I Took a Late Night Driving Job and Found My Ex Waiting Chapter 02

I Took a Late Night Driving Job and Found My Ex Waiting Chapter 02

When Nathan came to pick me up, he stared at the rundown building for a long while. He didn’t say a word.

We drove in silence. To fill the awkward silence, I suggested, “Let’s go see Mrs. Patterson. She helped us a lot back then.”

“Yeah.”

In the teachers’ office, the reception was warmer than I expected. “Oh my God! Look who’s here—our perennial first and second place students!”

“Hey, you two! Back for a visit?”

Mrs. Patterson’s age-spotted hand reached for mine. “You two! Out of all the couples I taught, I always rooted for you two the most. So, where are you now? Engaged yet?”

I dropped my gaze and stole a glance at Nathan.

Mrs. Patterson paused. “What? You’re not engaged?”

Nathan said. “I’m already engaged.”

“Oh, I knew it!” Mrs. Patterson beamed, patting my hand. “I always said you two were meant to be. Honestly, it’s about time!”

Nathan just smiled and said nothing.

We said goodbye to Mrs. Patterson and walked along the Library Walkway, where cherry blossoms bloomed on both sides.

Nathan’s coat brushed against my fingers now and then, just like when we were students.

He used to walk on my left, our clothes brushing against each other in the wind, and he’d naturally reach for my hand.

He stopped in front of an oak tree covered in love locks. Couples were still locking new ones on and tossing the keys.

I watched a boy lift his girlfriend so she could hook their lock on the highest branch they could reach. They said the higher you hung it, the longer you’d last as a couple.

Nathan and I stood there silently, watching.

Back then, Nathan had held me up too. We’d hung ours even higher than that.

Nathan looked up. The highest one was still there. He’d carved it himself:

[Nathan & Emily—Forever]

Forever lasted three years.

He walked over to a groundskeeper, borrowed a pair of pruning shears, and before I could react, the lock fell into the dirt.

He thanked the groundskeeper. I watched him pick up the lock. “Nathan…”

He dropped it into the trash can. Turned back. “What?”

“Nothing…”

Now I understood why he’d agreed to come back to school with me.

But that was fine. At least I’d gotten one last look at him.

“Anywhere else you want to see?”

I shook my head. “No.”

I got what I came for.

“Nathan, let’s go back.”

He looked at me and didn’t refuse.

Walking out those gates, I knew this was where we parted ways for good.

Nathan checked his watch. “There’s a business reception later. You want to come along?”

I blinked. “Me?”

“It’s on the way, and it’s around lunchtime. Up to you.”

Ridiculous as it sounded, I’d been living on instant ramen. I’d been running on instant ramen and my diet was completely shot.

“I don’t have to pay, do I?”

He gave me a surprised look. Turned. “Get in the car.”

When we got there, I realized this wasn’t a small gathering. It was a full-scale gala taking over an entire convention hall.

Nathan was clearly the guest of honor. The moment he arrived, people rushed to open his car door.

I followed nervously behind him as people came up to shake hands, even ask for autographs.

While Nathan reviewed a contract, someone sized me up. “This… this isn’t that ex-girlfriend of yours, is it? The one who chased money?”

“What, after five years you finally realized you’re nothing, and now you’re back playing the victim in front of Mr. Cole?”

All eyes turned to me. The guy stared at my $9.99 discount dress and laughed. “You know who Mr. Cole’s fiancée is, right?”

I bit my lower lip. I wanted to know. I was also terrified to know.

“Are you done?”

Nathan’s gaze landed coldly on the man’s face. His smile froze instantly.

Nathan tossed both copies of the contract aside. “Take your pathetic contract and get out.”

“Mr. Cole?” The man panicked. “Is it… because of this woman?”

“This chamber has a rule: business only. No personal talk. Did you forget?”

The man went pale. Nathan signaled to an associate, who quickly escorted the man away. The murmurs died down, replaced by meaningful glances my way.

Nathan… was he protecting me?

I picked up the scattered contract pages and tried to hand them back, but he stopped me. “Void.”

I stared at the astronomical sum on the page and felt my stomach drop. He just… tore that up?

“Feel free to look around. I have things to do.”

The thank-you died in my throat. He didn’t look back at me. He went upstairs to discuss whatever business partners talked about.

My hand reached out instinctively, then I stopped myself.

It’d been five years. I didn’t have the right to ask him to stay anymore. Socially anxious as I was, and as much as I hated talking to strangers, he had no obligation to shield me.

I grabbed a glass of orange juice and shrank into a corner, trying not to be noticed.

I scanned the finger foods instead. This one I could eat now. That one looked like it had a long shelf life—I mentally noted which ones were the most filling.

Bottled drinks too—those might last me a while. If I stocked up, I’d save at least a week’s grocery money.

“Emily?”

A sharp voice behind me. I turned.

A woman in evening wear frowned at me. “It really is you. How dare you show up here!”

“Rebecca—” Before I could finish, someone grabbed my collar and slapped me hard across the face.