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

and decided to snooze for a bit, not realizing

with barely 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 for the ride that hadn't arrived yet, she

of Brandon's

She was taken aback.

had already stepped out of the car and was

at him, "What are you

by," he said, already opening the

hesitated, eyeing

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

didn't know what

the car door, "Sophia, I don't want to force you. Or we can just stand here and wait,

Sophia looked at him.

there was an

lips and finally gave

the passenger door and got

she buckled up and the car pulled

something to

His voice was steady.

glanced at him; he was focused

assertiveness from moments ago

"Thanks."

thanks and

sleep well last night?" Brandon glanced at her tired face and asked

her head slightly, "No, just went to

acknowledgment

more, just opened the breakfast bag and started

breakfast, she

she finally had a chance to

reply from

[Okay, sleep early.]

up in

she felt a mix of emotions and

and went to bed

it."

Brandon replied lightly, glancing at her tackling breakfast,

felt a touch embarrassed and nodded, "Yeah,

hesitated, but finally asked, "Did

really," Brandon said, "Just got here

sight of a breakfast spot near a mall, and turned to ask her, "Is that enough for you? Want to stop and grab some

her head slightly, "No need,

the bag, "I

her hand, nodded, and didn't

a big eater, especially for breakfast - an egg, a glass of milk, and a sandwich were usually enough for her. At home, she'd maybe

they were together, breakfast was mostly taken care of

on my own. No need for

a short distance," Sophia softly

waste of your

at her, not a

talk about it tomorrow," he

Sophia nodded gently. "Mhm."

car arrived at the underground parking of the