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

Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Don’t Be Like This, I’m Scared

Leah Sinclair saw the trending topics after she finished up at the construction site and was on her way back to the office. When she pulled out her phone, it was flooded with well-wishes and gossip. She read through it all carefully, pressing her lips together without a word. ’This really is the best way to handle it.’

Asher Keating had sent her a message saying he would pick her up from work, but she had been busy and hadn’t seen it. She hesitated for a moment before replying with an ”Okay.”

When her car arrived at the company, Leah saw Asher Keating’s car as soon as she got out. She raised her wrist to check her watch; it was already the end of the workday.

There wasn’t anything special to discuss back at the office today, so she handed her things to Louise Holt, asked her to take them upstairs, and got into Asher Keating’s car.

A little while after the car started moving, Asher Keating took her hand. ”What do you want to eat?”

Leah tried to pull her hand back, but Asher didn’t let go. He stared ahead, his lips tightening into a firm line.

Leah didn’t try to pull away again, but she didn’t look at Asher Keating, either. She turned her head to gaze out the window. ”I’m not very hungry. I want to go home and sleep.”

Asher Keating didn’t say a word and drove her directly to a restaurant. Leah truly had no appetite, but she knew Asher wouldn’t let her leave if she didn’t eat. The two of them ate their meal in silence and drove home in silence.

Before they went inside, Leah said in a low voice, ”I’m going to stay at my place for a few days.”

Without giving Asher Keating a chance to respond, Leah quickly opened the door and went in. Mrs. Lowell found it a bit strange. Leah greeted her briefly, then shut herself in her room. Mrs. Lowell didn’t dare to ask anything.

Asher Keating stared at the closed door, pinching the bridge of his nose with a headache. Other things were easy to talk about, but with something like this, he genuinely didn’t know how to begin explaining.

’Should I tell Leah I had too much to drink and had a drunken one-night stand?’

’Or tell her it only happened that one time, and we didn’t even go all the way? That after that, I never touched another woman until I met her?’

’Or maybe tell her that when I was negotiating this partnership with the Peyton Family, I’d completely forgotten about the whole incident?’

’What kind of trashy player’s script is this?!’

The next day, Nathan Grant sent Leah Sinclair a message, inviting her and Asher Keating over for dinner. Shawn Grant and the others would be there too. They had just gotten some fresh sea fish that morning, and she wanted Leah to come try it. After a moment’s hesitation, Leah agreed.

It was still early when the two of them arrived. A few of the men were sitting outside smoking, so Leah sat off to the side with Nathan Grant and Sheila Hughes to chat. Nathan pushed a plate of fruit in front of them and clicked her tongue at Leah.

”Are you fighting with Third Master Keating?”

Leah picked up a tangerine and rolled it on the table. ”No, I’m just a little tired.”

Sheila Hughes scoffed. ”No way. You two are definitely fighting! Before, with you and Third Master Keating, the looks you’d give each other were so intense, it was like sparks were flying. And you were always making little moves. Today, since you two walked in, you haven’t made eye contact once. Right, Nash?”

”Exactly. Third Master Keating has glanced at you a few times, but you haven’t looked at him once. C’mon, spill it. What’s wrong?”

Seeing their gossipy expressions, Leah didn’t know how to bring it up. She agonized over it for a while before slumping in her chair. ”I don’t know how to talk about it. It’s not really about Third Master Keating—it all happened before he met me. It’s just... I feel so awkward about it, and I can’t seem to get over it.”

Nathan Grant kicked her foot lightly. ”Don’t tell me you found out he slept with someone before you, did you?”

Leah instantly sat bolt upright. ’Did Nathan install a tracker on me?’

Seeing her reaction, Nathan knew she’d guessed right. She let out a derisive laugh. ”Why so surprised? Was that hard to guess? It happened before he met you, it’s making you feel awkward, and Third Master Keating never had a girlfriend before you. What else could it be but that?”

Leah pressed her lips together and said nothing. Nathan clicked her tongue. ”What’s there to get hung up about? Leah, this is real life. Do you really think it’s like a novel or a TV show where every domineering CEO is a virgin, waiting to sleep with his one true love? Tch. Which of these guys hasn’t slept with a few women? Even Hale has.”

Leah and Sheila Hughes simultaneously turned to glance at Chester Hale on the other side, then turned back in perfect sync. ”Dr. Hale? You’d never know.”

Chester Hale felt their gazes and was a little baffled. ”What was with that look they just gave me?”

”Disbelief.”

”Incredulity.”

”Scumbag.”

”...”

Leah slumped onto the table. She already knew this, really. For men like them, there was never a shortage of women around. Asher Keating was already one of the better ones. The only reason she felt so awkward was because the other person was Phoebe Peyton.

Seeing Leah’s expression, Nathan poked her on the head, exasperated. ”If you’re really that bothered by it, then have a huge fight with Third Master Keating. Let all that pent-up frustration out. Once it’s out, it’s over. What era are we living in? Why worry about this stuff? Do you really think this is some kind of drama about a doting CEO who only loses his virginity to the female lead? Don’t be ridiculous.”

”Exactly, Leah. You can’t let this kind of thing get to you. Believe it or not, out of those five guys over there, not a single one of them remembers who they lost their virginity to.” Sheila Hughes rolled her eyes at the five men.

Leah froze for a moment. She had no experience with these things; Asher Keating was her first. To her, it was certainly unforgettable, but she had no idea how men thought about it.

Especially after what she’d heard that man say the other day, she had naturally assumed it was a big deal.

Seeing Leah’s disbelief, Sheila immediately called Ethan Shaw over. ”Ethan~”

That single ”Ethan~” made Ethan’s heart skip a beat. He liked it when Sheila called him that, but her tone right now felt... wrong. As for Leah and Nathan, they couldn’t stand her cutesy, high-pitched voice and scooted their chairs a little farther away.

”Shei... Sheila, let’s just talk nicely. Don’t be like this, you’re scaring me. I’ve been really good lately.” Ethan Shaw scrambled over, his voice trembling.

A wide smile on her face, Sheila hooked his chin. ”Who did you lose your virginity to?”

Ethan looked at Sheila with pure terror. ”You—wait! Why are you asking this? That was ages ago.”

”What are you so nervous about? I’m just asking. Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t get mad. I swear!”

Ethan eyed her suspiciously. After Sheila repeatedly promised she wouldn’t get angry, Ethan thought back seriously... and couldn’t remember.

He scratched his head. ”I don’t remember. Sheila, I’m not lying to you, I really don’t remember.”

”Alright, you can go back now.” Sheila gave him a peck on the cheek with a grin, and Ethan walked back, looking completely baffled.

”See? I told you. Even if you asked someone else, it’d probably be the same.”

Sheila spread her hands towards Leah. Leah was truly stunned. ’So, Asher Keating probably paid no mind to that whole thing at all? It wasn’t about holding onto old feelings that he decided to partner with Phoebe Peyton?’

Ethan sat down, patted his chest, and chugged a cup of tea. ”That scared me to death.”