He Said I Was Clingy, So I Walked Away on the Day Our Contract Ended Chapter 05

He Said I Was Clingy, So I Walked Away on the Day Our Contract Ended Chapter 05

Asher often used that pet name for me, yet he only ever let it slip in the heat of our intimacy.

This marked the very first time he’d uttered it outside the bedroom.

“Nah, nothing’s up.”

I fidgeted uncomfortably, handing the bag I’d scratched up over to Jesse, and a petty annoyance crept up on me.

“What are you in the mood for dinner-wise tonight?”

He switched topics so abruptly I froze for two beats before replying.

“Baked lemon herb salmon, I guess.”

He hummed quietly down the line, his tone gravelly.

“Try to get home sooner.”

Then he hung up immediately.

I tossed my phone aside. Jesse hurried to apologize, looking flustered.

“Ms. Moore, we take great care of every luxury item whether we’re buying or selling them. I just froze up when I saw the scratch a moment ago.”

I waved him off. It wasn’t his fault. I’d been the one scratching up the leather.

Even though Asher had told me to get home early, I didn’t take it seriously.

I used to hang all over him every day pouring out affection, but it was nothing more than empty lip service grown-ups trade for show.

So when I finally arrived home loaded down with my new haul, Lorraine hurried out to greet me.

The second I stepped out of the car, she tugged nervously at my arm.

“Mrs. Carter, Mr. Carter’s been waiting for you for an hour and a half. What held you up this long?”

I lifted an eyebrow, baffled over what had gotten into Asher. He had consistently gotten home no sooner than half past ten prior to lately.

I pushed the thought aside and walked in.

Asher was seated at the dining table, his gaze downcast, staring blankly at the spread of food in front of him.

Right in the center sat a whole portion of baked lemon herb salmon.

“I already ate out. Enjoy your dinner.”

I’d completely forgotten about my offhand dinner request.

I turned to carry my new handbags toward the walk-in closet, pleased with my purchases.

Before I could get far, his gravelly voice stopped me.

“You said… you wanted salmon for dinner.”

I glanced back, caught off guard.

“Oh… my bad, it totally slipped my mind. I guess I can have a bite then.”

I stepped forward, picked up my fork, and took a lazy bite. Then I gave a half-hearted thumbs-up toward Lorraine standing nearby.

“Lorraine’s cooking just keeps getting better.”

She looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue. I set my utensils down, ready to leave again. Then his hand caught my wrist.

“Could you stay and eat with me, if you don’t mind?”

Asher was acting strange tonight. Most of all, his usually cold, reserved eyes held something fragile and wounded.

Typical executive. Couldn’t even eat a meal without company. I sighed and sat back down, resolving to wait for him to finish.

He ate in total silence, carrying himself with that innate, refined dignity.

I grew bored after a minute or two. I pulled out my phone, propped up one leg, and scrolled through my feed.

I used to pile food onto Asher’s plate at every dinner, rambling on about how much I’d missed him that day, and I would only feel satisfied once Lorraine jumped in to gush about how loving Mr. and Mrs. Carter were as a pair.

Now the dining room was dead quiet, broken only by the constant buzz of incoming notifications.

The messages were from Jesse. It was plain to see he’d made quite a pretty penny off me over these past two days, so he sent over photos for more than a dozen new handbag designs in one go. One design hadn’t even officially released yet.

A small smirk tugged at my lips as I zoomed in to examine the details.

A sharp cough cut through the silence.

“Easy there, take it slow.”