Chapter 514 Do You Have A Girlfriend
“If I told you that she has fallen for you and wants to pursue you, would you believe me?” Instead of telling him directly, I hinted at it in a joking manner. Then, I looked at his face carefully while waiting for him to respond.
He looked me in the eye and answered with just one word. “Yes.” “Are you that confident?”
His answer amused me. He hasn’t changed one bit. I still remember how he rejected a woman the first time we met after I returned to the country.
Detecting the sarcasm in my voice, he flicked back his flaxen hair with a conceited expression. “Of course. After all, someone as handsome and wealthy as me is a rare specimen. It’s only natural for women to swoon over me. It’d be strange if they didn’t.”
“You truly are a narcissist! That aspect of your character hasn’t changed in the slightest.”
It’s always so easy to talk to Ronan. The way he talks makes one feel relaxed. If I’m being honest, it’s a blessing to have a friend like him.
At that, Ronan turned to face me and began bad-mouthing Michael. “Do you want me to change? In comparison, you much prefer the quiet and reserved type like Michael. He always looks like the whole world owes him something with that infuriating expression of his that’s just begging for a good beating.”
I could not help giggling when I heard that. I can’t believe this guy has the nerve to say that about Michael. If Michael were here, someone might just end up getting a good beating.
Although I knew Ronan had only said that because he wanted to make me laugh, I could not help feeling amused.
In all the years that I’ve known Michael, no one has ever dared to say anything like that about him. Ronan is the first one. Oh, how I wish Michael were here. I can almost imagine the grim expression on his face after hearing Ronan’s “glowing” assessment of him.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Michael what you said about him? Who knows whether he’ll beat you up because of it,” I said with a chuckle. Feeling in much better spirits, I could not stop myself from cracking a joke too.
“What the heck! You won’t tell him, right? I was only trying to keep you entertained, yet you’re thinking of selling me out. We’re best buddies. You can’t do that to me,” Ronan replied, feigning a terrified look. Then, he slung an arm around my shoulder as he tried to cotton up to me.
I knew his exaggerated response was merely a deliberate act. Although he always gets the short end of the stick when he’s with Michael, his innate sense of fearlessness means that he isn’t afraid Michael will try to do anything to him. On the contrary, he always stirs the pot by provoking Michael.
“You know, I think I might give it a try after seeing how anxious you look. I’m dying to know how Michael will react after hearing what you commented about him. I wonder whether he’ll show up at your house in the dead of night and give you a sound thrashing,” I replied, putting on a threatening tone. Then, I pushed away his arm around my shoulder and quickly walked off.
“Come now, Anna. We’ve been friends for so long, so you can’t throw me under the bus like that. How am I supposed to hook up with the ladies if Michael does beat me up until I’m blue and black with a swollen face? You wouldn’t want to disfigure me so that I end up a lonely bachelor for the rest of my life, would you?”
Ronan followed behind me as he prattled on. I shook my head in resignation as I listened to his ramblings and made no reply.
This guy can always make me forget my troubles and sadness. Indeed, I had completely forgotten about everything that had happened for a moment.
When we reached the door to the ward, a grave expression replaced the mischievous look on his face moments earlier. I have to hand it to him. The speed at which he switches his facial expressions is quite impressive indeed.
I opened the door and walked in with Ronan close behind. The only person in the ward was the housekeeper, and there was no sign of Janette. I guessed she must have run out after getting slapped and had yet to return.
Such is the behavior of a willful and spoiled brat. She can’t even take getting slapped by her own mother. I can’t believe she ran out just like that and hasn’t returned until now. Her mother is lying in the hospital, for goodness’ sake!
But since I was not fond of Janette and had no desire to talk about anything related to her, I completely ignored the fact she was not in the ward. I turned to Alicia and said, “I’ve brought you some chicken soup. Why don’t you have some?”
She gazed at me lovingly and broke into a smile when she saw me. Taking the bowl of soup from me, she said tenderly, “You must be tired after running around all day because of me.”
“It’s nothing. I’m used to it. When Dad had that heart surgery previously, I stayed in the hospital for a few consecutive days.”
I blurted out that remark without thinking, completely forgetting about our mother-daughter relationship at that moment. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I could not help feeling awkward.
Perhaps feeling unsettled by the mention of my foster parents, the expression on her face froze, and she looked at me with a hint of sadness.
She hung her head slightly and said in a voice filled with remorse, “You must’ve gone through a lot all these years.”
“It’s nothing. Didn’t I say that I’m already used to it? So, you don’t have to feel guilty about that anymore. We shouldn’t live in the past.”
I could not help feeling a pang in my heart when I saw the guilt in her eyes. Regardless of what had happened, she was still my mother. Hence, there was no way it would make me feel good to see her so upset.
Perhaps sensing the awkward tension in the air, Ronan stepped forward and spoke to Alicia in an attempt to change the subject. “Mrs. Campbell, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ronan Moore, a good friend of Anna’s.”
Successfully diverting Alicia’s attention, her gaze shifted toward him. She appeared pleasantly surprised after getting a good look at his face.
“Are you the person Janette was talking about earlier this afternoon?”
The way Alicia was gazing at him seemed to indicate that she had not expected to see him at the ward.
“Um, maybe…”
Ronan began looking a little embarrassed too. I could tell what Alicia was thinking from the look in her eyes.
She’s still guilty about slapping Janette. And since Janette showed interest in Ronan earlier today, she must be plotting something.
“Your name is Ronan? That’s a nice name,” Alicia murmured.
She had a pleased look on her face after gazing at Ronan up and down. “Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend?”
She looked at him expectantly after asking the question. It was immediately clear to me what she was thinking, and uneasiness stirred within me.
“Er… Not at the moment.”
