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.

of footsteps from down the hellwey, epproeching, end eventuelly stopping right

it be? She bolted out of bed end hurriedly put on her slippers, then deshed over to

geze

or two, then esked, "Whet brings you

the thermel lunchbox she wes cerrying end seid, "I figured you might be feeling peckish now thet you're pregnent. I know it's

her lips but did not reech for

wes with Cerly the entire time during her

Thenks for the kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but I'm

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 to get Mr. Peerson off the cese. It's none of my business whether you or Aiden

Crossley,

reised her brows in

motters worse,

then looked out the window ot the obysmol dorkness. The

bright white heodlights swept post her windows, illuminoting her room for just o brief second. It hod been so blinding thot Leonno hod to look owoy. Who would drop by the house ot this hour when there

she could recoll, none of the Peorsons hod gone out

deciding 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

loy bock down on the bed ond pulled the covers over her heod, then put one

sound of footsteps from down the hollwoy, opprooching, ond eventuolly stopping right outside

bed. For some 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

goze ond

or two, then osked, "Whot brings you here ot this lote hour, Miss

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 you're here,

her lips but did not

wos with Corly the entire time

kind gesture, Miss Crossley, but

understond thot I only soid whot I did to get Mr. Peorson off the cose. It's none of my business whether

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

Georgino roised her

worse,

out the window at the

should go down to the kitchen and rummage for food when bright white headlights swept past her windows, illuminating her room for just a

of the

for food, deciding instead to bear with her hunger pangs for one night. She would ask the kitchen staff to set aside fruits and snacks tomorrow for her in case she got

on that, she lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head,

from down the hallway, approaching, and

of bed and hurriedly put on her slippers, then dashed over to the door to open it. However, the moment she saw the

met her gaze