Anathea fell silent, surprise flickering in her eyes. Gregory had said this handkerchief was hers, but why didn’t she remember ever owning it?
She took the handkerchief from Gregory, opened it, and inspected it closely.
She’d believed that the word “Nat” stitched onto the handkerchief stood for “Natalie“, so she’d often washed the handkerchief hastily to get the chore over with. She’d never given it a proper look.
But now, as she carefully took in the details of the handkerchief, she started to think it looked a little familiar.
Gregory stared at Anathea, noting how her expression shifted from one of astonishment to one of doubt.
An exasperated chuckle escaped him as he caressed the top of her head. “Just as I expected, you’ve forgotten.”
Then again, he didn’t blame her for forgetting. After all, she hadn’t given him the handkerchief personally. Rather, he’d picked it up.
It was a story buried in a past he had no intention of revisiting, so he didn’t bother to explain any further.
Instead, he told Anathea softly, “It’s okay if you don’t remember, but I’d like to clarify that this handkerchief isn’t Natalie’s. I have nothing to do with her. But I want everything to do with you.
His voice was clear and crisp as he enunciated each word. He sounded particularly resolved.
Anathea had no words. She wasn’t sure what expression to pull, either. Complicated emotions welled up in her.
She didn’t recognize the handkerchief was hers right away because she had a vast collection of handkerchiefs.
All of them had been hand–stitched by her grandmother, but since her grandmother’s passing, Anthea had stored those handkerchiefs away with the rest of her grandmother’s belongings
She never expected that one of them would’ve ended up in Gregory’s possession, much less for him to keep it for so long.
She stared at him, feeling as if her emotions were tangled up in a messy, stubborn knot inside her that she couldn’t undo.
She couldn’t tell how much of what Gregory had said to her was true. He’d repeatedly let her down, and she didn’t know if he could be trusted. No answer came to her mind.
A moment later, Anathea folded the handkerchief and handed it back to Gregory. She asked ge now?”
“Are you going to shower
She decided not to press him or dig any deeper, seeing as she couldn’t figure out the truth behind the handkerchief anyway. Overthinking might affect the baby, and all she wanted now was for the baby to grow well.
Gregory knew Anathea was changing the subject but went along with it nonetheless. He nodded and answered, “Yeah.”
“Go ahead then.” Anathea tugged on the blanket and made to lie down. But when he didn’t leave and remained standing before her, unmoving, she asked, “What is it?”
“It’s hard to take off my shirt with one hand,” he confessed a little helplessly.
Anathea eyed him speechlessly. He never seemed to have trouble binding his necktie around her wrists with one hand before.
As if reading her mind, Gregory explained quietly, “The tie’s a little tight today; I can’t undo it with one hand.”
With his serious expression, he didn’t look like he was lying. Anathea studied him for a bit, knowing full well that he was deliberately faking inconvenience.
However, when she considered how he’d gotten injured in the first place, she reached for him.
Seeing this, Gregory lit up and quickly leaned forward. He drew close to Anathea and braced an arm against the bed, practically
1/2
Chapter S
tucking her into the crook of his arm.
Only a hair’s breadth separated them, and Anathea could feel his warm breath on her face. She pressed her lips into a thin line and helped him loosen his tie. “Here you go.”
“Annie, didn’t you know it was common courtesy to see it through when you help someone?” Gregory chided playfully, blinking as he pointed at his shirt buttons.
Anathea glared at him but undid his buttons anyway. As the buttons were loosened one by one, Gregory’s sculpted body came into sight, his chiseled abs expanding and contracting with each breath he took like temptation made flesh.
Anathea’s fingers curled slightly as she released her grip. “Alright, go on now. I’m going to sleep.”
Gregory’s gaze fell on the flushed tips of her ears. He bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Goodnight, Annie.”
Her fingers clenched even tighter.
Gregory quickly got up and tucked Anathea in. He even thoughtfully turned off the lights, leaving only a single bedside lamp on before turning toward the bathroom.
Not long after, Anathea heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom as she lay in bed. She wasn’t sure if she got tired easily because of the pregnancy, but it didn’t take her long to fall asleep.
