After washing the dishes, Ashley went to the living room and drew some paper to wipe the water droplets on her hands, then she received a phone call from her best friend.
"Ashley, I'm going back home! I finally got divorced and won the case!" Emily's voice was filled with joy.
But Ashley was stunned and didn't know how to respond for a while.
"You were right, Ashley. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. I love Sean and I won't miss him anymore!" Emily kept saying.
Ashley uttered, "Nice." Then she realized her voice sounded a little rough.
"I'll take care of things here as soon as possible and be back in a week at most. Ashley, I'll see you then!" After Emily finished speaking, she hung up the phone, and Ashley just stood there with the phone in her hand, the sound of beeping ringing in her ears.
A man with slender figure walked out of the bedroom and saw Ashley standing there with her phone in her hand. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Ashley turned to look at him.
Sean had probably just finished bathing. He was wiping his wet hair with a towel, wearing a dark blue bathrobe. He was tall and fit. In short, he was very eye—catching.
"Nothing." Ashley stuffed her phone into her bag and said casually, "Emily said she's coming back."
While she was bending down to put her phone, Ashley glanced at Sean. She saw that Sean nearly stopped wiping for a few seconds after hearing her words, but his facial expression was as cold as ever.
"I see." It seemed that this whole thing didn't matter to him. He wiped the water droplets from his black hair and said, "I've already heated the water in the tub for you. Go take a bath."
Ashley looked down and said ok.
After tidying up the living room, Ashley went back to her room to take her pajamas and went to the bathroom. She hugged her knees in the bathtub, sitting in a daze for nearly an hour. She didn't get up to wipe herself until the water was utterly cold.
When she went out, the lights in the bedroom had been turned off, leaving only a small light on bedside the bed on the nightstand with warm yellow light.
Sean didn't have time to rest these days because of two important cases. After the trials ended, he finally came back to the apartment, and went to bed early recently.
Ashley walked over gently and got into bed. Instantly, she was pulled into Sean's arms. He said in a lazy and sleepy voice, "Sleep."
Ashley did not say anything and obediently nestled in his arms.
After a while, she heard rhythmic breathing from behind. She moved her head outwards and looked up at his face bit by bit, from his chin to the bridge of his nose, and then to his handsome face.
She used her fingers to draw the shape of the man's lips, feeling bitter in her heart.
Three years. She had been staying with him for three years, accompanying him for three years, and sleeping with him for three years.
Their relationship wasn't like typical romantic relationship, but rather like friends who regularly slept together.
Sean had never publicly acknowledged their relationship, and she was also afraid that their relationship would be exposed.
After all, Sean was Emily's ex—boyfriend …
Will their relationship end after Emily's return?
Ashley was nervous and apprehensive.
…
Early the next morning, Ashley woke up to prepare breakfast. After calling for Sean to wake up, she began to pack up the things she had left in the apartment, including clothes, cosmetics, towels, toothbrush, and she even cleaned her hair on the floor.
When Ashley pulled her suitcase out, Sean was obviously a little unhappy. He frowned and looked at her, "What the hell? Why does it look like you're moving out?"
"No." Ashley kept stuffing things into her suitcase, trying to make her voice sound more natural.
"You know that it's the peak season now and our shop is in a prime location. Sometimes, I'm so busy that it's not convenient for me to come here every day. I'll stay in my place for a while. When it's over, I'll come back. It won't be too long."