No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 664



Fanny's eyes widened in surprise when she saw me, "Did you go on a midnight heist or something?"

My dark circles were barely concealed by makeup. I had nothing to hide from her, "Just couldn't sleep."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Hearing this, Fanny fell silent, probably thinking I was brooding over Ernest again.

"Where's Yates today? Weren't you meeting up with him about that thing with Susie Collins?"

"Missing him already?" Fanny teased.

"Yeah, been missing him for ages," I joked back, playing along.

Fanny poured some water and slid a glass towards me, "He got called in by a colleague to consult on a case. He'll come by once he's done."

I took a sip of water, "So, you met the parents? How'd it go?"

"It went well. My folks really like him. They're even pushing for us to hurry up and tie the knot," Fanny said, but her voice lacked enthusiasm. Knowing her as I do, I sensed something was off, "You don't seem thrilled?"

"It's not that I'm unhappy... it's just... everything's happening so fast. I feel like we haven't really gotten to know each other enough," Fanny sighed, shaking her head, "Am I being silly?"

"A bit, yeah," I admitted, "You've been into him for so long."

"It's true, I have. But it feels like we barely dated and now we're talking marriage. Plus, he's abroad," I understood Fanny's concern; she didn't want to end up living apart.

Her worry was clearly about the distance issue, which seemed unresolved.

"One of you will have to make a sacrifice, or you'll end up in a long-distance relationship," I said bluntly.

Fanny pursed her lips and stayed silent.

Being in a relationship was never just about love.

I was hardly one to give advice, my own life a mess, so I could offer Fanny little in the way of solutions. This was something for her and Yates to figure out.

"Have you been losing sleep often? Don't ignore it, come by the clinic tomorrow, and I'll have a look," Fanny changed the topic, concerned for me. "Just last night. I didn't sleep well," I said, yawning. Talking about it made me feel sleepy, though Yates hadn't arrived yet, and I couldn't leave. "Why don't you head back? Whatever you need to ask Yates, you can just call him tomorrow," Fanny suggested, worried for me. "I'm fine, really. I can wait," I insisted, signaling the waiter to bring me a strong coffee.

When Yates finally arrived, my sleepiness had somewhat abated.

"Sorry to keep you both waiting," Yates apologized immediately upon arrival.

"Felicia's already downed a whole cup of coffee waiting for you, almost fell asleep here," Fanny teased, though her tone had a hint of reproach. Yates apologized again, and we ordered our food. During the meal, I brought up Susie's situation.

"I've reviewed all her test results, and she's doing remarkably well. If she can avoid rejection for the next three years and maintains this stability she'll likely face no major issues going forward," Yates reassured me, easing my worries.

S

But thinking of Susie's heart, which originally belonged to Judie Sears, and the fact that the person she liked was drawing closer because of it, filled me with unease.

"Is she experiencing any discomfort or anything unusual?" Yates asked, noticing my concern.

I didn't mention Mack Craig and

Susie's situation, just talked about

her plans to start college. Fanny and Yates both supported the idea, with Yates adding that a normal life would help Susie better adapt to her new heart.

After we finished, they offered to walk me home, but I declined. Yates'

visit was rare, and I couldn't monopolize his and Fanny's time together. So, I decided to head out on my own.

But instead of going home, I found myself at Haley's bar.

I ordered a drink and settled in to listen to the music.

Haley spotted me, and though I saw her too, I could sense her displeasure at my presence.