Chapter 42 The Red Light
Chapter 42 The Red Light
Noticing the bandage on the back of his right hand, Stella asked, “Have you changed that bandage yet?”
Nathan shook his head. “No.”
“Then pull over. I’ll go back and get you a new one. Bandages should be changed once a day,” she said.
He glanced at her. “No need. There’s one in the car. I’ll change it myself when we stop.
“Where is it? I’ll do it for you–it’s no trouble.”
They were on a smooth, open road. It was Sunday, traffic was light, and no one was rushing to work.
She reached into the small drawer at the front and found the bandages.
Catching his hand, cool to the touch, she carefully peeled off the old one.
Two small puncture marks had scabbed over, the skin around them faintly purple. They still looked painful.
“You could leave it uncovered now, but it looks ugly,” she said, looking up at him as he drove.
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His left hand rested on the wheel, sunlight streaming in through the window and spilling over his handsome features. The tiny tea–colored mole at the bridge of his nose seemed dusted with a warm glow, softening him and making her pulse hitch.
“Put it on. I’m vain,” he said with a quiet laugh, glancing at her as the car stopped at a red light.
She blinked, coming back to herself, and tore open the fresh bandage.
She didn’t see the way his Adam’s apple moved or the sticky heat in his gaze as he looked at her. Sparkle was holding his hand again.
When she finished, she pinched the used bandage between her fingers, “Got a trash bag in here?”
Nathan turned his palm upward. “Give it to me. I’ll toss it when we get out.”
“There’s drinks and cut fruit in the backseat. If you want something, go ahead,” he added.
Her eyes lit up as she turned to look. “You know how to live.”
The rest of the way, Stella chattered about how much Ashford had changed Nathan answered every word, his tone warm, his
smile constant.
Only one more red light to the school gate.
Feeling thirsty, Stella fell quiet and took a drink from one of the bottles. Tart and fresh–lime juice, her favorite,
She’d already eaten most of the fruit.
Ding!
Nathan’s phone, resting on the console, chimed.
They were still at the light, so he picked it up. A message on WhatsApp.
It wasn’t the first–several had come in, but he hadn’t noticed. The girl in his passenger seat had occupied every moment of his attention, either watching the road or listening to her speak.
Only now, with her quiet, did he register the sound
The moment he read the messages, the warmth in his expression vanished, replaced by something cold and hard.
Half an hour ago “Mr. Foster, Lucas flew back to Ashford this morning”
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Chapter 42 The Red Light
Fifteen minutes ago. “He’s already headed to Ashford High School.”
Five minutes ago: “Lucas is almost at Ashford High School.”
“Green light!” ·
Stella, seeing him still looking at his phone, reminded him.
Nathan’s grip on the phone was tight enough to blanch his knuckles. When he looked up, his smile was back, smooth and unrulled.
“All right.”
He pressed the accelerator, the car gliding forward.
Did Sparkle know Lucas was coming today?
Probably not.
If she did, she wouldn’t have let him come with her to Ashford.
A proud girl like her wouldn’t have told Jackson directly about Lucas–she’d want Lucas to come find her.
If she ran into him at Ashford, would she even glance his way?
She’d liked Lucas so much she’d lowered herself to get close to Jackson for his sake.
Nathan’s breath came harder. He lifted a hand, meaning to loosen his tie, only to realize he wasn’t wearing one today.
“What’s wrong?”
Even without being the most observant, Stella could feel it–the subtle shift in him, as if something had unsettled him deeply.
It had started after he looked at his phone. Something had happened.
Her voice, warm and clear, seemed to steady him. He let out a quiet breath, eyes fixed ahead. “Nothing. A contract at the company hit a small snag”
“Is it serious? If you need to handle it, you should go. We’re close enough to Ashford High School–you can drop me off by the road, and I’ll walk
She didn’t want to delay him. After all, he was the kind of man for whom a few minutes could mean millions.
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