Leonora spoke softly, trying to explain, but Taylor just kept his head turned away, not even glancing at her.
Seeing this, Leonora gently shook his hand, “Are you still mad? Aren’t you going to drive me home?”
A few months ago, Leonora wouldn’t have dreamt of trying to placate Taylor or explain herself.
But now, with their breakup already agreed upon, she felt more grounded. Plus, Taylor had been pretty accommodating lately, so she figured it was only fair to meet him halfway this time.
She didn’t want to fight; she wanted to part on good terms. After all, having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy.
Leonora’s gentle approach caught Taylor off guard. He hadn’t expected her to be so patient and calm.
In the past, she would have stormed out and hailed a cab, and they’d end up in a huge argument.
Sighing softly, Taylor finally turned to look at Leonora, his gaze dropping. “Leonora, since we got together, I haven’t messed around. Are you really that lonely without me?”
Taylor's words made Leonora want to laugh and cry at the same time. “Lonely? You saw the chat. Did you see me flirting with anyone or going out with someone else?”
“I couldn’t have been clearer. Stop falsely accusing me; it feels like you’re killing me with these accusations.”
Leonora always made her intentions clear to anyone interested in her, preventing any misunderstandings or false hopes.
Before Taylor could respond, Leonora added, “If you’re still feeling uneasy, go ahead and find someone else. I won’t mind.”
If Taylor could really move on and leave her, Leonora would be over the moon.
To her surprise, Taylor shot her a cold glance. “I’m not in the mood to entertain anyone else. Taking care of you is enough for me.”
Taylor’s choice of words made Leonora laugh, and she stepped closer to wrap her arms around his.
Even though Taylor was still upset, he couldn’t bring himself to stay mad or rebuke her further.
Because what Leonora said was true; she hadn’t engaged with anyone else and had been clear about her intentions.
After staring at Leonora for a while, Taylor finally exhaled softly and said, “I’ll drive you home.”
“Okay.” Leonora nodded, quickly getting ready to leave.
On the way back, Taylor was still visibly down, so he didn’t start any conversation.
Seeing his mood, Leonora sat quietly beside him, also not speaking.
Today, Taylor took a longer route. As the car stopped at a traffic light intersection, he suddenly turned to Leonora and said, “Leonora, delete those people who shouldn’t be lingering around.”
After a pause, Taylor added, “I don’t want to make things awkward between us or put you in a difficult position.”
If he weren’t worried about putting Leonora in a tough spot, he would have already dealt with those people, ensuring they could never approach her again.
But he cared about Leonora’s feelings.
Taylor’s reminder and warning prompted Leonora to look at him, first acknowledging with an “Oh,” then saying, “I understand.”
Seeing her not too cheerful, Taylor reminded her once more, “Just be careful.”
Taylor always spoke with restraint and never harshly towards Leonora.
Not wanting to embarrass her, and Leonora, not wanting to argue, readily agreed to whatever he said.
Soon, the car stopped in front of Leonora’s apartment building. As Leonora opened the door to get out, Taylor, as usual, got out of the car too.
But this time, he didn’t indulge in any affectionate gestures or kisses, just quietly said, “Go rest.”


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