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.

before dawn and was rudely

decided to snooze for a bit, not

sure to

sight of Brandon's

She was taken aback.

of the car and was looking at her, "Hop

at him,

he said, already opening

eyeing

before, let's be friends, so let's be friends," he continued,

didn't know

the car door, "Sophia, I don't want to force you. Or

Sophia looked at him.

there was an undertone of firmness

pursed her lips

opened the passenger

car pulled away, a warm breakfast

something to eat

His voice was steady.

he was focused

from moments

"Thanks."

thanks and took

well last night?" Brandon glanced at

"No, just went to

in acknowledgment

just opened the breakfast

breakfast, she

a chance to check her

reply from the

[Okay, sleep early.]

you up

felt a mix of emotions and turned to

put down the phone and went to bed after replying last night,

it."

worries," Brandon replied lightly, glancing at

touch embarrassed and

at him again, hesitated, but finally asked, "Did you come over

got here a little

the car window, catching sight of a breakfast spot near a mall,

slightly, "No need, there's

him the bag,

glanced at the bag in her hand,

wasn't a big eater, especially for breakfast - an egg, a glass of milk, and a

when they were together, breakfast was mostly taken care of by

on my

a short distance," Sophia softly said as she closed

waste

not a yes,

about it tomorrow," he

Sophia nodded gently. "Mhm."

arrived at the underground parking