Chapter 120 Overheard by Accident (Part 1)
Her voice was like a child's, making him burst into laughter. He hadn't felt this happy in a long time. Ever since Aimée and his mom arrived in the city, he'd been running around non-stop.
He moved his hand to her side and started tickling her. "The big bad wolf's gonna eat Little Red Riding Hood! You agree?"
"Hahaha..." She laughed so hard she was almost falling over. "Spare me, please spare me!"
"Say it! Do you agree?"
"Yes... haha, yes... I agree..." she managed to say between fits of laughter.
Hearing this, he let go of her and naturally took her hand. "Come on, let's grab something to eat."
He was strong, pulling her along towards his car. He had parked it at the end of the alley behind her, which explained how he had suddenly appeared and startled her.
With all the laughing and joking, all their worries seemed to vanish. They felt like old friends. She sat quietly in his car as he drove them out of the alley.
"What should we eat?"
"Burgers."
"No way, that's not healthy."
"But I really want one." He was stubborn, and she was even more so.
"Fine," he agreed offhandedly, but immediately regretted it. "I'll eat something else after." He didn't like fast food; he preferred the noodles she used to cook.
He could never forget the taste of those noodles she made years ago. It lingered in his mind, impossible to shake.
Alison rarely ate out, but she really wanted a burger now. After driving for a while without finding a place, Jack asked, "Do you know where we can get a burger?"
She suddenly remembered a place near his apartment. "I think there's one near where you live. I saw it yesterday when I was in a cab." Actually, she had been there once during those three months and loved it.
"You're pretty observant." Although he initially found her annoying, he felt particularly relaxed around her now and liked the feeling.
"Because I love burgers, so I remembered it right away." She quickly made up an excuse, afraid he might guess she already knew about the place.
They were familiar with the area and arrived quickly. The small restaurant was still as clean as ever.
A chubby waitress greeted them. Luckily, Alison had only been there once, so she didn't recognize her. "What can I get for you two?"
"One burger!" Jack called out.
"Two!" Alison said at the same time, her voice clear.
The waitress was confused. "So, one or two?"
"Two," Alison said firmly.
"Anything else?" the waitress asked.
"Two Cokes and two orders of fries," Alison added naturally.
Jack frowned. "If you order it, you have to eat it. I'm not eating this stuff." He never ate fast food.
"We can take it to go if we don't finish," she said with a smile. After a frustrating morning, she finally felt happy, as if everything was meant to be.
Her smile was so bright that Jack was momentarily stunned. Their eyes met, and her face turned red as memories of the previous night flashed through her mind. She quickly looked down, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. Her demeanor made him blurt out, "Alison, you should grow your hair out."
"No way, long hair is too hard to manage. Washing it is a hassle," she quickly refused.
"But I think long hair would suit you better." He imagined her with long hair, overlapping with the girl from over three years ago, softening his resentment.
"By the time I grow it out, you won't be around to see it," she said casually. After all, she had only agreed to stay with him for three months. After ninety days, they would go their separate ways again.
His words made her pause, but he said firmly, "I will see that day."
She smiled but said nothing more, her mind racing. She wondered if he was thinking of the real Emily or the imposter.
The burgers arrived, and Alison grabbed hers and started eating. The taste was just as she remembered, but she and Jack had changed, becoming like strangers.
As she ate, she felt warm, and a damp strand of hair fell from behind her ear. She casually tucked it back, but it soon fell again. Jack, sitting across from her, never took his eyes off her. His intense gaze made her uncomfortable, but the burger was so good that she soon forgot about him.
Then, his fingers reached over, naturally tucking the stray hair behind her ear. "If you had long hair, you could tie it in a ponytail, and it wouldn't fall."
Her heart skipped a beat. When she lived in the apartment, she often wore a ponytail, which was indeed comfortable.
"Okay, I'll grow it out," she said, as if hypnotized by him.
"Is it good?" she asked, savoring her burger with a sip of Coke, lost in the moment.
"Delicious. Do you want a bite?" She looked up at his handsome face, feeling like she was back in the past.
Alison handed her half-eaten burger to Jack. But as it neared his mouth, she suddenly realized, "Oh no, I forgot I already took a bite."
She apologized, but he leaned in and took a bite anyway, chewing slowly. Her face turned red, surprised that he would eat after her.
"Sorry," she said, then propped her arm on the table and asked with a smile, "Is it good?"
After thinking it through, she told herself that no matter what happened, there was always a solution. So now, she just wanted to enjoy each day, for Sophia, Ethan, Jackson, and the man in front of her.