Her hand rose, pausing in the air for a second or two.
In the end, Stella Sterling lowered her hand again.
She stared at Gordon Ford for a few seconds, then averted her gaze and looked outside, lost in thought.
Just then, Gordon Ford woke up.
He opened his eyes. They were clear, without a trace of grogginess.
His gaze fell upon Stella Sterling, who had her side turned to him. A flicker of disappointnt crossed his eyes.
After a long mont, he finally spoke. "Sorry, I was exhausted before, so I fell asleep. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long."
"It’s fine. The food is ready. Go ahead and eat."
When Gordon Ford saw the al before him, he was a little surprised. "Is the food here always this good?"
"Not really. But we’re friends, after all. Since you’ve co to my place, I have to be a good host."
This kind of spread would have been nothing special before, but in the post-apocalyptic world, it was incredibly precious.
Even Gordon Ford, who hadn’t lacked for food or drink these past few years, rarely saw at dishes.
The occasional at he ate was mostly dried or preserved.
But these dishes in front of him...
Gordon Ford looked at Stella Sterling for a few seconds, then said, "Just sothing simple would have been fine. This kind of food is rare nowadays."
"It’s okay. I got lucky and managed to get a batch of live chickens to raise. There aren’t many people here, so we can afford to eat them occasionally."
Stella Sterling said with a grin, "Don’t worry. You eating one al isn’t going to make us go hungry. Just eat up."
"I might have to bother you for a few more days, so I’ll be relying on your hospitality for a little while. Let’s just say today’s al is you treating after all these years. From now on, just give whatever. I don’t eat much."
Gordon Ford smiled, said no more, and started to eat.
Only after he had finished eating did Stella Sterling say, "You just ntioned staying here for a while, but it might not be convenient for ."
Gordon Ford’s hands paused. He then continued, "There was a bit of a problem on the way here. My boat is damaged. It’ll take a few days to fix, so I can’t leave for now."
After saying this, he quickly added, "Um, I won’t wander around. Or you can have soone watch . I’ll pay you back for whatever food I eat."
Stella Sterling frowned. She didn’t really believe what Gordon Ford was saying, but he’d already put it that way. No matter what, they had once been good friends, and they had never had any major conflicts.
’If I can’t even...’
At that mont, Gordon Ford spoke again. "Honestly, I just want to see more of you, to spend a little more ti by your side. Is even a few days not possible?"
Stella Sterling looked at him. Seeing the sadness in his eyes, she remained expressionless. After what felt like a long ti, she finally said, "Fine. I’ll have soone arrange a place for you to stay."
After speaking, she stood up to leave.
"Don’t you want to know why I got here so quickly?"
Gordon Ford suddenly asked, looking at Stella Sterling.
’Stella Sterling was indeed a bit curious. Didn’t Gordon Ford leave on a mission? How did he get back so fast? Did he run into so kind of trouble? Was there an ergency?’
She raised an eyebrow. "If you don’t mind prying into your affairs, then why?"
But after she asked, she noticed Gordon Ford’s gaze burning into her. Stella Sterling suddenly felt a pang of regret. "Never mind. I’m not actually that curious. In any case, just get so rest for the next few days."
She was about to leave, but Gordon Ford’s voice ca from behind her. "Because I wanted to see you. I really, really wanted to."
Stella Sterling stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, her brow slightly furrowed. "Gordon Ford, I don’t like how you’re ssing with my head."
Even though Stella Sterling’s tone was cold, Gordon Ford wasn’t hurt at all. Instead, he broke into a happy smile. "That I can ss with your head ans I was already in your heart."
He chuckled as he spoke. "I don’t know why your attitude towards changed so drastically in just half a year. If it’s because I didn’t show up that day, I’ve already explained it to you."
"But what happened in the past doesn’t matter anymore. Stella Sterling, I can’t let you go."
Whether it was three years ago or now, this was the first ti Gordon Ford had ever been so direct.
He could feel Stella Sterling’s hesitation and distance. Gordon Ford felt that if he didn’t take the initiative, his chances would only get smaller as more ti passed.
And this ti, the fact that they could et again proved their fate wasn’t over. So he had to seize this opportunity.
Stella Sterling suddenly let out a cold laugh. "So? That’s your business. It has nothing to do with ."
Before Gordon Ford could say more, Stella Sterling spoke again. "I’m not interested in romance right now."
"That’s fine. I can wait for you. But you can’t stop from pursuing you, can you? After all, that’s my freedom."
Gordon Ford chuckled softly, but his words had a roguish, shaless edge to them.
Stella Sterling looked at him, her eyes growing colder. "Are you sure you want to do this? If we just stay friends, we can continue on like this."
"But I don’t want to just be friends with you."
Gordon Ford spoke. He wasn’t hoping Stella Sterling would agree to be with him right now, but he had to let her know his true feelings.
Two years ago, he had thought about taking things slow, getting closer to her gradually. But now, in this post-apocalyptic world, there were too many uncertainties. Their last separation had kept them apart for three years.
He didn’t know what the future held. He only knew that if he let things continue like this, his place in Stella Sterling’s heart would only shrink, so he had to seize his chance.
Just as he didn’t understand the current Stella Sterling, she didn’t really understand him either. He wasn’t nearly as good a person as he appeared to be in front of her.
Seeing that Gordon Ford had clearly made up his mind, Stella Sterling’s expression suddenly softened. She walked closer to him and began, "In that case—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Stella Sterling flung sothing from her hand, scattering it in Gordon Ford’s direction.
Gordon Ford’s eyes widened, and the next mont, he collapsed to the ground.
"This drug really is useful."
Stella Sterling muttered to herself, glanced at the unconscious Gordon Ford on the ground, then hauled him up like a sack of goods and walked out.
When Gordon Ford woke up again, he found himself surrounded by pitch darkness. He was lying in a small boat, with water all around him.
He sat up abruptly. This wasn’t Caeluna Base. Stella Sterling had actually drugged him and sent him away.
"You’re awake. Sterling asked to see you off."
Stephen Lawrence said with a smile, looking at the man who had just woken up.
"Fine. Just fine, Stella Sterling."
User Comments
0 comments from readers