I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

After lunch, Leah Sinclair went to the supermarket to restock on some household necessities. She’d been busy lately, and they were running low on a few things.

As she was struggling back with three large bags, she ran into Chester Hale at the entrance to her complex. She hadn’t seen him in a long time, not since their last incident.

Seeing her carrying so much, Chester Hale frowned and moved to help her carry some of it.

"It’s okay, Dr. Hale. I can manage," Leah said quickly.

"I’m heading back anyway. It’s on the way."

Without another word, Chester Hale took two of the bags from her. He noticed the red marks the handles had left on her fingertips from the walk and glanced away.

"Well, thank you, Dr. Hale." Leah, now carrying the single, lighter bag, trailed slowly behind him.

"Leah," Chester Hale began suddenly, "I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said last time. I realized I shouldn’t have viewed your situation from my own perspective."

Leah hesitated for a moment before replying, "You don’t have to say that, Dr. Hale. It was just a difference in perspective, that’s all."

Her words made Chester Hale smile. "Can we still be friends?"

Leah was taken aback. "You... still want to be friends with me, Dr. Hale?"

"Of course. We’ve known each other for a while now. I think we can at least be friends, don’t you?" Chester Hale said, turning to her with a smile.

"Of course! As long as you don’t mind," Leah said quickly. ’She had assumed that a man of Dr. Hale’s standing would utterly despise her after learning she was just a kept woman.’

"Why would I mind? By the way, please remind your grandmother to take her medicine on time. And don’t forget her follow-up appointment next month."

"Okay, I will."

Just as they reached the base of her apartment building, still talking, Leah suddenly heard Ethan Shaw call her name. She saw him getting out of a car and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Ethan Shaw glanced at Chester Hale. "Asher asked me to pick you up for dinner. I texted you, didn’t you see it?"

"I haven’t checked my phone, I was carrying too much. Wait for me, I’ll just drop this stuff off and be right down."

Leah quickly pulled out her phone and saw that Asher Keating had indeed messaged her earlier. She hadn’t noticed while she was carrying her groceries.

Ethan Shaw walked over and took the bags from Chester Hale. "I’ll take her up. Thanks for the help, Mr. Hale."

Chester Hale didn’t press the issue. "Leah, I just remembered I forgot something, so I won’t go up with you."

"Oh, okay," Leah replied.

Ethan Shaw helped carry the groceries upstairs. As he watched the clothes and blankets airing on the balcony and saw Leah bustling around putting things away, he tutted softly. "No wonder Asher likes staying here nowadays. Look how full of life this place is. It’s so much better than his villa, which is like a damn icebox."

Leah quickly put away the items that needed to be refrigerated. "His villa is huge," she said with a laugh. "Was he really living there all by himself before?"

"Yep. He doesn’t like noise, so he’s always lived there alone. Besides me and Riley crashing there when we drink too much after hanging out, no one else has ever stayed over." Ethan Shaw sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette.

"Don’t tell me... Asher has never even brought a woman there?"

"He really hasn’t, at least not that I can remember. He’s not that interested in women. Riley and I used to wonder if he might be gay. You’re the one who’s been with him the longest."

Ethan Shaw sighed. When Leah didn’t respond, he took a drag from his cigarette and continued, "Leah, I know you like Asher, but take some advice from an older brother: don’t get in too deep. You’re still young, and there’s a lot..."

"You’ve got a long road ahead of you. Asher is definitely different with you... so you should take what you can get now. That way, when you two eventually part ways, at least what you have will be yours."

Leah was silent for a long moment. "Did Asher ask you to tell me this?"

"Of course not. He wouldn’t think of this stuff. It’s just... I’m afraid you’ll get hurt. You must have noticed by now that Asher’s family situation is complicated. He might be rebellious, but he’s still a Keating of Riverfall. Forget him—even for guys like us, we might look like we have it all, but when it comes to matters of the heart..." He blew a smoke ring and gave a bitter laugh. "Heh, sometimes we don’t really get a say in the matter."

"I like Asher, but I know we can’t be together in the end. I’m self-aware enough for that. For me, meeting him has been so much better than meeting some of those other awful guys out there. So don’t worry. As long as he doesn’t ask me to leave, I’ll stay. The day he gets tired of me... I have my own two feet. I’ll walk away. I won’t cling to him." Leah closed the refrigerator door and turned to smile at him.

Looking at her smiling face, Ethan Shaw suddenly felt like the villain in a TV drama. ’Why did I have to say all that to her?’

’At first, Ethan and the others just thought of Leah as someone Asher was messing around with; they didn’t pay her much mind. But after spending more time with her, he had genuinely come to see her as a friend and worried she’d get in too deep.’

’And in her relationship with Asher, when they eventually broke up, Leah would be the only one who wouldn’t be able to move on.’

"Ready? Let’s go, then."

Ethan stubbed out his cigarette and said no more, driving her to the restaurant. Asher Keating wasn’t there yet, but Riley Sterling was. Asher finally arrived a little while after Ethan had finished ordering the food.

Leah poured him a glass of water. He took it and had a sip, then leaned back lazily in his chair, lit a cigarette, and asked her, "What were you up to this afternoon?"

Ethan chimed in gleefully, "She was chatting with your neighbor, Second Master Hale. Tsk, tsk, they were so wrapped up in their conversation she didn’t even have time to check your message."

Asher Keating raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Leah. She rushed to explain, "Don’t listen to him. I went to the supermarket, and on my way back, I ran into Dr. Hale at the entrance to the complex. I had a lot of groceries, and he just helped me carry some of them."

Ethan, ever the pot-stirrer, added, "Oh, come on. You were smiling so brightly."

"You’re lying!"

Asher reached out and pinched her cheek. "I’ll deal with you when we get home."

’I’m done for.’

Leah thought to herself. ’Yesterday’s "deal with you" left her barely able to get out of bed this morning. Tonight was definitely going to be rough.’

Seeing Ethan’s gloating expression, Leah said through clenched teeth, "Asher, Ethan was just saying you’re gay."

Ethan sputtered, spraying a mouthful of water. "COUGH, COUGH! I did not!"

"Yes, you did! You said Asher isn’t interested in women and that you and Riley used to think he was gay!"

"??? Wait, what’s this got to do with me?" Riley Sterling cried out, the picture of innocence.

The corners of Asher’s lips curled up as he looked at her. "And am I gay? Wouldn’t you know?"

Leah’s face instantly flushed. ’How could those words sound so suggestive coming from him?’

Seeing her silence, Asher continued to tease her. "Well? Am I?"

"N-No... not gay," Leah answered, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Ethan and Riley groaned internally. ’We’re still here, you know! Can’t you two be a little more subtle? Are we just part of your foreplay or something?’

"Alright, let’s get down to business," Asher said, seeing how impossibly red her face was. He decided to stop teasing her and get serious. "My old man gave the word today. The Southwood project is mine."