Chapter 116: Ladies Swooning
"Thea, I’ll take you with me to visit him," Grandma Grace said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "He was asking about you. Gosh, how many days has it been since we last kept in contact with each other? If only I didn’t get to know about his condition, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet him one last time."
She looked at Thea with warmth. "You’ll finally get to meet my elder brother – it will be your first time meeting him."Thea nodded contemplatively, "Hmm..."
Ryder was busy with his next project and soon found himself fully absorbed in the work. Before he knew it, the evening had slipped away, and he arrived home late at night.
Pulling into the garage, Ryder stepped out of his car and entered the house, where he found his mother waiting for him in the living room.
Ryder’s mother, Elizabeth, sat in the living room, waiting for her son’s late-night return. As she waited, she leaned back and gently placed her hand against her left cheek, her exhaustion eventually getting the better of her, and she fell asleep.
Ryder smiled warmly at the scene before him. As he approached his mother, she stirred and woke from her sleep.
"You’re finally home?" Elizabeth,his mother asked, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes. "Have you eaten dinner?"Ryder shook his head.
"Ryder, go get freshened up," Elizabeth instructed. "I’ll prepare your meal."
"Mother, please go to your room and sleep," Ryder protested. "I can take care of myself."
Elizabeth’s expression turned firm, though a gentle smile played on her lips. "No, I won’t listen to that."
With a warm glance at her son, Elizabeth headed to the kitchen to prepare his late-night meal.
Ryder went to his room with his briefcase. After a quick shower, he headed downstairs.
"Here, eat," Elizabeth said, motioning to the meal.Ryder sat down, and Elizabeth joined him."Your father said you’re working on a new project," Elizabeth remarked.
"Hmm," Ryder replied, stuffing food into his mouth."Remember, don’t take on too much stress, and prioritize your health."
"Ryder, I’ve been thinking," Elizabeth said, "Emerson is absolutely smitten with Akai. She always looks forward to Akai’s visits."
Ryder murmured a vague response, his mind elsewhere. "Hmm."Elizabeth tried again, "I was thinking, why not invite Thea to join the family trip your grandma’s been organizing?"
But Ryder’s attention remained elsewhere.
"Ryder," Elizabeth said, gently nudging him.
Ryder finally focused on his mother. "Hmm? What was that?"
Elizabeth smiled warmly. "Forget it for now, son. Finish your dinner."
As Melanie entered the kitchen to refill the water jug, she spotted Ryder. "Hey, Brother Ryder, welcome home."
Elizabeth noticed Melanie’s fatigue. "Did you sleep?" she asked.
Melanie shook her head. "Your sister-in-law loaded us with homework. If we don’t finish it tonight, no trip."
Melanie headed to the kitchen to fill the water jug."Aunt is being strict with them," Ryder commented, observing Melanie’s exhaustion.
Elizabeth chuckled. "Hmm."
Just then, Melanie emerged from the kitchen. "Aunt after seeing Brother Ryder eating, now I’m starving.",she said with a longing gaze, ’Okay, let me make something for you two sisters..’"
Ryder added, "Melanie ..you will have to carry them yourself. My mother is tired."
Melanie smiled, "Aunt, your son is acting protective... okay, I will carry them myself, Brother Ryder."
Ryder focused on his meal as Elizabeth busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a few light dishes.
Melanie settled into the chair across from Ryder. "You’re something of a legend at my school, Brother Ryder."
"Really?"
"Yeah, none of my friends know we’re related. Ryder Thompson is my cousin...You’ve got a serious fan base."
Ryder asked with a smile, "Are you two my fans?"
Melanie’s expression turned serious. "Not really. We know you, Brother Ryder. You’ve always been distant, preferring Emerson to us.Moreover you are cold towards us."
Ryder’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You think I’m cold towards you two?"
Melanie swiftly shifted gears, her cheeks flushing. "Actually, B..brother Ryder, one of my classmates has a crush on you – she wants to marry you."
She glanced around anxiously. "If Lydia finds out I spilled the secret, she’ll hound me relentlessly."
