"Silly girl,

" he chided softly, cleaning my tears., But I just buried my face deeper into his chest, taking solace in the embrace he said was meant for drying my tears.,

"Ernest, are you really not jealous about letting me go, especially since I'll be crossing paths with Conrad?

" I couldn't help but ask him.,

"Why should I be jealous? You've left him behind, and besides, after getting to know me, I doubt you'll find any other man appealing,

" Ernest replied with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, yet it was that very confidence that I found so endearing., It made me realize that, for the rest of my life, there truly would be no one else for me but him., Ernest personally drove me to the airport, watching me until I was completely out of sight., When I arrived in Houston, it was already evening. I was just about to text Conrad about visiting Jefferson when I received a message from him first:

"I'm waiting for you at the exit.

", I was taken aback. I hadn't told him about my visit; how did he know?, After a moment of thought, there was only one possibility: Ernest had told him., The man was overly confident, even entrusting my former fiancé to pick me up., I didn't reply to Conrad's message, knowing I'd see him in just a moment. Instead, I called Ernest.,

"Landed safely?

" His voice was always so pleasing to hear.,

"Yes, and I've run into my ex,

" I said, teasing him a bit., Ernest chuckled softly,

"With him there, I won't worry about you being alone in a strange place.

",

"Handing me off to an ex is your idea of keeping me safe? Ernest, what is it—are you overconfident, or do you trust me that much?

" I joked.,

"When it comes to your safety, everything else is secondary,

" Ernest paused,

"Besides, I trust my Licia.

", Well, this rough and tough man had made it impossible for me to ever betray his trust.,

"I'll visit Jefferson, and if there's nothing I can do to help, I'll come back,

" I reassured Ernest.,

"Don't rush. Since you're there, you might as well stay a few days. And, I've made some inquiries; someone might reach out to you for assistance,

" Ernest's words surprised me. , I quickly responded,

"You have friends over here too?

", There was a brief silence on his end before he replied,

"Yes, a few.

", Suddenly, I realized what that might imply,

"Ernest, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just...

", He laughed softly,

"No need to explain. I didn't overthink it. And don't have to tread lightly; I'm not, that fragile or sensitive mot, Content,

"I'm just being petty. Look at how generous my boyfriend is,

" I teased him.,

"Have you seen Conrad yet?

" Ernest asked just as I spotted Conrad waiting for me at the exit., Conrad waved at me, and as I walked over to him, without hanging up the phone, I told Ernest,

"I see him now.

",

"Alright, then I'll let you go,

" Ernest seemed to relax only then.,

"Ernest, wait for me to come back!

",

"Will do!

", เอน, After hanging up, I put away my phone and faced Conrad, whose expression had stiffened, probably, uneasy from hearing my, ло, conversation with Ernest. , In this regard, he truly couldn't compare to Ernest., Love is the same, but Conrad's love was far too selfish.,

"Thanks for picking me up,

" I said to Conrad, maintaining a polite distance., His jaw clenched.

"Felicia, do you really have to be so formal with me, reminding us that we're basically strangers now?

", Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.