The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 186

Garnett noticed a shoe rack right outside the front door with indoor slippers meant for guests. There was a pair for women, and a pair for men.

"Who are these men's slippers for?" he asked.

"For Saul. Why?"

Lavinia changed her shoes and stepped inside. She kept her first-aid kit upstairs in the bedroom, so she headed straight up to find it.

Garnett followed her right in. He glanced at the bed—there was only one pillow.

He pulled open the closet doors. No men's clothing.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't you have any manners?" Lavinia snapped, genuinely annoyed.

"Did you find the rubbing alcohol?" Garnett asked dismissively.

Lavinia pressed her lips into a thin line, turning around with bottles of hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, and iodine.

"Go into the bathroom. I need to flush it out."

There was a small adjoining bathroom in the second-floor bedroom. Lavinia had Garnett hold his arm over the sink while she rinsed the scratch with hydrogen peroxide and alcohol, finally swabbing it carefully with iodine.

"The wound isn't too deep, but you still need to go get a tetanus and rabies shot."

As Lavinia finished speaking, she glanced up and found Garnett staring intensely at her from mere inches away.

She furrowed her brow. "What are you looking at?"

Garnett's lips parted.

"When did you first start liking me? And why?" he asked, holding her gaze.

Lavinia froze.

In two years of marriage, he had never once asked her that. And she realized she had long forgotten why she never bothered to explain it.

After their initial blind date, he had asked to start seeing her.

He had been like a precision clock—if he said they would go on three dates a week, they went on exactly three dates a week.

Back then, even though his demeanor was slightly detached, he had been incredibly polite and gentlemanly.

Half a year later, he proposed out of the blue. She had told him she needed time to think about it.

A month later, he arranged a beautifully romantic setup and asked again. That time, she said yes.

Their marriage had always been built on a fragile foundation, and she had never expected him to be intensely passionate after the wedding. She figured marriage was a lifelong commitment anyway, and a quiet, steady companionship was more than enough.

It was only later that she realized he had never truly let go of Sigrid. He was always subtly pulling strings, checking in on her through mutual connections.

Lavinia wiped her hands and hurried out. Opening the door, she found Charley standing outside, holding Nemo's leash.

"Charley? What are you doing here?" Lavinia asked in surprise.

Charley looked down at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Am I not supposed to be here?"

Lavinia blinked, slightly taken aback.

Charley raised his right hand, showing off a bag of coffee beans. "Freshly shipped Blue Mountain coffee beans from Brazil."

So he was here to drop off coffee.

Lavinia stepped aside. "Come on in. I was just about to make something I really like. Though... I might not have enough food for two."

"I'll order some extra groceries on my phone and have them delivered," he replied instantly.

Lavinia realized his whole "dropping off coffee beans" excuse was just a ploy to score a free meal.

"Should we call Saul and see if he wants to join?" she suggested.

Charley remained silent for a few seconds before answering smoothly, "I called him before I came over. He's out of town in Penbrook."

"Oh... well, I guess it's just the two of us, then," Lavinia mumbled awkwardly.