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

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Come Home With Me Tomorrow

Over the course of the meal, Leah Sinclair told Sheila Hughes everything about her and Asher Keating. When she was done, she felt apprehensive; after all, their relationship hadn’t started under normal circumstances.

It took Sheila a long moment to process everything before she suddenly threw her arms around her. ”Leah, why didn’t you tell me sooner? My family isn’t rich or anything, but if I had told my parents, I’m sure they could have scraped some money together. I only knew your grandma was sick and that it was pretty serious, but I had no idea it was *this* bad.”

Leah’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She had never dared to tell Sheila, terrified she would be judged for it. She had never had any friends growing up.

The people in Stonecreek knew she was an orphan who had been raised by Jack Sinclair and his ilk, so no one played with her. It wasn’t until college that she finally made a few close friends, and Sheila was the one she valued most. She had always been terrified that Sheila would hate her if she told her this.

”But thank goodness, really, thank goodness you met Mr. Keating. I can’t even imagine what would have happened to you if you hadn’t.”

Sheila clutched her hands, her voice a low mutter. The thought of what could have happened sent a shiver of fear through her. Truly, thank goodness it was Asher Keating. He had saved Leah from being taken advantage of by others.

”Yeah, I’m really glad... that I met Third Brother. Sheila, thank you for not judging me,” Leah said softly, her eyes red.

”Judge you for what? It’s not like you were the other woman. He’s single and you’re single, right? Who cares about ’being kept’ or not. Look at it this way: you two sleep together. It’s not just him sleeping with you—you’re sleeping with him, too, aren’t you?” Sheila, for her part, was very open-minded about it.

”...”

Thinking about it that way, Leah realized her friend had a point. No wonder Asher had thought she was paying him for sex when she’d tried to give him that card.

”But... so, how is he? President Keating, I mean. How is he in... *that* department?”

Sheila suddenly started asking excitedly. Back in their dorm days, they would sometimes tell dirty jokes when the mood struck, but Leah could never join in. She didn’t get it, and what’s more, she had zero experience.

Leah instantly flushed. ”He’s... he’s good.”

”Ah, I figured he would be. I mean, look at that physique. Tsk, tsk. Does he have an eight-pack? V-lines?”

”...”

Since Leah was still in her mourning period, she and Sheila didn’t drink that night. After dinner, they went back to Sheila’s room to continue chatting.

Leah didn’t realize it was already eleven o’clock until Asher Keating called. Sheila had an interview the next day, so Leah urged her to get some rest. Sheila asked to have a meal together the next day, as she would probably have to head back to Transterra right after her interview.

”Okay. Good luck, Sheila. I know you can do it.”

Leah hugged her. ’She really, really wanted Sheila to be able to come to Riverfall. Zion Sawyer was nice, but it just wasn’t the same.’

”Yep! I’ll call you the second I’m done with the interview. Get ready for some good news!” Sheila said, full of confidence.

When the two of them came downstairs, Asher Keating was already waiting at the hotel entrance. He’d had a few drinks and was leaning against his car door, smoking a cigarette.

”Tsk, tsk... Damn, he’s a heartbreaker. Seriously, Leah, even if he didn’t pay you, a man like that is worth sleeping with. If it were me, I’d be tempted to pay *him*,” Sheila sighed, admiring him from afar.

Leah laughed out loud. ”Wipe your drool.”

As she spoke, she turned to look, and had to admit that Asher really was a sight to behold. He was just standing there smoking, but he and his car were turning the heads of every man and woman who passed by.

”Hello, Mr. Keating,” Sheila greeted him first.

Asher Keating smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. ”No need to be so formal. You can call me Third Brother Keating, like the others do.”

”Sounds good, Third Brother Keating. Then I’ll leave my Leah in your care,” Sheila said with a smile, suddenly shoving Leah toward him.

Leah hadn’t expected the sudden shove and stumbled forward. Asher caught her easily, pulling her into his embrace. ”Rest assured.”

Having made her introduction, Sheila quickly scampered off. Leah’s face flushed. ”Third Brother, Sheila... that’s just how she is.”

”She’s great.”

Asher Keating smiled, opened the car door for her, and then got in himself. Only after getting in did Leah realize that Edward Yates was driving today.

Edward Yates greeted her and explained that Sean Yates was busy with other things. Leah nodded in understanding. ’Asher has been with me in Stonecreek these past few days. Even though it was only for three days, a lot of work must have piled up for him.’

”I spoke to Keith Langdon. You should rest at home for a few more days,” Asher said, holding her hand.

”No, it’s fine. I can go back to work tomorrow. The project has just started, and things are really busy.”

Asher looked at her. ”Are you sure you’re okay?”

”I’m really okay. Besides, if I’m home alone, I’ll just start overthinking things. It’s better to keep busy.”

Asher squeezed her hand and said no more.

When Leah returned to work the next day, Mr. Langdon was a little surprised. ”Why didn’t you take a few more days off?”

”I’ve handled everything that needed to be done. I know things are busy now, and since I had nothing else to attend to, I came back early.”

Mr. Langdon patted her shoulder and sighed. ”My condolences.”

At this point, the Lunar New Year was just around the corner. Some people had already started buying New Year’s goods and preparing to go home for family reunions.

Leah, meanwhile, threw herself into her work, trying not to think about any of it. But when her colleagues with faraway hometowns began taking leave one by one to go home early, when the company’s HR department sent out the holiday notice, and when the subway ride home grew less crowded than usual, Leah found herself standing at the station exit, staring blankly at the street.

’In the past, even after she started college and lost her room back home, she had always insisted on returning. After all, Grandma Sinclair was waiting for her to celebrate the New Year. But this year... Grandma Sinclair was gone, and she no longer had a reason to go back to Stonecreek. Did that mean she’d be spending this New Year’s Eve all alone?’

Aevon’s holiday began on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. Asher Keating went back to the old Keating estate early in the morning, and Leah, for once, slept in. After getting up, she went to the supermarket. ’I still have to buy and put up some Spring Festival couplets and decorations.’

The supermarket was so crowded that she was sweating by the time she got out. When Asher came back, he saw her standing on a chair, pasting paper-cuts onto the window.

Hearing him, Leah turned her head, smiled, and waved the paper-cut in her hand at him—an adorable little rabbit. Asher took off his coat, smiled, and walked over to help her down before getting on the chair himself to put it up. ”Like this?”

”To the left, a little more to the left... okay, right there,” Leah directed him.

The two of them finished putting up all the paper-cuts and Spring Festival couplets Leah had bought. When they were done, Asher said, ”Come home with me tomorrow night for dinner.”