No More Waiting, She Chooses Love
Chapter 315

The plane touched down as the evening was setting in.

The sunset was bleeding into the sky in such a breathtaking manner that it made my heart quiver. "Ernest, this has got to be the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

"Me too," Ernest agreed.

He's always like this, to the point where I almost didn't notice anymore.

That was until I got into the car and saw the selfie he posted on Instagram, capturing the sunset's beauty, captioned: "Because you're by my side."

At first glance, the caption seemed mismatched with the picture, but thinking back to what I said on the plane, it all connected: "This is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, because you're by my side." Alright then! If anyone says Ernest doesn't know how to flaunt his relationship, I'd be the first to disagree. He's a master at it.

"Ernest, are you back to throw a wedding bash this time?" the man driving teased.

He was a friend of Ernest's, already waiting for us when we disembarked.

"No, not this time," was Ernest's cool reply.

So, he means next time?

"Miss, you're quite the looker," the man sneaked glances at me several times.

"Of course," Ernest replied, sounding as natural as ever.

There it was, an awkward moment for me, caught between a compliment and a response.

"Miss, I'm Jarred, Jarred Carter," the guy introduced himself with an easy familiarity.

I introduced myself with equal openness, "I'm Felicia Hudson."

"I know, I know," Jarred said twice, "Susie talks about you all the time. Our whole neighborhood knows her sister-in-law is Felicia."

Before I could recover from my previous embarrassment, he threw another my way.

I chuckled, "Is that so? Then I guess I won't need to introduce myself in the future."

"No need, no need. Miss, you're so stunning, when you visited us last time, everyone remembered you," Jarred's words were making it increasingly difficult to respond.

So, staying silent seemed like the wise choice.

But then, Ernest leaned in and whispered, "Seems like you've made quite the impression."

In front of his little fanboy, I couldn't say much, just pinched him to signal he shouldn't tease me.

Even though I wasn't talking much, Jarred was a chatterbox, rambling on about everything and everyone in the neighborhood - from bizarre animal births to legendary fish catches, young romances, and even the gossip about who's been seeing whom.

Last time I visited, following Susie around, I saw the neighborhood as this idyllic paradise. Jarred's stories now revealed that beneath its charming surface, there was a whole lot of drama.

"You should dial down on these baseless stories, even if they're true, it's their business, not yours. Seems like you've forgotten the pain as soon as your wound healed," Ernest chided him. Jarred scratched his head awkwardly, "Bro, I was just excited to see you. I swear I don't spill a word to outsiders."

It was clear Jarred looked up to Ernest.

But Ernest's scolding seemed to have embarrassed him, so I jumped in, playing the good guy, "Jarred, with your gift of the gab, I bet you've got a girlfriend, right?"

"No, no," Jarred shook his head, "Miss, you're so gorgeous, all your friends must be stunning. Maybe you could introduce me to someone?"

He really didn't hold back.

I didn't reject his request, responding cheerfully, "Sure, why not."

Ernest, however, whispered in my ear, "He'll take you seriously. From now on, he'll keep asking you about it."

Really? Was he that serious?

"Did you keep our visit a surprise from Susie?" Ernest asked Jarred as we entered the neighborhood.

"Not a word. I keep Ernest's trust," Jarred said, then glanced back at me with a smile.