The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 272

Susan chuckled and gave her shoulder a pat, "Chill out, don't overthink it. Trust that everything happens for a reason."

Sophia cracked a smile and nodded gently, "Yeah."

She carried Theresa back upstairs, tucked her in, took a shower, and then hit the sack.

When lights out came, Sophia habitually glanced at her phone and noticed a message from Brandon.

Puzzled, she picked it up.

His message was short and sweet. [Got home.]

Sophia stared at that message, kinda lost in thought.

Back when she and Brandon weren't divorced, their exchanges were pretty much limited to this sorta stuff.

[Working late, hit the hay without me.]

[Got a client dinner, don't wait up.]

And it would always end with her replying, [Okay.]

Seeing a message like that now, Sophia still felt a twinge of that old resistance.

But she replied anyway with one word. [Okay.]

She was about to set the phone down when it buzzed again with a new message. [Still up?] It was Brandon again.

That kind of small talk was something he would never have wasted time on in the past.

Their interactions were all about keeping each other posted.

Sophia's gaze lingered on the phone, slightly torn, but she eventually responded. [About to sleep.]

She thought about texting back, [How come you're not asleep yet?] After typing it out, Sophia deleted the message, not really wanting to drag out the conversation.

In the past, she tried following up with messages, cautiously asking things like, [Working late again?] But she'd just get his cool, reasoned explanations in return, making her queries seem a bit childish by comparison.

Back then, she was still head over heels for Brandon, easily fretting over every little thing. A simple inquiry could make her anxious, afraid of coming off as too inconsiderate, worried that it might turn him off. So eventually, she stopped asking.

Now, there wasn't that same sense of anxiety, just a feeling that there was no need to prolong the discussion.

She muted her phone and put it down without giving it another thought.

That night she didn't sleep well - her dreams were full of the polite distance of those two years of marriage and Daniel and Patricia's sharp tongues.

In the wee hours, she woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare, startling Theresa, who was sleeping next to her.

Theresa peered at her with bleary eyes, uncertain, "Mommy?"

Sophia held her tight and whispered soothingly, "It's okay."

Theresa quickly fell back asleep with her mom's reassurance.

But Sophia couldn't catch any more Z's.

It had been almost two years since she last had a nightmare, especially one about that marriage.

off just before dawn and was rudely awakened by her

decided to snooze

any time before work, she bolted upright, skipped breakfast, rushed through her morning routine, threw on some clothes, grabbed her phone and bag, and dashed out the door, making sure to hail a cab. Standing at the entrance of her complex, waiting

Sophia looked over and caught sight of Brandon's

She was taken aback.

stepped out of the car and was

then looked at him, "What are you doing

passing by," he said, already

hesitated, eyeing his

before, let's be friends, so let's be friends," he continued, "Giving friends a lift is the most normal

know what

car door, "Sophia, I don't want to force you. Or we can just

Sophia looked at him.

were calm, but there was an

her lips and finally gave

opened the passenger door and got

up and the car pulled away, a

to eat

His voice was steady.

him; he was focused on driving,

the assertiveness from moments ago

"Thanks."

her thanks and

last night?" Brandon glanced at her tired

head slightly, "No, just

hummed in acknowledgment and

opened the breakfast bag

breakfast,

had a chance

she saw Brandon's reply from

[Okay, sleep early.]

pick you up in

she felt a mix

I put down the phone and went

it."

worries," Brandon replied lightly, glancing at her tackling breakfast, "Haven't had

felt a touch embarrassed and

at him again, hesitated, but finally asked, "Did

"Just got here a little while

of a breakfast spot near a mall, and turned to ask her, "Is

slightly,

showed him the bag, "I can't finish all

bag in her hand, nodded, and

Sophia wasn't a big eater, especially for breakfast - an egg, a glass of milk, and a sandwich were usually enough for her.

mostly taken care of

my own. No need for

Sophia softly said

waste of

her, not a yes, not

talk about it tomorrow," he said

Sophia nodded gently. "Mhm."

at the underground parking of the