Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)

Chapter 367 Wait for Me

Leonard shrugged, conceding. "Almost 30... Yeah, close enough."

After a few rounds of drinks, they were both a little tipsy. Lia, munching on a rib, asked, "So, now that your career's set, when are you planning to settle down?"

Leonard deflected with his own question, "What about you? When are you planning to settle down?"

Lia waved him off. "I'm just a regular person. I'm already 25 and haven't even been in a relationship. Guess I can thank you for that. You rich folks like to marry late. Who knows, by the time I've got kids running around, you'll probably still be single." Leonard felt an unexpected pang he couldn't quite place. "No way. If you're getting married, I'm getting married. If you've got kids running around, then I'll have kids running around too."

Lia rolled her eyes. "Copycat. Our lives started in completely different places. Why would you want to sync up with me?"

Leonard didn't reply. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was already 1:00 am, but he wasn't ready to end this last taste of freedom. By the time it was nearing 2:00 am, Lia finally gave in, saying she needed to head home and get some sleep. Even though her apartment was only a few hundred feet from the food stall, Leonard insisted on walking her to her door.

Even Lia, as oblivious as she could be, sensed something different in him tonight. She seemed more reserved than usual. When she unlocked her door, she asked, almost as a formality, "Do you want to come in for a bit?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, it's late. You should get some rest."

and stepped inside to take off her shoes, but

felt a little awkward, at a loss for words. They just stood there, facing each other across the doorframe like a

a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption. However, he seemed to

a long pause, he said,

didn't put much thought into the cryptic remark. She just nodded quickly, eager to end the

walked away. She listened to the sound of the elevator descending in the quiet of the night before

...

next morning, Bella was heading out for work when she encountered a new face-a young lad

tracksuit and a backward baseball cup that matched. A few strands

latest smartphone in one hand, had a Bluetooth earbud in one ear, and a small, shining earring

out of a magazine. It was hard not

on, thinking to herself how many

the

her not in a sleazy way but with an intensity that

wonder what kids were eating these days to grow so tall. This guy looked like he was still growing,