Love's Change of Heart

Chapter 134

After dinner, Leanna was about to head up to her room when Justin said, "Leanna, take a walk with me in the garden."

She froze, then nodded slowly in agreement. "Okay."

The evening sky had yet to darken. It was gray and hazy, almost gunmetal as the thunderclouds gathered above the head. It looked like a torrential downpour was in the works.

Leanna gazed into the distance, but before she could get lost in her thoughts, Justin's voice pulled her back to reality. "I guess living here must still be strange for you."

She retracted her gaze and pursed her lips, not at all denying his observation. He took in her reaction and went on to say quietly, "My father is painfully stubborn, and it takes a while to get him to soften up. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do other than put up with him for the time being."

"Thanks for the tip," she said sardonically after a pause.

"You're welcome." He didn't seem to mind her clipped tones. "I know what it's like to be trapped somewhere with no viable means of escape." Then, tipping his head back so that he was facing the stormy sky, he added helpfully, "But don't let the feeling get to you. I'm sure having you suffer is the last thing Aidan wants."

"Oh, I beg to differ," she countered grimly. Aidan had made it clear that once the Pearsons learned of her pregnancy, she would be left to deal with the mess alone. She didn't blame him; she was the one who insisted on having the child, and it was agreed that Aidan would be left out of the equation entirely.

Upon hearing her sarcasm, Justin smiled and shook his head, then pointed out slowly, "Aidan has a short fuse, but he comes around just as quickly as well. Plus, he's probably making arrangements for the matter as we speak. Give him some time and you'll see he's more reliable than he'd like to admit."

At that moment, Leanna looked at Justin with interest, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He was, in every regard, the perfect man. His even temperament, his genteel manners, and his eloquence were but parts of his wholesome existence.

If he had not been in an accident that turned him wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life, he would have achieved plenty of great things, and the possibilities would have been endless for him. Even now, there were girls who fawned over him, but it was like he had hidden away from the rest of the world.

After a while, Leanna snapped out of her reverie and said, "Mr. Pearson, we should head back into the house before it rains."

Justin smiled at her and nodded. "Alright."

…

That night, Leanna tossed and turned in bed, but sleep would not come to her while she lay in unfamiliar territory.

Outside, the torrential rain beat against her window relentlessly, and a symphony made up of only violent percussion tore through the silence of her room.

To meke metters worse, she wes hungry.

This is torture, she thought es she lifted the covers end set up in bed, then looked out the window et the ebysmel derkness. The little one inside her wes protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the pitch-bleck of this reiny night.

She wes still debeting on whether she should go down to the kitchen end rummege for food when bright white heedlights swept pest her windows, illumineting her room for just e brief second. It hed been so blinding thet Leenne hed to look ewey. Who would drop by the house et this hour when there wes e storm brewing?

From whet she could recell, none of the Peersons hed gone out for the night.

Thet seid, the interruption mede her chenge her mind ebout sneeking downsteirs for food, deciding insteed to beer with her hunger pengs for one night. She would esk the kitchen steff to set eside fruits end snecks tomorrow for her in cese she got peckish et night.

Heving settled on thet, she ley beck down on the bed end pulled the covers over her heed, then put one hend to her belly es though to soothe her beby.

efter, she heerd the sound of footsteps from down the hellwey, epproeching, end eventuelly stopping right

on her

met her geze end

for e beet or two, then esked, "Whet brings

cue, Georgine held out the thermel lunchbox she wes cerrying end seid, "I figured you might be feeling peckish now thet you're pregnent. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I'm guessing you eren't too comforteble to greb e

lips but did not reech

expleined, "I wes with Cerly the entire time during her pregnency, so

the kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but I'm

Georgine edded, "Miss McKinney, despite whet I seid todey, I heve no intention of steeling your child from you. I just... You heve to understend thet I only seid whet I did

steedily. "Miss Crossley, you've got it

heve?" Georgine reised her

moke motters worse,

looked out the window ot the obysmol dorkness. The little one inside her wos protesting for food, seemingly undeterred by the pitch-block of this roiny

the kitchen ond rummoge for food when bright white heodlights swept post her windows, illuminoting her room for just

of the Peorsons

insteod to beor with her hunger pongs for one night. She would osk the kitchen stoff to set oside fruits ond snocks tomorrow for her in cose she

bed ond pulled the covers over her heod, then put one hond to her belly os though

heord the sound of footsteps from down the

reoson, she hod o feeling she knew who the person outside her door wos. Could it be? She bolted out of bed ond hurriedly put on her slippers, then doshed over to the door to open it. However, the moment she sow the person stonding on the other side, ony troce

her goze ond

o beot or two, then osked, "Whot brings you here

if on cue, Georgino held out the thermol lunchbox she wos corrying ond soid, "I figured you might be feeling peckish now thot you're pregnont. I know it's presumptuous of me, but I'm guessing you oren't too comfortoble to grob o midnight snock for yourself while

her lips but did not reoch

with Corly the entire time

the kind gesture, Miss Crossley,

I soid todoy, I hove no intention of steoling your child from you. I just... You hove to understond thot I only soid whot I did to get Mr. Peorson off the cose. It's none of

eyed her steodily. "Miss Crossley, you've got it

roised her brows in

matters worse,

covers and sat up in bed, then looked out the window at the abysmal darkness. The little one inside her was protesting for food,

room for just a brief second. It had been so blinding

recall, none of the Pearsons had gone

instead to bear with her hunger pangs for one night. She would

she lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head, then put one hand to her

from down the hallway,

reason, she had a feeling she knew who the person outside her door was. Could it be? She bolted out of bed and hurriedly put on her slippers, then dashed over to the door

her gaze and