Reunion Is Difficult Chapter 06
Upon arriving in Westmere, I took full control of my own life.
In the past, I had always pushed my plans aside to accommodate Amanda’s schedule.
I put my biological research on hold because I had to rush home to cook dinner for her.
I cut back on sleep because I had to go to the gym, just to meet her obsession with muscular physiques.
Every dinner with friends, professional course, and personal commitment had to take a back seat to her.
However, I was determined to find myself again.
At the research institute, Lawrence joked, “We keep pretty long hours around here. Many often work until past ten. I hope no one has to rush home for dates.”
The room fell silent. Everyone’s gaze shifted toward me at once.
My face instantly flushed.
I quietly shook my head. “I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.”
Lawrence looked at me in surprise, then nodded.
“That’s probably for the best. A man should focus on building his career.”
With that, he motioned toward the back of the room.
A young blonde woman with striking blue eyes stepped forward.
“Leigh, allow me to introduce Anya Vetrova, your junior colleague. She comes from a mixed Westmerian, Valorian, and Rosavian background.”
Anya smiled warmly at me. She casually took the research report I had been struggling with and quickly jotted down several possible approaches.
“I’m Anya Jackson. I took my mother’s last name.”
I had heard of her before.
Her father was a paleontologist, and her mother an attorney. She had joined Lawrence’s team right after graduating from the Royal Academy of Westmere.
She was younger than me, but far more seasoned in the field.
“Nice to meet you.”
Anya was bright and outgoing. Whenever she saw me at the institute, she would greet me with a cheerful smile. Sometimes, she brought me coffee; other times, she would pass my desk and casually leave me a protein bar.
During my first week in Westmere, I shut out every distraction and threw myself completely into my work.
I ran experiments during the day and wrote reports at night. By the time my head touched the pillow, I would fall asleep instantly, leaving me no time or energy to deal with Amanda.
Every family member or friend she sent to ask about me was firmly turned away.
I blocked Amanda and Kevin.
There was no room for three people in a relationship, so I chose to walk away.
Letting go of a seven-year relationship and a ten-year friendship was still unbearably painful.
Whenever I had a quiet moment, memories of the happier times the three of us had shared would come rushing back.
Each one sent a sharp ache through my chest.
I buried all of it deep inside and never let a trace of it show.
When our first research project wrapped up, Anya offered to take me out to dinner.
“There’s an old Rosavian saying, fortune favors the bold. So, will you have dinner with me?”
Her awkward use of the expression made me laugh.
“That’s not quite how the saying works.”
Anya scratched her head, then looped her arm through mine. “Then you can teach me, Leigh. You can explain it over dinner.”
When we arrived, I realized she had brought me to a cozy little restaurant that specialized in classic
comfort food.
“The house specialty is loaded baked potatoes with roasted garlic and chives. I remember you saying when you studied in Westmere three years ago that they were one of your favorite foods. But no one at home liked the smell of garlic, so you eventually stopped having them.”
I paused in surprise.
I had forgotten all about that, yet she remembered.
As if the owner had read our minds, he appeared with two heaping plates of steaming comfort food, loaded baked potatoes on one and crispy potato skins on the other, all topped with roasted garlic and chives.
I lowered my head and took a bite.
The potato was soft and fluffy, while the toppings were rich and savory.
The homesickness that had been weighing on me for days seemed to melt away in an instant.
As I continued eating, tears gathered in the corners of my eyes.
I had always loved loaded potatoes with garlic and chives.
Amanda hated the smell of garlic, so I had gone without them for the entire seven years we were together.
Even when I ate out, I never dared to order anything with garlic as I was worried the scent would linger on my breath and upset her when I returned home.
I was finally free to enjoy garlic again.
Just as the warmth of the moment settled over me, my phone buzzed.
I opened the message without thinking. It was from an unfamiliar number.
[I’ve searched twelve towns across Westmere, but there’s still no sign of you. Please just tell me where you are.]
I pursed my lips. Then, I casually took a photo of Anya in profile as she ate her loaded baked potato.
[I’ve moved on with my life. Please stop contacting me.]
