Chapter 152
The four of them ended up at a high-end steakhouse.
While Candice was in the restroom, Benjamin, ever the gentleman, gestured for Patricia to order first. After she and Rebekah had made their choices, Benjamin reeled off a list of dishes with practiced ease, adding three glasses of milk for the table.
“I love milk, thank you, Mr. Forrester,” Patricia said with a smile.
Benjamin gave a curt nod. “Candice likes it, so I ordered one for everyone p>
His eyes flickered toward Rebekah for a moment before darting away. He’d been avoiding her for the past few days. Every time he saw her, he remembered the way she’d recoiled from his touch, the panic in her eyes. He didn’t know what had happened to her during the kidnapping, but the mere thought of what she might have endured filled him with a confusing mix of anger and disappointment, making it impossible to look her in the eye.
Patricia calmly slid the glass of milk from in front of Rebekah over to her side of the table.
“You’re allergic to milk. I’ll drink this for you p>
Rebekah stared at her, baffled. This was the first time they’d ever eaten together; Patricia couldn’t possibly know her dietary restrictions.
“You’re wondering how I knew, aren’t you?” Patricia inquired, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Rebekah nodded.
“When someone cares enough to know you,” Patricia said, her voice carrying across the table, “they find these things out p>
The implication was clear. Across from them, Benjamin’s brow furrowed, a flicker of shame in his eyes. He knew every single one of Candice’s preferences, yet he couldn’t even remember that his own wife had an allergy.
“I’ll get you some juice instead,” he offered stiffly.
“And no ice, please,” Patricia added brightly. “Your wife’s on her period p>
Rebekah looked at Patricia as if she’d seen a ghost. How did she know that, too?
Benjamin’s face darkened as he finally realized the woman was provoking him on purpose.
Just then, Candice returned from the restroom and slid gracefully into the seat next to him. She eyed Patricia for a moment before smiling sweetly.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen my sister with a friend.” Realizing how that sounded, she quickly backpedaled. “What I mean is, after all the mistakes she made in the past most of her old friends well, they drifted away p>
She left the nature of those “mistakes” hanging in the air, a clear insinuation that Rebekah had done something unforgivable to drive everyone away.
It was a clear warning to Patricia: Rebekah wasn’t someone worth getting close
to.
A shadow passed over Rebekah’s face as a painful memory surfaced, and she fell silent.
Patricia, however, just laughed it off. “Who doesn’t make mistakes when they’re young? It’s a big world. There’s always someone out there who gets you p>
“You might not say that if you knew the whole story,” Candice said with a shrug Cops ve said too much, I’ve always had a big mouth. Don’t mind me, sister p>
Rebekah glanced at Patricia, who seemed completely unfazed by Candice’s words, so she let it go.
During the meal, Candice pouted at her steak.
“Benjamin, I don’t feel like cutting this. Yours is already done. Can we trade p>
Benjamin hesitated, having already taken a bite, but Candice simply switched their plates before he could object.
“Come on, we’re best buds,” she said with a dismissive wave. “You’re not worried your wife will mind, are you p>
Benjamin’s eyes flicked to Rebekah,
but she was just picking at her salad, seemingly oblivious to what was happening. It was only then that he remembered she didn’t even ike steakhouses.
After a moment of silence, he picked up his knife and fork and began to cut into the new steak.
Beside him, Patricia was eating with gusto, chatting cheerfully with Candice as if they were old friends.