Waiting, She Chooses Love



Jacqueline muttered under her breath, "It's raining outside. Why not talk here?" only to receive a sharp glance from Herschel.

"Mom, didn't you say something about baking apple pies? I'll help you with that," Dustin said, jumping in to defuse the tension that had briefly flared between his mother and Herschel.

I didn't say a word, just got up and followed Conrad outside.

He waited for me at the door, umbrella in hand.

Honestly, whatever private things he wanted to discuss could have been said in any room of the house. We didn't need to step out into the rain for a heart-to-heart.

But he had his reasons, I suppose, and I didn't ask.

"Aren't you cold? Do you want me to grab you a jacket?" Conrad asked, ever so considerate.

I had to admit, he seemed more attentive than before, more... boyfriend material, if you will. But it was too late.

"No need," I said, taking the umbrella from his hand and stepping into the rain.

Conrad didn't protest, simply joining me in the downpour. "Do you remember the last time we walked in the rain like this?" he asked.

I did. It was a year ago, during a particularly fierce storm that had led to flash floods in the city. Many areas were underwater, making it impossible for cars to navigate.

I suggested we walk home, but Conrad, always going overboard, wanted to call a helicopter.

I scoffed at the idea, saying, "Sure, you can summon a helicopter, but what about the rest of the staff? As the company's CEO, if you just up and leave by air, what kind of message does that send?"Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

Conrad, duly chastised, didn't call the helicopter. Instead, he walked home with everyone else, umbrella in hand.

We walked together, lifting our pants legs at first to avoid getting wet, but in such rain, it was a futile effort.

Despite his initial irritation, I couldn't

help but splash him on purpose, leading to a playful water fight that ended up being more fun than frustrating. Even when a car finally came to pick us up in a dry area, we felt like we hadn't played enough.

Now, as Conrad brought up that memory, I understood why he wanted to talk in the rain.

But no matter how sweet those memories were, they belonged to the past.

So, without giving him any hope, I simply said, "I've forgotten."

Conrad smiled bitterly. "You don't have to be so guarded around me."

I brushed off the awkwardness and splashed through the puddles, saying, "I'm just trying to prevent unnecessary things from happening."

"You've become so rational. That's not like you," he remarked.

"I've always been rational. It's just a matter of what I'm willing to let go of or hold on to," I replied, looking up at him. "What did you want to talk about? Is it about Ernest?"

"You don't have to keep pushing me away. Losing you is the biggest loss and failure of my life," Conrad said, walking beside me.

"Or is it about Jefferson's

competition? Is he safe now? There

won't be any more trouble, right?"

Although Jefferson's issue seemed resolved, I couldn't shake off a

lingering sense of unease.

"It should be fine. I heard it was the word of Club Q's boss," Conrad paused. "Ernest took care of Jefferson's issue."

I knew that, but Conrad's mention of it meant he had more to say. "Is there something wrong, or is there a problem?"

"Have you thought about how he managed to handle it?" Conrad probed further.

I had considered it. "Money or the Collins family's influence."

"No," Conrad's umbrella bumped against mine as he shifted it to the side. "I initially thought the same, money or the Collins family's influence. But I had tried to settle it with money before he got involved, and they wouldn't accept it. Even When I tried using connections who had a say, it didn't work."