Chapter 1313:
The question caught Lydia off guard, and she tensed, reminded that Jeffry was still inside her place.
Explaining that Jeffry was only here to fix the plumbing was impossible, especially since she once asked Ethan to act as her boyfriend and both men were aware of each other.
Dodging the question, she forced a smile. “Thanks for bringing these over. You probably need to get going, right?”
Ethan gave her a lingering, unreadable look, but he didn’t press the issue.
After seeing Ethan out, Lydia finally convinced Jeffry to leave as well. Dealing with the two of them had frayed her nerves, and she wanted nothing more than a break. She quickly made plans to meet Elena at Empire.
Entering the Empire, Elena’s eyes quickly landed on Lydia perched at the bar with a drink already in hand.
Sliding onto the neighboring stool, Elena settled in beside her.
As soon as Lydia caught sight of Elena, she wrapped her arms around her friend in an enthusiastic embrace. “Thank goodness you’re here, Elena. You’re a thousand times better company than those insufferable men.”
The unmistakable smell of alcohol hit Elena, prompting her to lean away and ease Lydia’s grip with a gentle push.
“How much have you actually had tonight?” Elena’s gaze swept over Lydia, her concern obvious.
With a sheepish grin, Lydia raised one finger. “Just a single bottle, I swear.”
Elena’s eyes flickered to the almost empty whiskey bottle sitting nearby. That kind of drinking wasn’t like Lydia—something serious must have been weighing her down.
Elena turned, her tone inviting honesty. “Go on, tell me what’s really bothering you.”
A hollow laugh escaped Lydia. “You always see right through me, don’t you? Honestly, I think I’ve turned into a coward. Life in Klathe is just too comfortable. Every day I’m here, I second-guess myself even more.”
She could barely recognize the person she was turning into. It was just a man, wasn’t it? Loving and walking away should be equally simple.
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And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to cut ties with Jeffry completely. Acting as though nothing had ever happened and going back to him felt just as impossible.
In a burst of frustration, Lydia tipped her glass back and downed the last of her drink.
No gentle words came from Elena. “You don’t want to get back together with my brother, but somehow you can’t seem to let him out of your life either.”
Still as stone, Lydia’s jaw tensed while she nodded. “Yeah. Does that make me hopeless? There are countless men out there, but here I am, still stuck on him.”
Elena, however, saw no foolishness in her. “Men come and go, Lydia. Who said you’re not allowed to hold on to feelings for someone from your past?”
That left Lydia quiet, words stuck in her throat.
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