Chapter 237
Chapter 237:
Brad shrugged. “I figured. Before that, you’ll have to check in at the base with—”
“That’s all?” she asked.
“That’s all,” he replied with a nod.
Rylie still looked unsure.
As the car entered Serenity Manor’s winding mountain path, a girl pushing a bike suddenly appeared from the dark.
Brad hit the brakes, recognizing Zaylee’s face in the mirror.
Rylie saw her too. “You know her?”
Brad didn’t mention the engagement his grandfather had arranged with a high school girl. He found the idea absurd and never took it seriously. “My grandfather was saved during a tough time by a woman in the countryside. He promised to repay the kindness. Their family is in trouble now, so they came for help.”
Rylie squinted through the dark. “She looks like she’s been walking all night.”
Brad reversed the car until they pulled up beside Zaylee. He turned to Rylie and said, “I’ll go check on her.”
Rylie gave a small nod.
Zaylee stopped short when she saw the tall figure step out of the car.
The moonlight traced every sharp line of his face, and the sight of him standing there in a trench coat brought tears to her eyes.
“B-Brad!” Her voice shook as she pushed her bicycle forward, fear written all over her face.
He frowned when his gaze fell on her thin school uniform and worn sneakers. “What’s going on?”
From the woods nearby, strange bird calls rang out. She let go of the bicycle handle in fright and ran straight into his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Her fingers brushed the hem of his coat, her head barely reaching his chest, when he firmly held her shoulders and kept some distance.
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․çom has it all
“Zaylee, you need to keep your boundaries,” he said coolly. “You should respect that.”
“I was just scared.” She stood straighter, her head lowered, fingers twisting at the worn fabric of her uniform. “The way back from school is so far. By the time I got here, it was already dark.”
He frowned again. “No one came to pick you up?”
She shook her head, her voice flat. “No, I thought about taking the bus, but Mom rushed to buy this bicycle before I transferred schools. I had to ride it home.” It was her first day at school in Crolens, and no one from the Morgan family had checked on her or her mother.
Brad knew it felt wrong to treat his grandfather’s savior’s granddaughter like this. He picked up her bicycle and placed it in the trunk. “Get in. I’ll drive you back.”
Blushing, she opened the passenger door and climbed in. She hadn’t even noticed there was someone sitting in the backseat. When he secured the bike and got into the driver’s seat, she pulled out a bottle of water from her backpack and handed it to him.
“Brad, did you just get back from work?”
He took the water without looking at it and started the car. “Have you gotten used to the new school yet?” he asked casually.