Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)
Chapter 367 Wait for Me

Leonard shrugged, conceding. "Almost 30... Yeah, close enough."

After a few rounds of drinks, they were both a little tipsy. Lia, munching on a rib, asked, "So, now that your career's set, when are you planning to settle down?"

Leonard deflected with his own question, "What about you? When are you planning to settle down?"

Lia waved him off. "I'm just a regular person. I'm already 25 and haven't even been in a relationship. Guess I can thank you for that. You rich folks like to marry late. Who knows, by the time I've got kids running around, you'll probably still be single." Leonard felt an unexpected pang he couldn't quite place. "No way. If you're getting married, I'm getting married. If you've got kids running around, then I'll have kids running around too."

Lia rolled her eyes. "Copycat. Our lives started in completely different places. Why would you want to sync up with me?"

Leonard didn't reply. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was already 1:00 am, but he wasn't ready to end this last taste of freedom. By the time it was nearing 2:00 am, Lia finally gave in, saying she needed to head home and get some sleep. Even though her apartment was only a few hundred feet from the food stall, Leonard insisted on walking her to her door.

Even Lia, as oblivious as she could be, sensed something different in him tonight. She seemed more reserved than usual. When she unlocked her door, she asked, almost as a formality, "Do you want to come in for a bit?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, it's late. You should get some rest."

Lia nodded and stepped inside to take off her shoes, but when she looked back, he was still standing there, watching her.

She felt a little awkward, at a loss for words. They just stood there, facing each other across the doorframe like a pair of clueless kids.

Leonard's gaze was intense, like a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption. However, he seemed to be holding back as if the time wasn't quite right.

After a long pause, he said, "Wait for me."

Lia didn't put much thought into the cryptic remark. She just nodded quickly, eager to end the awkward tension hanging between them.

Finally, he turned and walked away. She listened to the sound of the elevator descending in the quiet of the night before she closed the door.

...

The next morning, Bella was heading out for work when she encountered a new face-a young lad with an air of confidence about him.

He wore a spotless, all-white tracksuit and a backward baseball cup that matched. A few strands of gray-dyed hair peeked out from under the brim.

He held the latest smartphone in one hand, had a Bluetooth earbud in one ear, and a small, shining earring that added a touch of rebellious edge to his look.

His face was striking, like something out of a magazine. It was hard not to be impressed at first glance.

Bella glanced at him briefly before moving on, thinking to herself how many girls had probably already fallen for him.

Once inside the elevator, Bella

realized they were the only two there. The young lad openly stared at her not in a sleazy way but with an intensity that still made her a little uncomfortable.

She couldn't help but wonder what kids were eating these days to grow so tall. This guy looked like he was still growing, yet he already towered over her by at least a head.

"I just moved in. I'm your new next-door neighbor," he said suddenly.

Bella blinked, taking a second to process that he was speaking to her. She responded politely, "Oh... Uh, nice to meet you."

That was the extent of their conversation. They parted ways as soon as they left the building.

Bella found the encounter a bit odd, but she appreciated his manners. At least he had made the effort to introduce himself. Most young. people these days seem to prefer closed-off, digital-only interactions.

She didn't think much more about her new neighbor-that was until she

got home after work and saw him suddenly rush out of his apartment next door, his head covered in shampoo foam.

"My shower is broken. Mind if I borrow yours?"