He Timed Our Dates, But Gave Her All His Time—So I Stopped Time For Us Chapter 03

He Timed Our Dates, But Gave Her All His Time—So I Stopped Time For Us Chapter 03

Julian had one absolute house rule.

No outsiders were allowed inside.

Once, when Lily Parker had gone through a terrible breakup, she asked to stay for one night.

Just one night.

Julian had coldly ordered her out.

Now Sophia was wearing my slippers and sitting on my couch as though she owned the place.

Melted ice cream dripped onto the rug, leaving a large stain.

Julian saw it.

He walked over and handed her a wet wipe.

“Be careful. Don’t get it on your hands.”

Not one word of criticism.

The last time I’d spilled a few drops of coffee, he’d thrown out my entire coffee setup, along with the beans I’d tracked down from roasters all over the world.

I ignored them and continued packing the last few books into a box.

Sophia stood and wandered into my studio.

“Wow, you’re so talented.”

She immediately began rearranging the paints Julian had forced me to organize by color.

Within seconds, everything was a mess.

She carried a cup of bubble tea as she leaned toward my easel.

The next second, the cup tipped in her hand.

The entire drink spilled over the painting I’d spent six months creating.

It was my entry for a national competition.

Julian heard the noise and walked in.

He took one look at the mess.

His first reaction was to blame me.

“I’ve told you to protect your work properly.”

Then he turned to comfort Sophia.

“It’s just a piece of paper with no commercial value. If it’s ruined, it’s ruined.”

I stared at the painting as the bubble tea soaked through the paper.

I didn’t feel even the slightest pain.

I picked up the soggy sheet, carried it to the corner, and fed it into the paper shredder.

The machine roared to life.

I watched shock cross Julian’s face and smiled calmly.

“You’re right. It was just worthless paper. I should’ve thrown it away sooner.”

That night, Julian actually apologized.

“I didn’t mean your painting was bad,” he explained. “I was only trying to make Sophia feel better.”

“Make a list of the supplies you need to recreate it. I’ll have someone prepare them.”

How rare.

In five years, he had never once asked about my work.

He didn’t even know what I painted.

I had waited so long for him to show the slightest interest.

Now that he finally did, his voice only irritated me.

I rolled over and turned my back to him.

“Don’t bother.”

The next day, I was supposed to collect Grandma Thompson’s belongings from Hamilton’s Watch & Jewelry.

Julian had promised to drive me.

With Sophia around, I hadn’t expected him to keep his word.

But he started reminding me first thing that morning.

“We’re picking up your grandmother’s things later. Don’t cause any delays.”

After a pause, he added, “Actually, even if we’re delayed, it won’t matter. I’ve cleared my entire morning.”

I looked into his eyes and couldn’t understand what I saw there.

Guilt?

I had lost far more than one painting.

Five years of my life were gone.

What was the point?

We were on the way to Hamilton’s when Julian’s phone rang.

It was Sophia.

She was crying.

The scale model for the exhibition hall she was managing had been built to the wrong dimensions.

The client was furious, and she needed Julian to rescue her.

According to Julian’s own principles, he never intervened in other people’s careless mistakes.

He should have refused.

Just as he had refused to bring me my exam admission ticket years ago, causing me to miss an important exam.

But this was Sophia.

Julian cut across two lanes, took the next exit, and doubled back without warning.

Cars behind us blared their horns.

I looked at the navigation screen.

Our route had changed.

“Hamilton’s closes at five.”

His voice was icy.

“An old watch won’t disappear if you pick it up late. Sophia’s project involves millions of dollars in profit.”

“Your emotional reaction is seriously affecting my efficiency. Can’t you tell which one matters more?”

He stopped outside the exhibition center.

Rain had started falling.

Julian unbuckled his seat belt.

“Wait in the car. This won’t take long. Once I’m done, I’ll take you to get the watch.”

He locked the car and walked toward Sophia, who was waiting by the entrance.

I looked at the time on the dashboard.

Forty-five minutes passed.

Then two hours.

Night fell.

Through the rain-streaked floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, I could see Julian bent over the table, patiently helping Sophia revise the drawings.

A box of desserts sat beside them.

He had ordered them especially for her.

There wasn’t even a bottle of water in the car.

The alarms that always rang exactly on time, reminding Julian when to move on to the next item on his schedule, had been silenced for Sophia.

His phone was muted.

No one could interrupt them.

Certainly not me.

By the time darkness had fully settled, seven hours had passed.

The owner of Hamilton’s sent me a message.

[Miss Thompson, we’ve closed for the day. I’ll keep your grandmother’s belongings safe, but I’m leaving town tomorrow.]

The glow of my phone lit my face.

I must have looked deathly pale.

Julian’s time was more valuable than anything else in the world.

I wasn’t worthy of wasting a single second of it.

But my time?

My plans?

They were worth nothing.

I slipped off the plain silver band I’d worn for him for five years.

Then I placed it with my house key on the dashboard.

I opened the door and stepped into the rain.

That five-year, single-player game, timed down to the second, was finally over.