The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 187

Lavinia stood at the sink washing vegetables while Charley handled a pour-over setup at the island counter behind her.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. He poured a cup, handed it to her, and asked with feigned casualness, "Was Garnett here earlier?"

Lavinia looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"I saw him leaving right as I was pulling up."

He paused for a beat.

"He didn't try anything, did he?"

Lavinia hesitated for a moment, then answered softly, "I don't even know why he came. He asked me a really weird question and then just left."

"What question?" he asked.

Lavinia couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. "Just... a meaningless one," she deflected.

"You let him inside. Weren't you worried?"

"He got scratched by a cat at the end of the alley. His arm was bleeding, so I had to let him in to disinfect it."

Charley lowered his eyes. "Next time he shows up, call me first, okay? I worry about you."

Lavinia nodded. "Yeah, I will. It all happened so fast today I didn't have time to text you."

She paused, then added, "But he wouldn't actually hurt me."

Charley's lowered eyelashes twitched slightly.

The atmosphere grew a bit stiff. Lavinia set down her half-finished coffee and turned back to the sink.

A moment later, Charley rolled up his sleeves and walked over to help her chop the vegetables.

It wasn't the first time they had shared a meal in this tiny house, but for some reason, the energy between them felt strange today.

It was as if something invisible was quietly blossoming in the air between them, tangling them up in unspoken tension.

It had to be because it was too quiet. She needed some background noise.

"Let's see what's playing on the movie channel," Lavinia said, walking over to turn on the TV.

A teen romance was airing. On-screen, the female lead looked up at the boy and asked, "Do you want to kiss me?"

Lavinia cringed internally. Just as she was reaching for the remote to change the channel, Charley appeared in the living room and said quietly, "Let's just leave this on."

"Oh... okay," Lavinia stuttered.

In those few seconds of hesitation, the teenage boy on the screen leaned in and kissed the girl.

It was clumsy, inexperienced, and entirely tentative.

Lavinia raised her eyes, looking slightly bewildered.

"Me," he said.

She didn't understand. "What?"

But he didn't elaborate.

Lavinia had no idea what kind of riddle he was playing at. Regardless, the movie was over, and so was her lingering nostalgia.

With nothing to do after lunch and the midday sun blazing outside, Charley sat on the living room rug right in front of the AC, playing with the dog.

Lavinia finished washing the dishes and watched them for a while.

The way he looked in his white button-down shirt reminded her of the male lead from the movie they just watched. Back in high school, Charley always wore a mask; she hadn't even known what he truly looked like underneath it.

He was definitely far more handsome than the actor on TV.

As Lavinia watched him, she suddenly let out a big yawn. She had woken up incredibly early that morning, and the fatigue was catching up to her.

"Go upstairs and take a nap. I'll lock the door behind me when I leave," Charley told her.

Lavinia was too tired to stand on ceremony. She headed upstairs, closed her door, drew the curtains, and fell into a deep, heavy sleep.

By the time she woke up, the sun was already setting.