Just as the conversation took a sensitive turn, Elizabeth breezed out of the kitchen, her tone playful. "Ha ha, Ryder’s got the ladies swooning, it seems!"
"Yes, Aunt, Brother Ryder is very famous on our campus..."
"Ryder, you ought to check out her campus," Elizabeth teased,"maybe you’ll find your perfect match!" She laughed heartily.
Ryder remained silent, his eyes fixed on his mother as she spoke.
"Melanie, I’ve prepared some noodles for you and your sister. Have them before they get cold.." Elizabeth instructed.
Melanie nodded obediently. "Hmm, Aunt."
She headed to the kitchen to retrieve the noodles, then returned with a tray.
"Good night, Brother Ryder.." she said softly before ascending the stairs.
Ryder’s gaze lingered on Melanie’s retreating figure, his expression unreadable.
After finishing dinner, Ryder looked at his mother with concern. "Mother, why don’t you head to bed? It’s getting late."
"Alright..You get some rest too, and don’t stay up working all night."Ryder acknowledged her words with a gentle "Hmm."
Ryder went to his room, and his phone rang shortly after. He answered, and John’s voice filled the line.
"Ryder, you missed tonight’s treat... so sad..ha.." John said, his voice muffled slightly by the sound of him savoring something delicious.
"Treat? What do you mean?" Ryder asked.
"Remember that restaurant in Thea’s locality?" John inquired.
"Hmm.." Ryder replied.
""The restaurant owner, Aunt Evelyn, invited us since she’s returning to ..where did she mentioned...yes..her ancestral home...She gave us a send off party... you missed it."
Ryder’s thoughts turned inward. When did she invite me? he wondered silently, but didn’t voice the question aloud.
John continued, relishing the treat. "Thea made raspberry tiramisu – it’s incredible! You should’ve been here."
"Remember when I called you earlier today? You said you couldn’t join us.." John said.
Ryder nodded, recalling their earlier conversation.
John continued, "And I just heard that Liam’s left his teaching position at the university."
The line went silent for a moment before John spoke again. "Anyway, talk to you later, Ryder."
Ryder nodded to himself, still pondering the missed invitation. "Later, John."
Shortly after the call ended, Ryder’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. He opened it to find a picture of a decadent raspberry tiramisu, with John savaging a large slice.
The accompanying message read:
"Enjoy the picture! Thea solely made it for me... Revenge is best served ."
The devil laughing emoji added a playful touch to John’s teasing message, rubbing in the fact that Ryder had missed out on the delicious treat.
Ryder shot back a response:"Enjoy it, as it will be your last chance to have them."As soon as he hit send, his expression turned contemplative.
"When did she invite me over for this treat?" Ryder wondered, lost in thought.
Thea’s gaze drifted repeatedly to her phone, her fingers drumming against the screen.
"Why didn’t he message me?" she pondered, a hint of disappointment creeping in. "Is he that busy?"
She hesitated, unsure whether to reach out. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard.
She started typing a message, but her uncertainty got the better of her. She deleted it.
Thea’s eyes lingered on the blank screen, her mind weighing the pros and cons of initiating a conversation.
"Let him be...." she thought, pushing aside her doubts. "I’ll go to his house tomorrow."
She silenced her phone and put it on charge for the night.
The following morning, she got ready and headed out..
At university, Thea settled into her seat just as Charlotte arrived, slightly out of breath.
"You didn’t wait for me?" Charlotte asked, sliding into the chair beside Thea.
She remained silent.
"Still angry because I touched them?" Charlotte inquired again, her tone playful yet probing.
Thea’s silence persisted.
Undeterred, Charlotte tried another tack. "See, your good friend had to search many shops late at night to get this bottle of tonics.." she said, holding up her phone to display a picture.
Thea’s gaze remained fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding the image on Charlotte’s screen.
"These tonics will also help with other things,stuffs like..s.." Charlotte started, her voice dripping with innuendo.
Thea swiftly clapped her hand over Charlotte’s mouth, her face flushing with embarrassment.
