Chapter 136
Chapter 136:
Rylie blinked at the steak he’d taken. “I’ve already tasted that one p>
Brad gave a shrug. “Doesn’t bother me p>
Rylie was momentarily at a loss for words.
Deandre leaned forward. “Wait, are you seriously cutting steak for her p>
Brad finally looked him in the eye. “If a man can’t take care of a woman younger than him, then what’s the point of being older? You didn’t do it. So I stepped in p>
Deandre clenched his jaw. “That’s not how this is supposed to go.” The tension in his voice gave him away. Brad hadn’t done anything loud or dramatic. Still, everything about him was getting under Deandre’s skin, and he couldn’t figure out why.
Deandre couldn’t explain it, but watching Rylie pick up those perfectly sized steak pieces made him clench his jaw. The frustration didn’t vanish, but he held it in.
Without hesitation, Deandre slid part of his steak toward her. “This is my first go at taking care of someone, Rylie. I’m not some old guy with all the tricks, but I can manage this much. Go on, eat p>
Brad paused mid-cut and glanced up. The look he gave Deandre made it clear that those words were unpleasant.
Deandre met his stare with one of his own. The message came through just as clearly, as if saying that Brad’s words weren’t any better.
Rylie gave a small shake of her head. “Thanks, Deandre. But this portion’s already enough for me p>
With no choice left, he retrieved the plate. “Fine. I’ll just cut it up for you next time p>
She smiled faintly. “Okay p>
In moments like that, she felt deeply grateful for the people around her.
After the meal, Rylie made her way to HaloFlow Pharmacy by herself. Selah hadn’t seen her in a while. As soon as Rylie stepped inside, Selah reached out and held both her hands, checking her from head to toe. “You’re safe, right? That Wildes group didn’t hurt you p>
“I’m fine, Selah,” she said. “Is it busy today p>
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“Not really. A few regulars came in for meds. Nothing more p>
Rylie fell silent for a few seconds before speaking. “Have you ever considered starting a hospital again? Something official? You run a small clinic and treat everyone all by yourself every day. It looks tiring. If you had a hospital, we could recruit excellent doctors, treat more patients, and you wouldn’t be this exhausted p>
Selah didn’t answer at first. Then, after a long pause, she gave a small shake of her head. “Helping people this way is enough for me p>
Rylie kept going. “But haven’t you wanted to clear your name?” She looked straight at her. “I don’t believe you caused anyone’s death. There’s probably more to what happened p>
Selah froze for a moment but stayed quiet on the details. “It’s alright. I’m happy with HaloFlow Pharmacy p>
Sensing that Selah didn’t want to revisit the past, Rylie changed her tone. “Maybe we could expand HaloFlow Pharmacy? We could build some wards and consultation rooms. Some patients want to stay a few nights. It doesn’t feel right to send them away p>
Selah didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either.