Chapter 2179
“No worries, the food’s getting cold. Let’s dig in,” Ivy said casually, though her mind seemed miles away.
She listlessly picked at the slices arrayed before her, taste buds registering little of the meal’s flavor.
Even now, Balfour was serving her slices just as he always did, meticulously picking off the olives that he knew she detested.
As Ivy watched Balfour’s slender hands at work, she couldn’t help but wonder why. Everything was just so inexplicably odd.
“Something wrong? You’re looking a bit off. Didn’t you pick this place?” he inquired, pausing mid-motion to rest the slice he’d been holding back onto his own plate.
Ivy aimlessly poked at her food with a fork. “Oh, maybe it’s the whole Giselle incident from this morning that’s put me off. I wasn’t exactly starving, to begin with. I remember raving about this restaurant, but now that we’re here, it just doesn’t seem to hit the spot.
Balfour chuckled softly, not taking her disappointment to heart, “If you’re not into it, just leave it. We can get the housekeeper to whip up something you like when we get back.”
“When I’m not hungry, nothing really appeals to me,” Ivy declared, locking eyes with him earnestly.
But he just lowered his gaze, “Well, if you don’t feel like eating, then don’t eat. When you’re hungry, you’ll want to eat.’
The tension between them thickened in an instant. Balfour’s head bowed, he absentmindedly nibbled at his food, clearly lacking appetite.
Ivy wanted to ask if he had forgotten his suggestion for her to reconsider their relationship.
She had figured it out now, but why wasn’t he asking?
Did he regret bringing it up and no longer want to know her answer or pursue anything further with her?
“Let’s head back,” he said abruptly.
On the way home, they sat in silence, the awkwardness palpable.
Ivy searched for words to break, the tomb-like quiet.
Their times alone together used to be so engaging; she never worried about the lulls or felt uncomfortable. However, since the incident in that diner, all she could think about was who that girl was. Someone was out there, in touch with Balfour in a way she wasn’t privy to, and his silence on the matter only deepened her heartache.
09:
However frosty they might be with each other on the road, back home with Alyssa and Dean around, they had to play the part of the sweet, loving couple.
After parking, Ivy sat dazed, unmoving in her seat.
He came around to open her door.
“No matter what happens outside, we should control our emotions at home. Let’s not worry the old folks,” he said, extending a gentlemanly hand to help Ivy out.
With a sigh, she took his hand, “I know, I’m an actor. Don’t worry.’
He seemed to take issue with her reference to being an ‘actor’, frowning slightly, but left it at that.
Hand in hand, they approached the door, releasing their grip as they turned to face Alyssa and Dean.
Ivy’s face lit up with a practiced smile. “We’re back!”
She let go of Balfour’s hand and flung herself towards Alyssa, miming a hug.
As Balfour felt the warmth leave his palm, he rubbed his fingers together, contemplating the complexities of their intertwined lives.
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